cipher.exe is a part of Windows Vista.
Relate to: Security, File system
Default location: %WinDir%\System32\cipher.exe
Useful information about: cipher.exe
Description: File Encryption Utility
Version: 6.0.6000.16386 (vista_rtm.061101-2205)
Size: 53248 (52K)
MD5: FC5BEF2AA3B69E6DF15653D210CBA67B
Cipher.exe is a command-line tool that you can use to manage encrypted data by using the Encrypting File System (EFS).
Usage:
CIPHER [/E | /D | /C]
[/S: directory] [/B] [/H] [pathname [...]]
CIPHER /K
CIPHER /R: filename [/SMARTCARD]
CIPHER /U [/N]
CIPHER /W: directory
CIPHER /X[: efsfile] [filename]
CIPHER /Y
CIPHER /ADDUSER [/CERTHASH: hash | /CERTFILE:filename]
[/S: directory] [/B] [/H] [pathname [...]]
CIPHER /REMOVEUSER /CERTHASH: hash
[/S: directory] [/B] [/H] [pathname [...]]
CIPHER /REKEY [pathname [...]]
/B Abort if an error is encountered. By default, CIPHER continues
executing even if errors are encountered.
/C Displays information on the encrypted file.
/D Decrypts the specified files or directories.
/E Encrypts the specified files or directories. Directories will be
marked so that files added afterward will be encrypted. 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.
/H Displays files with the hidden or system attributes. These
files are omitted by default.
/K Creates a new certificate and key for use with EFS. 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.
/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. If SMARTCARD is specified, then writes
the recovery key and certificate to a smart card. A .CER file is
generated (containing only the certificate). No .PFX file is
generated.
/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.
/Y Displays your current EFS certificate thumbnail on the local PC.
/ADDUSER Adds a user to the specified encrypted file(s). If CERTHASH is
provided, cipher will search for a certificate with this SHA1
hash. If CERTFILE is provided, cipher will extract the
certificate from the file.
/REKEY Updates the specified encrypted file(s) to use the configured
EFS current key.
/REMOVEUSER Removes a user from the specified file(s). CERTHASH
must be the SHA1 hash of the certificate to remove.
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.
Read more: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/298009
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Constantly updated. Last update:
October 13 2008
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