CIPHER.EXE

[WhatAboutBob]

I have Windows XP Home edition version 5.1 with service pack 3

I cannot find the cipher.exe program. I was told it is included in service
pack 3, which I have.

Can anyone tell me where to find it in the computer (i.e., which folder it
is in)?.

Or, where can I download a version that will run on Windows XP (I found a
site for downloading but it says it's for Windows 2000.

Thanks.

 

[nass]

I have Windows XP Home edition version 5.1 with service pack 3

I cannot find the cipher.exe program. I was told it is included in service
pack 3, which I have.

Can anyone tell me where to find it in the computer (i.e., which folder it
is in)?.

Or, where can I download a version that will run on Windows XP (I found a
site for downloading but it says it's for Windows 2000.

Thanks.

If you opened the local search on your computer and typed in:
CIPHER.EXE
You will find it in these directories:
c:\windows\system32\cipher.exe 55kb
C:\Windows\ServicePackFiles\i386
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\SelfUpdate
C:\Windpows\Prefetch

Open a run command and type in:
cmd click [OK]
On the command prompt type cipher /? Hit Enter on your keyboard. The
output will be this:
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\USER>cipher /?
Displays or alters the encryption of directories [files] on NTFS partitions.

CIPHER [/E | /D] [/S:directory] [/A] [/I] [/F] [/Q] [/H] [pathname [...]]

CIPHER /K

CIPHER /R:filename

CIPHER /U [/N]

CIPHER /W:directory

CIPHER /X[:efsfile] [filename]

/A Operates on files as well as directories. The encrypted file
could become decrypted when it is modified if the parent
directory is not encrypted. It is recommended that you encrypt
the file and the parent directory.
/D Decrypts the specified directories. Directories will be marked
so that files added afterward will not be encrypted.
/E Encrypts the specified directories. Directories will be marked
so that files added afterward will be encrypted.
/F Forces the encryption operation on all specified objects, even
those which are already encrypted. Already-encrypted objects
are skipped by default.
/H Displays files with the hidden or system attributes. These
files are omitted by default.
/I Continues performing the specified operation even after errors
have occurred. By default, CIPHER stops when an error is
encountered.
/K Creates new file encryption key for the user running CIPHER. If
this option is chosen, all the other options will be ignored.
/N This option only works with /U. This will prevent keys being
updated. This is used to find all the encrypted files on the
local drives.
/Q Reports only the most essential information.
/R Generates an EFS recovery agent key and certificate, then writes
them to a .PFX file (containing certificate and private key) and
a .CER file (containing only the certificate). An administrator
may add the contents of the .CER to the EFS recovery policy to
create the recovery agent for users, and import the .PFX to
recover individual files.
/S Performs the specified operation on directories in the given
directory and all subdirectories.
/U Tries to touch all the encrypted files on local drives. This
will
update user's file encryption key or recovery agent's key to the
current ones if they are changed. This option does not work with
other options except /N.
/W Removes data from available unused disk space on the entire
volume. If this option is chosen, all other options are ignored.
The directory specified can be anywhere in a local volume. If it
is a mount point or points to a directory in another volume, the
data on that volume will be removed.
/X Backup EFS certificate and keys into file filename. If efsfile
is
provided, the current user's certificate(s) used to encrypt the
file will be backed up. Otherwise, the user's current EFS
certificate and keys will be backed up.


directory A directory path.
filename A filename without extensions.
pathname Specifies a pattern, file or directory.
efsfile An encrypted file path.

Used without parameters, CIPHER displays the encryption state of
the current directory and any files it contains. You may use multiple
directory names and wildcards. You must put spaces between multiple
parameters.

C:\Documents and Settings\User>

You can use the bove commands/Switches on your Clusters to overwrite
deleted data and..etc.
HTH,
nass

 

[SC Tom]

I have Windows XP Home edition version 5.1 with service pack 3

I cannot find the cipher.exe program. I was told it is included in service
pack 3, which I have.

Can anyone tell me where to find it in the computer (i.e., which folder it
is in)?.

Or, where can I download a version that will run on Windows XP (I found a
site for downloading but it says it's for Windows 2000.

Thanks.

It is included with SP3; you can extract it if Search didn't find it for
you.

SC Tom

 

[VanguardLH]

... Windows XP Home edition ...
... cannot find the cipher.exe program ...

The Home Edition does not support EFS (Encrypted File System).

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307877
"The EFS feature is not included in Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition."

Before purchasing an OS, and when there are multiple versions or
editions of it, you need to evaluate their differences to determine what
you lose or gain by picking one of them.

When Windows XP was in its heyday, Microsoft had an edition comparison
page. Couldn't find it today but found:

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/lpi06397.pdf

Notice EFS is *not* included in the Home Edition. cipher.exe is a
command-line utility for EFS.

