Convenient Encryption using OpenSSL
Scott D. Stoller
scott.stoller@live.com
8 February 2024
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DESCRIPTION
This software adds encryption and decryption commands to the menu that
pops up when you right-click on a file or folder in Microsoft Windows
XP/Vista/7/8/10/11. To encrypt or decrypt a file or folder, just
right-click on it and select the desired command.
One command is added to the Windows Explorer context menu for folders:
Zip and Encrypt: zip the selected folder, encrypt the zip file, and then
delete the unencrypted zip file. The resulting file has extension
.zip.aes.
Three commands are added to the Windows Explorer context menu for files
other than folders:
Encrypt: encrypt the selected file. The name of the encrypted version
is the name of the selected file with the extension .aes added. For
example, encrypting test.txt produces test.txt.aes.
Decrypt: decrypt the selected file, which should have extension .aes.
The name of the decrypted version is the name of the selected file with
the extension .aes removed.
Decrypt and Unzip: decrypt the selected file (which should have extension
.zip.aes), unzip the resulting zip file, and then delete the zip file.
After the command completes, look to see whether there are any error
messages, and then press any key to make the window with the command's
output disappear.
These commands never delete or overwrite existing files. If an existing
file is in the way, the command asks you to delete the file and then
re-run the command.
This software is just a user interface. The actual encryption and decryption
are done by OpenSSL (http://www.openssl.org/).
This software never sees your encryption passwords: you enter passwords
directly to OpenSSL. Your encryption passwords are never stored anywhere,
so you are prompted for a password each time you run a command.
The encrypted files can be decrypted by calling OpenSSL directly, using
a command similar to the one in decrypt.sh. For example, to decrypt
test.txt.aes, run the command:
openssl enc -d -aes-256-cbc -in test.txt.aes -out test.txt
This is useful for decrypting files on other platforms (OpenSSL runs on
Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris, etc.) and for decrypting files on Windows if you
ever remove the above menu items.
These commands tell OpenSSL to use 256-bit AES encryption. To change
this, replace "-aes-256-cbc" with the name of the desired cipher in the
four .cmd files. For details, see http://www.openssl.org/docs/apps/enc.html
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INSTALL
Note: These instructions install the version that does not require cygwin.
This is simpler and hence recommended unless you already use cygwin.
Installation instructions for the cygwin version are in cygwin\INSTALL.txt.
Note: Installation needs to be done by a user with Administrator privilege.
1. Extract the contents of ConvenientEncryption.zip and move the resulting
folder into C:\Program Files. (Thus, for example, after you move it,
decrypt.cmd is C:\Program Files\ConvenientEncryption\decrypt.cmd)
2. Download the installer for 7-zip from http://www.7-zip.org/download.html
and run it. Accept the default installation folder (or, if you change it,
edit C:\Program Files\ConvenientEncryption\*.cmd appropropriately).
3. Download the installer for Win64 OpenSSL Light from
http://www.slproweb.com/products/Win32OpenSSL.html and run it (or install
the full version, instead of the Light version, if you prefer). Accept
the default installation folder (or, if you change it, edit
C:\Program Files\ConvenientEncryption\*.cmd appropropriately.)
As the above web page says, if you get error messages from OpenSSL,
download and install the Visual C++ 2008 Redistributables.
4. [optional] Run regedit.exe, using the Search box or Run box in the
Start menu. Backup your registry by using File > Export to save the
current contents of the registry in a .reg file. In the unlikely event
that you have any difficulty later, use File > Import to restore the
contents of the registry from the file you exported to.
5. Open the folder C:\Program Files\Convenient Encryption, double-click on
the file install.reg, and click "yes" to allow it to update the registry.
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UNINSTALL
1. [optional] Run regedit.exe and backup the current contents of your
registry, as in step 4 of INSTALL.
2. Open the folder C:\Program Files\ConvenientEncryption, double-click on
the file uninstall.reg, and click "yes" to allow it to update the registry.
3. Delete the folder C:\Program Files\ConvenientEncryption
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