How to access and use the information on this Left In Peace USB drive. No internet connection is needed. No technical knowledge is required.
Left In PeacePlug it in and open the application
When you plug the USB drive into a computer (Windows or Mac) and open it, you'll see a few items. On a Mac you may see Left In Peace with the Left In Peace icon (two figures) — double-click that. Otherwise, the one you need is the file whose name starts with Double_Click_This.
Insert it into any USB port. The drive may open automatically. If not, open File Explorer and look for the drive (usually E: or F:).
Double-click the file called Double_Click_This_To_Start_Left_In_Peace.html. It will open in your web browser.
Insert it into a USB port. The drive icon will appear on your desktop or in Finder under "Locations."
Double-click the Left In Peace app (the Left In Peace icon — two figures). If you don't see it, double-click Double_Click_This_To_Start_Left_In_Peace.html instead.
Left In Peace works entirely offline. You do not need WiFi or any internet connection. Everything runs from the USB drive itself.
Left In Peace needs a browser that can read files directly from the USB drive. Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Brave can do this. Safari and Firefox cannot. On Windows, Edge is already installed. On a Mac, double-click the Left In Peace app — if Chrome, Edge, or Brave isn't installed, it will offer to install Chrome for you (free, about a minute).
When the application opens, you'll be asked to connect to the USB drive folder. Your browser will show a folder selection window — find and select the USB drive, then click "Select Folder." If the browser asks permission to access the drive, click "Allow" or "Yes."
You'll need the security keys that were given to you
The information on this USB drive is encrypted — that is the technical word for "scrambled with a secret code, so no one else can read it." To unlock the drive, you need the security keys that the owner created and distributed. On the welcome screen, you will see several options — choose the one that matches the keys you have.
This is the primary access method. It requires two people — one with the Master Key and one with the Keylock Key. These are lists of 6 words each, from the military alphabet (ALPHA, BRAVO, CHARLIE, etc.).
The owner printed each key in duplicate — Copy 1 went to the key holder, and Copy 2 went to a backup person for that key. Both copies of the same key carry the same 6 words. So if a key holder can't be found or lost their card, the backup person can supply that key instead. The Heir Information Packet lists who the backup people are.
On the welcome screen, click this button to begin.
The full list of the 26 military alphabet words appears, in alphabetical order. The person with the Master Key looks at their printed word list and finds and clicks their 6 words in order — first word, then second, and so on. Selected words appear below the grid as numbered chips. If you make a mistake, click a chip to undo it.
The same list of 26 words appears again. The person with the Keylock Key finds and clicks their 6 words in order.
If both word patterns are correct, the information unlocks and you can see everything the owner documented.
Older kits: if the printed keys are each one long code of letters and numbers rather than 6 words, use the "Enter it here instead" link below the word list — it opens two boxes where each code can be typed exactly as printed.
Click them in the same order they were written down. If the unlock fails, check both patterns carefully and try again. The words are not case-sensitive — just click them from the grid.
If the owner gave you a Trusted Key, you can access everything alone — no second person needed.
On the welcome screen, choose this option.
Type or paste the Trusted Key value you were given, then click "Unlock."
Not all owners create Trusted Keys. If yours doesn't work, it may have been revoked. Try the two-key method instead.
After you successfully unlock with both word patterns or a Trusted Key, a new screen will ask: "What brings you here today?" You will have two choices:
Choose this if the owner is in the hospital, recovering, or unable to manage things right now. You will see medical details, insurance policies, bill-paying accounts, emergency contacts, and daily-life essentials. Personal messages, estate plans, and full financial details will be hidden so you can focus on what matters most.
Choose this to see everything the owner documented — all sections, all details, nothing held back.
If you chose "They Are Alive, But Need Help" and later need full access, look for the "Switch to full access" link at the bottom of the page. This option is available only if you unlocked with both word patterns or a Trusted Key.
If you only have one word pattern and the owner enabled emergency access, you can use this path to see the most critical information right away — medical details, insurance, bill-paying accounts, and emergency contacts.
On the welcome screen, choose this option. If the owner did not turn on emergency access, the button will explain that you need both key holders instead.
A single grid will appear. Click your 6 words in order — the same way you would in the two-key method. You do not need to know whether you have the Master Key or the Keylock Key. The system will try both automatically.
If the words match, you will see the emergency-relevant sections: medical information, insurance, bill-paying accounts, and key contacts. The owner's date of birth and Medicare/Medicaid number are always there, since a hospital will ask for them. Other sections will be hidden — the Social Security number, passports, and driver's license are never shown with one key.
