Password Generator

Password Generator - program for building lists of random passwords.  Length and complexity is controlled by options.  Final results are written to an ASCII file.

This is a free Keyliner download that is a stand-alone executable.  No installation or configuration is required.  This program does not require registration, nor are there ads or nagware. Free to use for personal and commercial use.  Tested on Windows 7 through 11. 

For a company's public wireless access, we needed a way to generate passwords with a one-week life-span, starting Monday morning through the next Sunday night.  

This program generates several year's worth of weekly passwords, writing results to a tab-delimited file. 

When run, it writes a simple tab-delimited text file, editable with Notepad or Excel.  In the three columns are that week's password, the starting date and an ending date.  If you only need passwords, check the option [x] Passwords Only, or simply ignore the dates.

Installation:

There is none.  Download, expand the ZIP, and run.
No spying, no adware, no registration, no logins, no kidding.

This is a self-contained .exe that does not need installation, registry changes, or configuration files.  Place the .exe, and its related files, in any directory.  Double-click to run.

Since keyliner cannot afford a signing certificate, you will be prompted the file is not safe (being downloaded from the internet).  Click "more information" and allow the program to run or see below for better instructions.

Follow these steps for a more professional installation:

This program should be copied to ProgramFiles so it gains the protection of other Windows security features. Total time: about a minute.

A.  Download the .ZIP to a Download or Temp folder:

From Keyliner's public GDrive, click this link and download to a local temp or download directory.  Do not download directly into ProgramFiles. 

Download ZIP link
Public GDrive Download Link:  PasswordGenerator.zip

Direct link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P7vx-Zy8cgBeBMH2fOBhVn-OcrCH5BME/view?usp=drive_link

MD5:  c7-47-fc-51-ac-6b-65-c5-31-2f-e1-db-cf-95-af-0e
SHA256: 324fdede08e6b645e09f58d84e2185ee79fc33184d859ce665596dbcaf13cabe

When downloading, different browsers behave differently.
You may be prompted the file cannot be scanned.  Click "Download anyway"

B.  Mark the ZIP as safe-to-run:

(This step may not be needed if downloaded by Edge and you clicked "More / Download Anyway")

Using File Explorer, right-mouse-click the downloaded .zip
Select "Properties"
Check [x] Unblock.  This removes the "mark of the web." 

                 Click for larger view

* Only do this if you trust keyliner *and* only if downloaded from keyliner's public GDrive.  When unblocking the .zip, it also unblocks each file within the zip -- an important thought.

If "Unblock" is not visible, it has already been unlocked (by Microsoft Edge).
Once [x] Unblocked is clicked, this security menu disappears.

C.  Create a Program folder to hold the program:

Using File Explorer, open folder C:\Program Files,
Create a folder  C:\Program Files\Util

D.  Separately, Copy the .exe and two other support files to ProgramFiles\Util:

Using File Explorer,
Double-click to open the downloaded .ZIP

Copy and paste these three files from the download folder 

to C:\Program Files\Util

PasswordGenerator.exe 

PasswordGenerator.dll 

PasswordGenerator.runtimeconfig.json 

 

 

Do this copy as a two-step, copying from the download folder into Program Files.  Windows security will not let you download directly into Program Files (technically, you will not be able to remove the "mark of the web" if downloaded directly into Program Files).

E.  Create a Start Menu icon:

Using File Explorer, in C:\Program Files\Util

Right-mouse-click "PasswordGenerator.exe" and "Pin to Start"

 

The program is ready to run.  See icon on Start Menu.

Use:

1.  Launch the program.




2.  Choose a password strength.

     Default = "High" 
     (12-character passphrase, Caps, digits, likely multi-word, depending on length)

     For documentation:
  Lowest  = 8 Char,  Capitals, No numbers
  Low     = 8 Char,  Capitals, Numbers
  Med     = 10 Char, Capitals, Numbers 
  High    = 12 Char, Capitals, Numbers, likely multi-word
  Higher  = 14 Char, Capitals, Numbers, multi-word
  Highest = 16 Char, Capitals, Numbers, multi-word

     Optionally select "[x] Require special characters"      

3.  Set the Count for how many passwords to generate.
     100 is two year's worth of weekly passwords.

4.  Type an output file path and filename or accept the default:
     "C:\Temp\VisitorPassword.csv"

5.  Pick a Start Date (any Date) or ignore if not important.
     Set the Cycle Date; which defaults to a 7-day password rotation.

6.  Click Generate.

7.  Click the Notepad icon to view the resulting file.  Example results:

The generated list has passwords and dates.
To generate the file without the dates, choose [x] Password Only, no dates


Randomization Notes:

The intent is to generate multiple, random passwords (passphrases), but over the course of several hundred runs, it may assemble the same phrase.  This is okay.  Theoretically, you are assigning the phrase to different users or across wide time spans.

To help block dictionary attacks, at strengths "Higher" and above, the program generates multi-word phrases. 

Password lengths are guaranteed to be the minimum length indicated, but are often longer, with variations in lengths.  For example, a "High" password will be a minimum of 12 characters, but will randomly generate longer, 12 to (16) characters.  This makes passwords less predictable.

When generating single passwords, press ctrl-C to copy the password to the clipboard.


Drop me a note on how you used the program.  I welcome suggestions.

Humor:  Earlier versions of this program generated these passwords:  "FriskyHamster27".  Management called.  Program modified.  I am still fond of FriskyHamster.

2025.03 Updates:
Recompiled using .dotNet 8.0 libraries
Added several hundred-word randomizations
Added "password only" option
Added clipboard capabilities
Added Set Sunday/Monday start dates

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For an interesting discussion on passwords and for the reasons for this program's design, see this keyliner article:  Link:  "Better Safer and Stronger Passwords"

Download link
Public GDrive Download Link:  PasswordGenerator.zip

Related articles:
keyliner link:  Better Safer and Stronger Passwords
keyliner link:  Calculate MD5 Checksums