 

[VanguardLH]

It is included with SP3; you can extract it if Search didn't find it for
you.

SC Tom

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Overview
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=68C48DAD-BC34-40BE-8D85-6BB4F56F5110

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release Notes
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936929
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...3A-8969-4DDF-BEB2-8BFAC9ED416B&displaylang=en

Where did those say that EFS was included in SP-3 for the Home Edition
of Windows XP?

 

[SC Tom]

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Overview
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=68C48DAD-BC34-40BE-8D85-6BB4F56F5110

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release Notes
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936929
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...3A-8969-4DDF-BEB2-8BFAC9ED416B&displaylang=en

Where did those say that EFS was included in SP-3 for the Home Edition
of Windows XP?

I never said that EFS was included, only that cipher.exe is included with
SP3, and it is. I have SP3 expanded for a slipstreamed CD I made, and by
golly, there it is, cipher.ex_, just waiting to be extracted!

SC Tom

 

[WhatAboutBob]

To SC Tom... I found the information in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827014
where it says that cipher is included with Windows XP.

Now that I have checked all the directories suggested by nass and found no
cipher.exe I suppose that means it is not included in the Home Edition.

Next question: Can I add it to the Home Edition somehow?

 

[WhatAboutBob]

nass...Thanks for the help. However, I checked all those directories you
listed and cipher is not there. The information that it was there came from
here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827014

However, I think I mistakenly assumed that Windows XP included the Home
Edition.

Next question...any idea on how I can add cipher to the home edition?

Thanks again.
WhatAboutBob

I have Windows XP Home edition version 5.1 with service pack 3

I cannot find the cipher.exe program. I was told it is included in service
pack 3, which I have.

Can anyone tell me where to find it in the computer (i.e., which folder it
is in)?.

Or, where can I download a version that will run on Windows XP (I found a
site for downloading but it says it's for Windows 2000.

Thanks.

If you opened the local search on your computer and typed in:
CIPHER.EXE
You will find it in these directories:
c:\windows\system32\cipher.exe 55kb
C:\Windows\ServicePackFiles\i386
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\SelfUpdate
C:\Windpows\Prefetch

Open a run command and type in:
cmd click [OK]
On the command prompt type cipher /? Hit Enter on your keyboard. The
output will be this:
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\USER>cipher /?
Displays or alters the encryption of directories [files] on NTFS partitions.

CIPHER [/E | /D] [/S:directory] [/A] [/I] [/F] [/Q] [/H] [pathname [...]]

CIPHER /K

CIPHER /R:filename

CIPHER /U [/N]

CIPHER /W:directory

CIPHER /X[:efsfile] [filename]

/A Operates on files as well as directories. The encrypted file
could become decrypted when it is modified if the parent
directory is not encrypted. It is recommended that you encrypt
the file and the parent directory.
/D Decrypts the specified directories. Directories will be marked
so that files added afterward will not be encrypted.
/E Encrypts the specified directories. Directories will be marked
so that files added afterward will be encrypted.
/F Forces the encryption operation on all specified objects, even
those which are already encrypted. Already-encrypted objects
are skipped by default.
/H Displays files with the hidden or system attributes. These
files are omitted by default.
/I Continues performing the specified operation even after errors
have occurred. By default, CIPHER stops when an error is
encountered.
/K Creates new file encryption key for the user running CIPHER. If
this option is chosen, all the other options will be ignored.
/N This option only works with /U. This will prevent keys being
updated. This is used to find all the encrypted files on the
local drives.
/Q Reports only the most essential information.
/R Generates an EFS recovery agent key and certificate, then writes
them to a .PFX file (containing certificate and private key) and
a .CER file (containing only the certificate). An administrator
may add the contents of the .CER to the EFS recovery policy to
create the recovery agent for users, and import the .PFX to
recover individual files.
/S Performs the specified operation on directories in the given
directory and all subdirectories.
/U Tries to touch all the encrypted files on local drives. This
will
update user's file encryption key or recovery agent's key to the
current ones if they are changed. This option does not work with
other options except /N.
/W Removes data from available unused disk space on the entire
volume. If this option is chosen, all other options are ignored.
The directory specified can be anywhere in a local volume. If it
is a mount point or points to a directory in another volume, the
data on that volume will be removed.
/X Backup EFS certificate and keys into file filename. If efsfile
is
provided, the current user's certificate(s) used to encrypt the
file will be backed up. Otherwise, the user's current EFS
certificate and keys will be backed up.


directory A directory path.
filename A filename without extensions.
pathname Specifies a pattern, file or directory.
efsfile An encrypted file path.

Used without parameters, CIPHER displays the encryption state of
the current directory and any files it contains. You may use multiple
directory names and wildcards. You must put spaces between multiple
parameters.

