ZAID for Windows

It's portable and free, but we had a few problems with this password keeper. Since it doesn't require installation, ZAID can be saved anywhere.

Installing this app takes jumping through some hoops. The Help file is a must read before you start the program. Unexpectedly, you'll have to read it straight from the app's ZIP folder. However, as expected, the program doesn't run from the zipped folder, but only from the unzipped folder. Go figure.

You're asked to enter a password at first run, and that password is given in the one-page Help file. Make sure you read how to use the program, as there are no onscreen instructions. Program operation isn't intuitive, despite the simplicity of the interface.

The black-and-blue interface holds only a File menu and a listing of passwords in a spreadsheet-style format. The column headers are Name, Address, Login, Password, and Description. You have to place your mouse in the desired field and right-click to enter data, and use the Tab key to create a new row. Testers who didn't read the Help file first spent more time than they liked trying to figure out ZAID's operation on their own. You can click on the address field to open the URL, and on the password data to copy it for pasting into the appropriate field.

Make sure to hit Save or your data will be lost when you close ZAID. There's no prompt to do so before you exit. There's a Search option, but no way to sort information into categories, or develop any other organization method. The only other feature the program offers is a Password Generator, with several options found under the Additional menu.

ZAID works, and ultimately proved simple to operate, but it lacks data organizational flexibility found in other password managers. Overall, this just wasn't one of our favorite programs, but it's definitely a matter of preference. It's free and you can put it on a any type of removable media, which may be a selling point for some users.