Hi, I"m on Windows 7, and my user profile became corrupted. I was created a new user profile, and everything was copied over from the old profile. However, trying to access KeePass now has been unsuccessful as each time I try and log in to my database, it throws an error message that states "Failed to load the specified file! The composite key is invalid! Make sure the composite key is correct and try again."
yes, my password is correct I'm putting in. I have over a years worth of passwords/configurations in this database, please assist with how to get back in.
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The error you received means that Master Key you are entering is incorrect. This can be caused if:
You are trying to open the wrong password database. Verify that the database is the correct database and that the Date Modified time stamp on the file corresponds to the last time you saved your database.
You are entering the master password incorrectly. Press the reveal password button to the right of the master password field and verify your password as you type it into the Enter Master Key dialog.
Your master key is multi-component and you have neglected to include the additional components into the Enter Master Key dialog.
If your master key includes a key file you must include the key file when you enter your master key.
If your master key included the Windows User Account (it is easy to forget that the master key includes the Windows User Account) you will need to:
open the password database in the old profile and remove the Windows User Account from the master key of the password database, or
Since the password database is an encrypted file that any recent version of KeePass 2.x can decrypt if the correct master key is supplied, and KeePass can reliably detect file corruption, it is highly unlikely that your database is corrupt. However, you can try to repair your database.
Last edit: wellread1 2017-08-10
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The database is the correct one. I only use one. I verified that the time stamp was the last time I had access and saved anything (before my user profile was re-created).
I verified, by way of the reveal button, the password I am entering is correct.
I do not remember having any sort of key file. I never had to have one selected before when entering my password.
I did not include the Windows User Account when originally setting this up.
My old profile is the same as my new profile (my IT dept just took my existing user profile, added .bak to the end of it, and moved it to another location). They then let windows recreate my user profile (named the same way with same network password), and copied everything from the old profile over.
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Your description of how you recreated your Windows profile would not be sufficient to restore the database if "Windows User Account" was selected in the master key dialog. That's probably what is causing the issue, unfortunately. In the future you should definitely make backups, and consider testing those backups on another device periodically to make sure they can actually open in the event your Windows account is no longer available.
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so does this mean that my over a year's work of passwords and client configurations are lost forever?
There's got to be a way in log back in to that database. The file is intact. It shows the last date I was in and saved anything, which was just a week ago. My user profile was recreated just two days ago, and I havent' been able to get in since.
And I never set it up by selecting the Windows user Account setting when creating it originally.
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The reason it is easy to forget whether your master key included additional components is that KeePass remembers those components by default. Once configured, you never have to remember these components unless you make a change such as moving to a new profile.
A new profile with the same username and password is NOT the same for the purposes of the password database Windows User Account master key component.
If, before your profile was corrupted, you were using KeePass with default settings, and the old profile is still accessible, and you used the installed version of KeePass with default installation settings, then you can use the database association information contained in the keepass.config.xml file to determine the master key composition.
The keepass.config.xml is located in
...\Users\your_username\AppData\Roaming\KeePass\
This file will contain a section with one or more <Association> elements that contain key composition of the databases that KeePass knows about. An example is shown below.
Note: Prior to KeePass 2.35 the <Association> element for databases may not reflect the complete master key composition, but it should still be possible to determine if a key file and/or Windows User Account were part of the master key.
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I'm having this problem as well.
My database is saved in Dropbox
I have Keepass2 loaded on both a laptop and a desktop (W10 Home) and KeePassDroid loaded on my phone. All three read the Dropbox database.
Yesterday I started getting this error message on the laptop. KeePass still opens okay on desktop and phone
I have not updated anything on the laptop
I have looked at the config file as described above but there is no Association section
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Ok solved
When I looked at the config file onthe desktop it did have an Associations section. So I uninstalled Kee Pass from the laptop, deleted the config file from the laptop and then reinstalled. Now
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Ok solved
When I looked at the config file onthe desktop it did have an Associations section. So I uninstalled Kee Pass from the laptop, deleted the config file from the laptop and then reinstalled. Now okay
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I am having this same problem after upgrading to KeePass verison 2.38 which just came out last week. I can see my database file and that last time I saved was 1/17/2018. I attempted to log into KeePass for the first time since the upgrade last week and get this same error.
I see the <Assocation> section in my KeePass.config.xml file but it only has two entries under it for <DatabasePath> and <Password> nothing else in that section. I did not install using a Windows Account and I am entering in the correct password (confirmed by display). How do I resolve this issue from the upgrade? I have a few years worth of information in this file and really need this to work again. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Last edit: Valerie Arner 2018-01-26
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Ok well I uninstalled, copied the config file and then reinstalle but once I performed the reinstall it works like a charm with my set password and brings all my information up. Thank you Andrew McCulloch for the uninstall tip. It is a great day again.
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I can't quite follow what you did or why it helped. Perhaps the last KeePass read a different, or newly created config file, with a different master key association section.
