Cipher displays or alters the encryption of a file on an NTFS volume _dos/bat

Cipher
Displays or alters the encryption of a file on an NTFS volume. If used without parameters, cipher displays the encryption status of the current folder and the files it contains.

Grammar
cipher [{/e|/d}] [/s:dir] [/a] [i] [/f] [/q] [/h] [/k] [/u[/n]] [PathName [...]] | [/r:pathnamewithoutextension] | [/w:pathname]

Parameters
/e
Encrypts the specified folder. After the folder has been marked, files that are added to the folder later are also encrypted.
/d
Decrypts the specified folder. After the folder has been marked, files that are added to the folder later are also encrypted.
/s:dir
Performs the selected action in the specified folder and all of its subfolders.
/A
Perform file and directory operations.
/I
Continues to perform the specified operation even if an error occurs. By default, cipher will stop when an error is encountered.
/F
Encrypts or decrypts all the specified objects. By default, cipher skips encrypted or decrypted files.
/q
Only the most basic information is reported.
/h
Displays files with hidden or system attributes. By default, these files are not encrypted or decrypted.
/k
Creates a new file encryption for the user running cipher. If you use this option, Cipher ignores all other options.
/u
Updates the encryption key for the user file or restores the agent key to the current file in all encrypted files on the local drive (if the key has changed). This option is used only with/N.
/n
Prevent key updates. Use this option to find all encrypted files on the local drive. This option is only used with/U.
PathName
Specifies a style, file, or folder.
/r:pathnamewithoutextension
Generate a new recovery agent certificate and private key, and then write them to the file (the name of the file is specified in pathnamewithoutextension). If you use this option, Cipher ignores all other options.
/w:pathname
Deletes data from unused portions on a volume. PathName represents any directory on the requested volume. If you use this option, Cipher ignores all other options.
/?
Display Help at the command prompt.
Comments
using/w
/w deletes part of the data from the volume that can be accessed and is not assigned to a file or directory. Because it does not lock the drive, other programs can get space on that drive, which cipher cannot be removed. Because this option performs a write operation on most of the disk volume, it takes a long time to complete and is used only when necessary.

Encrypt or decrypt a file
To prevent encrypted files from becoming decrypted when modified, it is recommended that you encrypt the files with the folders they are stored in.

Using read-only files and folders
Cipher cannot encrypt a file that is marked as read-only.

Use multiple folder names
You can use more than one folder name and wildcard characters.

Using multiple parameters
There is at least one space delimited between each parameter.

Example
To encrypt the May subfolder in the Monthlyreports folder using cipher, type:

cipher/e Monthlyreports\may

To encrypt the manufacturing subfolders in the Monthlyreports folder January to December subfolders and month subfolders, type:

cipher/e/s:monthlyreports

If you want to add only the Marketing.xls file from the May subfolder, type:

cipher/e/A Monthlyreports\may\marketing.xls

To encrypt the Marketing.xls files, maintenance.doc files, and manufacturing subfolders in the May folder, type:

cipher/e/A monthlyreports\may\ma*

To determine whether May is encrypted, type:

Cipher Monthlyreports\may

To determine which files are encrypted in the May folder, type:

Cipher monthlyreports\may\*

XOX