With only one key, you cannot switch to full access. You will see only the information needed during an urgent situation. To see everything, you need both word patterns or a Trusted Key.
| Access Method | Keys Needed | What You See |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency (one key) | 1 word pattern | Medical, insurance, bill-paying accounts only |
| Two-key → They Are Alive, But Need Help | Both word patterns | Same filtered view, can switch to full |
| Two-key → Settling the Estate | Both word patterns | Everything |
| Trusted Key → either mode | Trusted Key | Choice of emergency or full |
Settling an estate takes weeks or months. You should not have to bring both code holders together every single time someone needs to look something up. When you unlock with both word patterns and choose Settling the Estate, a box titled "For the days ahead — tomorrow is fine" appears at the top with three things you can set up now, while you are together:
Choose Create an Executor Key and enter the name of the person doing the day-to-day work — usually the executor. Left In Peace shows a single code for them. Write it down or print it. From then on, that person can open the drive on their own, as often as they need, by choosing "I have one key" and entering their code — no second code holder required. Everyone keeps their original two cards, and the family can turn the executor key off later.
Turning a key off. Right under the Create an Executor Key button is a list of every single code that opens the drive right now, each with a Turn Off button. Left In Peace asks you to confirm first. Once it is off, that person's code no longer opens the drive; your two cards keep working, and you can make a new Executor Key any time. (You need to have just unlocked with both cards to do this. If the owner still uses the drive, their copy picks up the change the next time they sign in with their PIN.)
It locks itself when left alone. If nobody touches the computer for 15 minutes, Left In Peace closes and locks itself — whether it was opened with both cards, an Executor Key, or one emergency card — so the information isn't left on screen. Nothing is lost; just open it again the same way.
Copy the whole USB drive onto a second one using your computer's file copier (select everything on the drive, copy, and paste onto a new USB drive). The family keeps the original in a safe place; the person doing the work carries the copy. Both open the same way. Do this after creating the executor key, so the spare has it too.
Choose Save the Keepsake File. The owner's personal messages and the photos of meaningful items are saved as a single file that opens in any web browser — no app, no code, no drive needed — so they are still readable many years from now. Keep copies wherever you keep what matters (email one to yourself, save it in more than one place).
Whoever holds it can see everything on the drive on their own. Give it only to the person the family trusts to handle the estate. It can be turned off at any time from the owner's Key Holders screen.
Everything the owner documented, organized by category
After unlocking, you'll see a read-only view of the owner's information. You cannot edit anything — this is by design, to protect the owner's records. The information is organized into sections:
If the owner wrote a message to their loved ones, it appears at the top. This might be a few words or a full letter.
Attorney, accountant, financial advisor, insurance agent, employer/HR, and healthcare providers — names, phone numbers, and notes.
Passwords, PINs, Social Security Number, driver's license, passports (there may be more than one), Medicare, phone passcodes, computer passwords, the main email account and any other email accounts (each with its password and a note on what it was used for; bills and statements often go to an older address), safe combinations, alarm codes, bank PINs, and security question answers. (The security question answers are for the owner's other accounts — banks, email, and so on — not for Left In Peace itself.)
You may see "— none (did not have one)" beside some items. That means the person deliberately did not have one — for example, no Medicare number — not that information is missing.
Where to find the will, trust, power of attorney, birth certificate, marriage certificate, tax returns, and organ donor status. The will section may also include executor contact information.
For the will, trust and power of attorney you may also see who prepared the document and the year it was signed, whether the copy at the stated location is the signed original or a copy, and a note about older or other versions ("the 2015 will is out of date; this one replaces it"). Take this seriously: an old will that turns up with nothing to say it was replaced, or a handwritten one nobody knew about, can hold up an estate for a very long time. If the owner wrote that a different version exists, tell the attorney before anything is filed.
Other Important Papers is a checklist of the papers families most often don't know exist: the deed, vehicle titles, military discharge papers (DD-214), the Social Security card, a cemetery plot or prepaid funeral contract, a safe deposit box (which bank, where the key is, who may open it), beneficiary forms for retirement accounts and life insurance (these decide who receives the money, even when the will says otherwise), business papers, loans made or owed, and a letter of wishes. Only the items the owner ticked appear, each with where it is. An item that is not listed means the owner said they do not have one, so nobody has to search for it.
Bank accounts, credit cards, investments, retirement accounts, pensions, Social Security benefits, real estate, vehicles, debts, and digital currency.
