KeysWalletWatch · How-to guides

How to back up a vault and restore it from a backup

Backup Vault saves an encrypted .kww copy that opens with the password you had at the time. Bring it back with Restore Vault or Open Existing Vault.

5 steps about 3 minutes Written for KeysWalletWatch 1.6.3

Short answer: Open Settings → Security and click Backup Vault. Choose where to save the file (it is named like Raymond_s_Vault_backup.kww). The copy is encrypted and opens with the master password the vault had at that moment. To bring it back, use Restore Vault in the same place, or Open Existing Vault on the vault picker.

Steps

  1. Make the backup

    Settings → Security → Backup Vault ("Export an encrypted copy of this vault to a file"). Pick a folder — a USB stick, an external drive, or a cloud folder you trust — and Save. The app confirms "Vault backed up successfully".

  2. Keep more than one

    Back up again after big changes, and keep an older copy too. Each file is a complete, encrypted vault.

  3. Restore from Settings

    Settings → Security → Restore Vault, pick the .kww file. The app adds it as a vault on the vault selection screen, named after the file. It does not overwrite the vault you have open.

  4. Or open it from the vault picker

    Lock the vault (padlock icon), go to All Vaults, click Open Existing Vault, Browse to the .kww file, type its Master Password and click Open Vault. This checks the password before adding it.

  5. Unlock the restored copy

    Click it in the vault list and unlock it with the master password it had when the backup was made.

Worth knowing

  • When it has been a while, the app shows a reminder bar with Back Up Now and Remind Me Later.
  • A backup is not a synced copy. Changes after the backup are not in it; if you use sync, your other PCs already hold the latest vault.
  • Before changing the master password, the app offers Back up now so you keep a copy that opens with the current password.
  • CSV Import / Export → Export to CSV also saves your passwords, but in plain text. Use it to move to another program, not as a backup.
  • The live vault files are in %APPDATA%\com.keyswalletwatch.app. If a PC dies, that folder on the old drive holds them.

Questions

Is a KeysWalletWatch backup encrypted?
Yes. Backup Vault writes an encrypted .kww file that needs the master password the vault had when the backup was made.
Will restoring a backup overwrite my current vault?
No. Restore Vault and Open Existing Vault add the backup as a separate vault on the vault selection screen.
Where are my vaults stored?
In %APPDATA%\com.keyswalletwatch.app on your PC (C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\com.keyswalletwatch.app).

Related guides

Download — free 30-day trial All how-to guides