East Carolina University
 Department of Psychology

PGP Encryption Software

    I use PGP 8.02 Freeware to encrypt files on my PC and to wipe (secure delete) files.  I obtained this software at http://www.pgp.com/products/freeware.html in July of 2003.  If you point your browser there now (May, 2007), you will be redirected to http://www.pgp.com/downloads/desktoptrial/desktoptrial2.html .  You will be offered a free trial of PGP 9.0.  It says that after the free trial period it will revert to the basic functionality of PGP 8.0.

    PGP 8.02 is zipped.  When you unzip it, PGP8.exe and PGP8.exe.sig.  Run PGP8.exe to install the software.  When installing, uncheck everything in the "Select Components" window - those components will not work unless you purchase a license and PGP will keep pestering you to do so if you don't uncheck them. This version will decrypt files encrypted with earlier versions.  If you do not already have keyrings, you will need to create some, even if you do not use PGP functions that require keyrings.  If you do not, it will generate error messages when you attempt to encrypt or decrypt files.  To generate keyrings just open PGPkeys (click on the lock icon in the system try and select PGPkeys).  Click the "Generate new keypair" icon and follow the instructions.  Since I do not use PGP with email, I tell it not to create rings for Outlook etc.

    When I want to encrypt a file, I simply right click on the file name and select PGP, encrypt. 

I check Wipe Original and Conventional Encryption, OK.

I enter a passphrase, confirm it, OK.  The file is encrypted and the original securely deleted.  You may need to refresh the folder window to see the entry for the encrypted file.

To decrypt a file, I right click the file name, PGP, Decrypt and Verify.

I enter the passphrase and click OK.  The file is decrypted.  You may need to refresh the folder to see the decrypted file.

To wipe (secure delete) a file I simply right click on its name, PGP, Wipe, Yes.

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This page most recently revised on 6. July 2009.