passwxrd Documentation

Requirements

passwxrd is a Windows-only application. Before you run it, make sure your system meets the following:

Installation

passwxrd is portable — there's no installer, no registry entries, and no setup wizard. Just download and run.

First Launch

The first time you run passwxrd, you'll go through a short one-time setup.

Step 1 — Windows Hello verification

passwxrd immediately asks you to verify your identity using Windows Hello. This happens every time you open the app, not just the first time. It ensures that only you — the device owner — can access the vault.

Step 2 — Create your master password

After Windows Hello, you're prompted to create a master password. This is a second layer of protection unique to passwxrd. You'll need to enter it every time you open the app, in addition to Windows Hello.

Choose something strong. It's hashed with HMAC-SHA256 and never stored in plain text — if you forget it, see Resetting the Master Password.

Step 3 — You're in

After authentication, the main window opens and passwxrd loads credentials from all detected browsers automatically. You're ready to go.

Authentication

passwxrd uses a two-factor approach to protect your vault — hardware-level biometrics plus a password you set yourself.

Windows Hello

Every launch begins with a Windows Hello prompt (fingerprint, face ID, or PIN). This calls the Windows UserConsentVerifier API directly — the same API banks and enterprise software use. passwxrd has no access to your biometric data; Windows handles it entirely.

Master Password

The master password is passwxrd's own authentication layer, independent of Windows. It's stored as an HMAC-SHA256 hash — the actual password is never written anywhere.

Resetting your master password

If you forget your master password:

1. On the login screen, click Reset Password.
2. Windows Hello verification is required — confirming you own the device.
3. Once verified, you'll be prompted to create a new master password.

Browser Passwords

passwxrd reads password databases directly from your installed browsers using each browser's own decryption APIs. No browser extension or plugin is required.

Supported Browsers

Edit & Manage Passwords

Viewing passwords

All passwords are hidden by default. Click the eye icon next to any entry to reveal it. Click the copy icon to copy to clipboard without ever displaying it on screen.

Adding a new entry

Click + Add in the toolbar. Fill in the site URL, username, and password, then select which browser to save it to. Click Save — passwxrd writes it directly into that browser's credential database.

Editing an entry

Double-click any row (or click the edit pencil) to open the edit panel. Change the URL, username, or password, then click Save. The change is written immediately.

Deleting an entry

Select a row and press Delete, or right-click → Delete. A confirmation prompt appears before anything is removed. Deletion is permanent.

Move Between Browsers

One of passwxrd's most powerful features: migrating credentials from one browser to another with a single action.

Search & Filter

The search bar at the top of the main window filters entries in real time. You can search by:

• Site / URL — partial matches work (e.g. google finds accounts.google.com)
• Username / email
• Browser — type chrome or edge to filter by source browser

The filter is case-insensitive. Press Escape to clear the search.

System Tray

When you close the main window, passwxrd minimises to the system tray rather than exiting. Look for the passwxrd icon in the bottom-right corner of your taskbar.

From the tray icon you can:

• Show — reopen the main window (requires re-authentication)
• Quit — fully exit passwxrd

How Encryption Works

passwxrd never stores your passwords itself — it reads them from your browsers' own encrypted databases, decrypts them on-the-fly for display, and re-encrypts them when writing back.

Data Storage

Browsers like Chrome and Edge store passwords in a local SQLite file at a path like:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Login Data

Passwords in these files are encrypted using Windows DPAPI (Data Protection API), which ties the encryption to your Windows user account. passwxrd calls the same CryptUnprotectData function that Chrome itself uses — no reverse engineering, no exploits.

For newer Chromium browsers (v80+), an additional AES-256-GCM layer protects each entry using a key stored in the browser's Local State file. passwxrd decrypts this key using DPAPI before using it.

Auto-Updater

passwxrd includes a built-in update system that checks for new versions every time the app starts.

How the check works

On startup, passwxrd sends a single lightweight GET request to:

https://passwxrd.com/version.txt

This file contains only the current latest version number (e.g. 1.1.0). passwxrd compares it to the version baked into the running executable. If the remote version is higher, the updater UI appears.

The Update UI

When an update is available, a clean dialog window appears before the main app loads:

• Shows current version → new version
• Update Now — downloads and installs the update automatically
• Skip for now — dismisses and opens the current version

During download, a progress bar shows real-time download speed. Once complete, the new version launches automatically and the old file is cleaned up.

Verifying downloads

Every release is available at a versioned URL:

https://passwxrd.com/download/passwxrd-v1.0.0.exe
https://passwxrd.com/download/passwxrd-v1.1.0.exe

Antivirus Warnings

Some antivirus software may flag passwxrd as suspicious. This is a false positive and extremely common for any tool that reads browser credential databases — including legitimate password managers.

Why does it happen?

passwxrd accesses the same SQLite files and calls the same Windows APIs that browsers use internally. Security software uses heuristic pattern-matching — "this exe reads browser passwords" triggers a generic rule, even if the tool is completely safe.

What to do

1. Open your antivirus software's settings.
2. Navigate to Exclusions or Whitelist.
3. Add the full path to passwxrd.exe.
4. Re-run passwxrd — the warning will not appear again.

Common Errors

Error Log

If passwxrd crashes or encounters an unhandled exception, it writes a detailed error log to:

error.log  (same folder as passwxrd.exe)

When contacting support, please attach this file — it contains the full Python traceback and helps us identify the issue quickly.

Contact Support

Can't find the answer here? Reach out:

Changelog

v1.0.0 June 2025

• 🎉 Initial release
• Windows Hello + master password dual authentication
• Read/write support for Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, Opera GX
• Full CRUD — add, edit, delete, move passwords
• Real-time search and filter
• System tray integration
• Auto-updater with GUI progress bar
• Single portable .exe — no install needed

Frequently Asked Questions

Does passwxrd work without internet?

Yes, completely. The only network activity is the optional update check on startup, which gracefully skips if there's no connection. All password management is fully offline.

Can I use passwxrd on multiple PCs?

passwxrd reads browser passwords that are encrypted with your Windows account's DPAPI key. Because of this, you can use it on multiple machines — but each machine will only show that machine's locally saved passwords. There is no cloud sync.

Will changes I make in passwxrd show up in the browser?

Yes. passwxrd writes directly to the browser's credential database. The next time you open that browser, your changes will be reflected — new passwords will autofill, deleted ones won't appear.

Does passwxrd run at startup?

Not by default. It only runs when you open it. If you'd like it to start with Windows, you can add a shortcut to your Startup folder manually (Win+R → shell:startup).

Is my data safe if I uninstall passwxrd?

Yes. passwxrd never moves or copies your browser password files. Removing passwxrd.exe has zero effect on your browser credentials — they remain exactly where they were.