C:\Documents and Settings\User>

You can use the bove commands/Switches on your Clusters to overwrite
deleted data and..etc.
HTH,
nass

 

[SC Tom]

The file cipher.exe is included with the service pack, but is not installed
because EFS isn't part of XP Home. You can expand the file, but I don't
think it's going to do you much good other than to view what level of
encryption is on a file. There are freebie encryption programs out there,
though:

http://www.thefreecountry.com/security/encryption.shtml

This is a decent place to start if you're looking for something other than
XP Pro.

SC Tom

 

[nass]

Hi Bob,
You can try to copy the file from a nother machine or from a CD, or you can
use one of these tools:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb545046.aspx

# MoveFile:
Schedule file rename and delete commands for the next reboot. This can be
useful for cleaning stubborn or in-use malware files.

# PendMoves:
See what files are scheduled for delete or rename the next time the system
boots.

# SDelete:
Securely overwrite your sensitive files and cleanse your free space of
previously deleted files using this DoD-compliant secure delete program.

HTH,
nass
---
http://www.nasstec.co.uk

nass...Thanks for the help. However, I checked all those directories you
listed and cipher is not there. The information that it was there came from
here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827014

However, I think I mistakenly assumed that Windows XP included the Home
Edition.

Next question...any idea on how I can add cipher to the home edition?

Thanks again.
WhatAboutBob

I have Windows XP Home edition version 5.1 with service pack 3

I cannot find the cipher.exe program. I was told it is included in service
pack 3, which I have.

Can anyone tell me where to find it in the computer (i.e., which folder it
is in)?.

Or, where can I download a version that will run on Windows XP (I found a
site for downloading but it says it's for Windows 2000.

Thanks.

If you opened the local search on your computer and typed in:
CIPHER.EXE
You will find it in these directories:
c:\windows\system32\cipher.exe 55kb
C:\Windows\ServicePackFiles\i386
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\SelfUpdate
C:\Windpows\Prefetch

Open a run command and type in:
cmd click [OK]
On the command prompt type cipher /? Hit Enter on your keyboard. The
output will be this:
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\USER>cipher /?
Displays or alters the encryption of directories [files] on NTFS partitions.

CIPHER [/E | /D] [/S:directory] [/A] [/I] [/F] [/Q] [/H] [pathname [...]]

CIPHER /K

CIPHER /R:filename

CIPHER /U [/N]

CIPHER /W:directory

CIPHER /X[:efsfile] [filename]

/A Operates on files as well as directories. The encrypted file
could become decrypted when it is modified if the parent
directory is not encrypted. It is recommended that you encrypt
the file and the parent directory.
/D Decrypts the specified directories. Directories will be marked
so that files added afterward will not be encrypted.
/E Encrypts the specified directories. Directories will be marked
so that files added afterward will be encrypted.
/F Forces the encryption operation on all specified objects, even
those which are already encrypted. Already-encrypted objects
are skipped by default.
/H Displays files with the hidden or system attributes. These
files are omitted by default.
/I Continues performing the specified operation even after errors
have occurred. By default, CIPHER stops when an error is
encountered.
/K Creates new file encryption key for the user running CIPHER. If
this option is chosen, all the other options will be ignored.
/N This option only works with /U. This will prevent keys being
updated. This is used to find all the encrypted files on the
local drives.
/Q Reports only the most essential information.
/R Generates an EFS recovery agent key and certificate, then writes
them to a .PFX file (containing certificate and private key) and
a .CER file (containing only the certificate). An administrator
may add the contents of the .CER to the EFS recovery policy to
create the recovery agent for users, and import the .PFX to
recover individual files.
/S Performs the specified operation on directories in the given
directory and all subdirectories.
/U Tries to touch all the encrypted files on local drives. This
will
update user's file encryption key or recovery agent's key to the
current ones if they are changed. This option does not work with
other options except /N.
/W Removes data from available unused disk space on the entire
volume. If this option is chosen, all other options are ignored.
The directory specified can be anywhere in a local volume. If it
is a mount point or points to a directory in another volume, the
data on that volume will be removed.
/X Backup EFS certificate and keys into file filename. If efsfile
is
provided, the current user's certificate(s) used to encrypt the
file will be backed up. Otherwise, the user's current EFS
certificate and keys will be backed up.


directory A directory path.
filename A filename without extensions.
pathname Specifies a pattern, file or directory.
efsfile An encrypted file path.

Used without parameters, CIPHER displays the encryption state of
the current directory and any files it contains. You may use multiple
directory names and wildcards. You must put spaces between multiple
parameters.

C:\Documents and Settings\User>

You can use the bove commands/Switches on your Clusters to overwrite
deleted data and..etc.
HTH,
nass