User Guide - Fortiva

Overview

What Fortiva does and how your data stays on your PC.

What is Fortiva?

Fortiva is a zero-knowledge, local-first password manager for Windows. Every password is encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM (Windows CNG) and Argon2id key derivation. Your master password never leaves your machine. There is no cloud sync, no telemetry, and no background service when the app is closed.

Who is it for?

Individuals who want a Windows-native password manager with full control over where credentials are stored.

What can I do with it?

Store unlimited logins, secure notes, and TOTP codes in an encrypted vault
Unlock with a master password or Windows Hello
Fill website logins in Chrome or Edge when you click Fill
Run a security audit for weak, reused, and missing passwords
Import from KeePass, browsers, or CSV; export encrypted backups
Use a portable vault on USB (optional)

Fortiva My Vault grid view — My Vault — grid or list view, tags, favorites, and Ctrl+K search.

Quick start

Five steps after installation. New to Fortiva? Start with the installation guide.

Create your vault — pick a strong master password and write it down offline. Fortiva cannot reset it.
Add a login — My Vault → + Add entry → fill title, username, password, and Website (the login page URL).
Connect the browser — Settings → Browser extension → Connect browser. Reload the extension if Settings shows a version mismatch.
Fill on a website — keep Fortiva unlocked, open a login page → Fortiva toolbar icon → Fill.
Back up — Import / Export → Export encrypted → save the .fva file somewhere safe.

Optional: Enable Windows Hello in Settings for faster unlock, and run Security audit to review password health.

Glossary

Plain-language terms used in Fortiva.

Term	Meaning
Vault	Your encrypted password store (`vault.fva`) on this PC.
Master password	The one password that unlocks the vault. Never stored by Fortiva.
Windows Hello	Fingerprint, face, or PIN unlock — optional shortcut; master password still needed for recovery.
Fill	You click Fill in the browser; Fortiva sends credentials to the page. Never automatic on page load.
Paranoia Mode	Detects vault rollback — vault may open read-only until you confirm in Settings.
Security audit	In-app health check for passwords and settings — no data sent online.
Panic lock	Shield icon (top-right) — locks vault and hides the window instantly.

My Vault

Adding, searching, and managing saved credentials.

Search & shortcuts

Ctrl + K — focus vault search (title, username, URL, tags)
Ctrl + Shift + P — command palette (jump to Settings, lock, audit, etc.)
Ctrl + N — quick add entry

Add an entry

Click + Add entry.
Fill Title, Username, Password (or use the dice icon / generator), and Website.
Add optional tags and notes, then Save.

Copy & reveal passwords

Click the copy icon on any row to copy the password — clipboard auto-clears after your configured timeout (default 30 seconds). Open an entry and use the eye icon to reveal a password for 5 seconds.

Unlock, lock & panic lock

Type your master password or use Windows Hello on the unlock screen. Auto-lock runs after inactivity (default 5 minutes). The red shield icon instantly locks and hides the window — use it if someone approaches your screen.

Fortiva password generator — Password generator — presets, entropy readout, and character-set controls.

Security audit

In-app password and settings health check. Runs when you open the page.

What it checks

Passwords — weak, reused, old, missing, similar URLs
Settings — auto-lock, clipboard clear, Hello, Paranoia Mode
Vault hygiene — HTTP URLs, missing site URLs, backup recommendation, duplicates

Using findings

Review your score (0–100) and severity badges: CRITICAL, WARNING, INFO, PASS. Each finding has action buttons — View entries, Open settings, Export backup, and more. Export JSON or HTML reports contain counts only — never secrets.

Fortiva security audit dashboard — Security audit — score, category cards, and actionable findings.

Import & export

Migrate from other tools and back up your vault.

Supported import formats

Fortiva encrypted backup (.fva, .fvab, .json)
Generic CSV (title, username, password, url, notes)
KeePass CSV, Chrome/Edge password export, Apple Keychain CSV

Choose format → Choose file and review import… → preview duplicates/conflicts → confirm.

Encrypted backup

Export encrypted re-encrypts your vault with a separate backup password. Safe to store in cloud or email. Plaintext CSV is available for migration only — passwords are visible in the file.

Fortiva import and export screen — Import / Export — migration, encrypted backup, and duplicate scan.

Settings

Appearance, security, updates, Hello, and portable mode.

Area	Options
Appearance	System, Light, or Dark theme
Security	Paranoia Mode, auto-lock (30 s – 15 min), clipboard auto-clear (5 – 120 s)
Updates	Automatic GitHub updates (optional, max once per 24 h); manual Check for updates
Master password	Change password — re-keys the vault immediately
Portable mode	Open or create vault on USB… — vault stays on removable media

Fortiva settings screen — Settings — security sliders, Hello, browser extension, and portable vault.

Windows Hello

Faster unlock with biometrics — master password remains the recovery root.

Set up Hello

Settings → Windows Hello → Set up Windows Hello
Complete the Windows prompt (fingerprint, face, or PIN).
Fortiva stores hello.keyprotect next to your vault. TPM hardware upgrade may be offered on supported PCs.

Important

Hello does not replace your master password. You still need it for recovery, changing the master password, encrypted export, and setting up on a new device. Remove Hello via Settings → Remove Hello credential.

Windows Hello unlocking Fortiva — Windows Hello — optional unlock after master password setup.

Browser extension

Fortiva Autofill for Chrome and Edge — manual Fill only, localhost bridge.

One-time setup

Settings → Browser extension → Connect browser
If the browser is closed, Fortiva opens it with the extension loaded.
If already open, Fortiva may offer to close and reopen — or use manual Load unpacked from the path shown in Settings.
After Fortiva updates: run Connect browser again, then Reload the extension in chrome://extensions or edge://extensions.

Fill a login

Keep Fortiva unlocked on this PC.
Open a website login page with a matching Website field in your vault entry.
Click the Fortiva toolbar icon → confirm Ready to fill → Fill.

Credentials are never injected on page load. The extension talks only to your local Fortiva app at 127.0.0.1:7847.

Troubleshooting: "Not connected" — unlock Fortiva, run Connect browser, reload the extension. "No saved login" — set the entry's Website to the login page URL.

Troubleshooting

Common issues and fixes.

App won't launch

Re-run the Fortiva installer — it bundles .NET, App SDK, WebView2, and VC++. Do not copy files out of the install folder manually.

Forgot master password

There is no reset. Fortiva is zero-knowledge. Restore from an encrypted .fva backup if you have one and know the backup password.

Vault rollback warning

If Windows restored an older vault.fva, Fortiva shows a warning. In Paranoia Mode the vault opens read-only until you acknowledge in Settings, or restore from backup.

Windows Hello issues

Configure Hello in Windows Settings first. If setup fails, software Hello may still work. Use Remove Hello credential and set up again if the binding is orphaned.

Extension stale after update

Connect browser + reload extension. Version in edge://extensions must match Fortiva About.

Security & privacy

How Fortiva handles your data on-device.

Zero-knowledge — icmclab studio never receives your vault
No telemetry — no analytics or usage tracking
No background service — runs only when you open it
One network call — optional GitHub update check (Personal); disable in Settings
Five rolling snapshots — encrypted backups after each save

Full details: website privacy policy and Fortiva PRIVACY.md.