Re: cipher /w:C:

"S.Sengupta" <ssengupta_@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:ucMIMYJcFHA.464@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>I think you didn't have a closer look.The second link also tells the syntax
>of the /w switch
> Open the the second link,you will get a table where all tasks and
> parameters for the Cipher command has been listed.Scroll down the table
> you will find a last option:-"Display all of the options available with
> cipher. /?"
> If you open the command prompt window and put the above command what does
> it show?Doesn't it show [/w ] option?
> Before comment anything check it the whole thing.
> "access denied" message may be due to various factors but he didn't write
> in detail regarding other things,so I didn't mention that aspect.In any
> case:
> see:-
> Encrypting File System in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003
> http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/cryptfs.mspx
>
> In the above article various possibilities mentioned as far as "access
> denied" message is concerned.
>
> regards,
> ssg MS-MVP
>

Let me preface this by saying your help on these newsgroups is much
appreciated. You help a lot more people than I do. In this case it seemed
you just posted a couple of links without looking to see if they had any
bearing on the problem. The cipher /w command is very poorly documented. It
sometimes seems to fail with the "access denied" message. This, on the
surface, appears to have nothing to do with the other cipher switches and
why they sometimes receive that error. An exhaustive google search and
searching Microsoft gets some hits on the problem but no solution. The XP
documentation says:

/w removes data from portions of the volume it can access and have not been
allocated to files or directories. It does not lock the drive, so other
programs can obtain space on the drive, which cipher cannot erase. Because
this option writes to a large portion of the hard volume, it might take a
long time to complete and should only be used when necessary.

This seems to indicate that it doesn't actually access any files, only space
that has been de-allocated. If the space has been de-allocated why would
access be denied, especially logged in as administrator? I have tried to
duplicate the problem but have had no success. I have seen the problem on
one computer but was unable to solve it, thus my interest.

Kerry

>
>
> Kerry Brown wrote:
>> "S.Sengupta" <ssengupta_@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:eW12P8HcFHA.4040@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>>>check point-
>>>How to Use the Cipher Security Tool to Overwrite Deleted Data
>>>http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315672&sd=tech
>>>
>>>
>>>Encrypting and Decrypting Files and Folders by Using the Cipher Command
>>>http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prnb_efs_prpr.asp
>>>
>>>regards,
>>>ssg MS-MVP
>>>
>>
>>
>> I realise you are trying to help but did you read the OP and check the
>> links you posted? The second link has nothing that applies to the OP. The
>> first link tells the syntax of the /w switch but nothing that answers the
>> OP. I am also interested in the answer to the OP.
>>
>> Kerry
>>
>>
>>>Donald Shelton wrote:
>>>
>>>>Following Kim Kommando's advice, I typed in the above command in the
>>>>command line to make the unused portion of the hard drive more secure.
>>>>
>>>>I get a message that says "access denied"
>>>>
>>>>I am usiing the administratior acct.
>>>>
>>>>What do I need to do?
>>>>
>>>>Don
>>
>>

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: cipher /w:C:
    ... "Kerry Brown" wrote: ... >> If you open the command prompt window and put the above command what does ... The cipher /w command is very poorly documented. ... The second link has nothing that applies to the OP. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: cipher /w:C:
    ... I think you didn't have a closer look.The second link also tells the syntax of the /w switch ... If you open the command prompt window and put the above command what does it show?Doesn't it show option? ... The second link has nothing that applies to the OP. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: cipher /w:C:
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