If the owner filled it in, you will find a section that gathers every regular payment and deposit in one place: money coming in (such as Social Security or a pension), money going out by day of the month, and an auto-pay map that lists which bills come out of which account or credit card. This last part is important: if a card is replaced or an account is closed, the bills tied to it can quietly stop being paid. Use this list to update the auto-payments — especially anything that must not lapse, like car or home insurance — before closing any account.
Life, health, and other insurance policies — company names, policy numbers, beneficiaries, and agent contact information.
WiFi password, service people (plumber, electrician, etc.), subscriptions, utility accounts, pets and their care instructions, HOA details, and funeral arrangements. (Property tax is listed with each property under Financial Accounts.)
Storage units, club memberships, gym contracts, timeshares — with account numbers, gate or access codes where they apply, and instructions on what to do with each.
Deal with any storage unit early. Unlike most items in this guide, a storage unit runs on a clock: if the rent goes unpaid, the facility can eventually sell the contents. If a unit is listed here, check whether the rent is still being paid, and use the gate or access code to get in and see what's there before you make any decisions about it.
Business name, the owner's role, partner details, and instructions for the family.
Items the owner wanted to specifically address — who should receive them, what to sell, what to donate. May include a permission statement giving heirs permission to let go of things without guilt.
Advance directive, do-not-resuscitate (DNR) status, healthcare power of attorney, and the owner's wishes for end-of-life care. If the owner documented their preferences, you will find them here.
Instructions for handling the owner's online presence — Facebook, Instagram, email accounts, cloud storage, and other digital services. May include login information and the owner's wishes for each account (memorialize, delete, transfer, etc.).
A list of people the owner wanted contacted. Includes names, phone numbers, and relationships. A "Download Contact List" button lets you save this list as a CSV file — a simple format that any spreadsheet program (Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers) can open, making it easier to work through the calls.
If the owner identified anyone who should not be notified, they will be listed here.
Expanded details beyond basic arrangements — songs or readings the owner requested, guest guidance, celebration of life wishes, and obituary notes. This section helps the family honor the owner's preferences.
Individual messages to specific people and time capsule messages with open-after dates.
A printed document the owner may have given you
The owner may have printed and distributed a document called the Heir Information Packet. This is a physical piece of paper (not on the USB drive) that tells you:
It is safe to keep with important papers, give to the attorney, or file with the will. It tells you who to contact and where the USB drive is — not how to unlock it.
Some owners also stored a sealed envelope marked "Open with my will" alongside their will — in the attorney's file, a home safe, or a safe deposit box. Inside is a single page containing both keys. If you find this envelope, it means whoever is handling the will has everything needed to unlock the drive, even if neither key holder can be reached. Handle it carefully — anyone holding that page can open the drive — and if the owner printed one, the Heir Information Packet will mention it.
The owner may have also sent periodic Update Notification Letters confirming that the USB drive information is current and that access codes are still valid.
Common issues and how to resolve them
Check these places:
You need both for full access. Contact the other key holder — check the Heir Information Packet for their name and phone number. If that person can't be reached or lost their card, contact the backup person for that key (also listed in the packet) — they hold an identical second copy. If the owner gave you a Trusted Key (a single key), try the "I Have One Long Typed Code" option instead. If you need urgent medical or insurance information right away, look for the "Emergency — I Only Have One Card" option on the welcome screen.
The owner may not have enabled single-key emergency access. This feature is optional and must be turned on by the owner when they set up the USB drive. Without it, you need both word patterns for full access, or a Trusted Key.
The key itself may still exist even if the person who held it is gone. Every key was printed as two identical cards, held by two different people. Check these places, in order:
If the owner turned on single-key emergency access, you can also use just your own key to reach medical, insurance, and bill-paying information right away while you search for the other key.
Without at least one valid access method, the data cannot be retrieved. This is by design — the encryption protects the owner's information from unauthorized access. Contact the owner's attorney to see if keys were left in the estate plan, and check wherever the will is kept for a sealed envelope marked "Open with my will" — some owners stored one there containing both keys.
This is normal when using the USB on a different computer than the owner used. First click the green "I Understand — Connect to USB Drive" button. When the folder window appears, select the USB drive and click "Select Folder." If the browser asks permission, click "Allow". Then try unlocking again. (If you don't see the green button, hold Ctrl and tap the minus (-) key until it appears.)
USB drives can occasionally be damaged by drops, water, or age. Try these steps in order:
Do not try to repair or reformat the drive yourself — that can erase what is still recoverable.
Technical and security details for professionals
There are no servers, no cloud storage, no accounts, and no company dependency. If the company that makes Left In Peace ceased to exist, this USB drive would continue to function exactly as it does today. The application is built with standard web technology (HTML and JavaScript) that will be readable by computers for decades.