Cipher Command-Line Utility

The Cipher command-line utility, which Microsoft built into Windows 2000 (Win2K), displays or alters the encryption of directories and files on NTFS partitions. The Cipher utility supports several commands. Type

cipher /?

to view the switches Table A summarizes.

Used without switches, the Cipher utility displays the encryption state of the current directory and any files it contains. You can use multiple directory names and wildcards. You must type spaces between multiple commands. For example, to encrypt the sales information directory, type

cipher /e "sales information"

To decrypt the directory called "new projects", type

cipher /d new*

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