If you have access to a secure printer, you should print out and fill in an Emergency Sheet. That way you will know what master key components are required to open your database, and what should be backed up. While the database is open select Tools>Database Tools>Print Emergency Sheet.... I have attached an example of a filled out emergency sheet.
Hi, I"m on Windows 7, and my user profile became corrupted. I was created a new user profile, and everything was copied over from the old profile. However, trying to access KeePass now has been unsuccessful as each time I try and log in to my database, it throws an error message that states "Failed to load the specified file! The composite key is invalid! Make sure the composite key is correct and try again."
yes, my password is correct I'm putting in. I have over a years worth of passwords/configurations in this database, please assist with how to get back in.
Please don't make multiple posts.
The error you received means that Master Key you are entering is incorrect. This can be caused if:
Since the password database is an encrypted file that any recent version of KeePass 2.x can decrypt if the correct master key is supplied, and KeePass can reliably detect file corruption, it is highly unlikely that your database is corrupt. However, you can try to repair your database.
Last edit: wellread1 2017-08-10
The database is the correct one. I only use one. I verified that the time stamp was the last time I had access and saved anything (before my user profile was re-created).
I verified, by way of the reveal button, the password I am entering is correct.
I do not remember having any sort of key file. I never had to have one selected before when entering my password.
I did not include the Windows User Account when originally setting this up.
My old profile is the same as my new profile (my IT dept just took my existing user profile, added .bak to the end of it, and moved it to another location). They then let windows recreate my user profile (named the same way with same network password), and copied everything from the old profile over.
Your description of how you recreated your Windows profile would not be sufficient to restore the database if "Windows User Account" was selected in the master key dialog. That's probably what is causing the issue, unfortunately. In the future you should definitely make backups, and consider testing those backups on another device periodically to make sure they can actually open in the event your Windows account is no longer available.
so does this mean that my over a year's work of passwords and client configurations are lost forever?
There's got to be a way in log back in to that database. The file is intact. It shows the last date I was in and saved anything, which was just a week ago. My user profile was recreated just two days ago, and I havent' been able to get in since.
And I never set it up by selecting the Windows user Account setting when creating it originally.
The reason it is easy to forget whether your master key included additional components is that KeePass remembers those components by default. Once configured, you never have to remember these components unless you make a change such as moving to a new profile.
A new profile with the same username and password is NOT the same for the purposes of the password database Windows User Account master key component.
If, before your profile was corrupted, you were using KeePass with default settings, and the old profile is still accessible, and you used the installed version of KeePass with default installation settings, then you can use the database association information contained in the keepass.config.xml file to determine the master key composition.
The keepass.config.xml is located in
This file will contain a section with one or more <Association> elements that contain key composition of the databases that KeePass knows about. An example is shown below.
Note: Prior to KeePass 2.35 the <Association> element for databases may not reflect the complete master key composition, but it should still be possible to determine if a key file and/or Windows User Account were part of the master key.
I'm having this problem as well.
My database is saved in Dropbox
I have Keepass2 loaded on both a laptop and a desktop (W10 Home) and KeePassDroid loaded on my phone. All three read the Dropbox database.
Yesterday I started getting this error message on the laptop. KeePass still opens okay on desktop and phone
I have not updated anything on the laptop
I have looked at the config file as described above but there is no Association section
Ok solved
When I looked at the config file onthe desktop it did have an Associations section. So I uninstalled Kee Pass from the laptop, deleted the config file from the laptop and then reinstalled. Now
Ok solved
When I looked at the config file onthe desktop it did have an Associations section. So I uninstalled Kee Pass from the laptop, deleted the config file from the laptop and then reinstalled. Now okay
I cant loging to my DB anymore since fingerprint is disabled?
How come it is disabled? I didn't change anything.
KeePass does not support fingerprint readers. Are you sure you are using KeePass?
cheers, Paul
Keepass2Andriod is have designed by Philipp Crocoll thats the app
I always did use fringerprint on the app.
You need to ask on the KP2A web site
cheers, Paul
I am having this same problem after upgrading to KeePass verison 2.38 which just came out last week. I can see my database file and that last time I saved was 1/17/2018. I attempted to log into KeePass for the first time since the upgrade last week and get this same error.
I see the <Assocation> section in my KeePass.config.xml file but it only has two entries under it for <DatabasePath> and <Password> nothing else in that section. I did not install using a Windows Account and I am entering in the correct password (confirmed by display). How do I resolve this issue from the upgrade? I have a few years worth of information in this file and really need this to work again. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Last edit: Valerie Arner 2018-01-26
Ok well I uninstalled, copied the config file and then reinstalle but once I performed the reinstall it works like a charm with my set password and brings all my information up. Thank you Andrew McCulloch for the uninstall tip. It is a great day again.
I can't quite follow what you did or why it helped. Perhaps the last KeePass read a different, or newly created config file, with a different master key association section.
If you have access to a secure printer, you should print out and fill in an Emergency Sheet. That way you will know what master key components are required to open your database, and what should be backed up. While the database is open select
Tools>Database Tools>Print Emergency Sheet.... I have attached an example of a filled out emergency sheet.Last edit: wellread1 2018-01-26