Using PGP with Windows

This page explains how to use PGP with Microsoft Windows (3.x/95/NT). Let me stress that I don't use PGP with Windows myself, so if you find that some of the information is incorrect or outdated, please let me know.

FAQs: the sad story

About twice a day, I get email from people asking: Both questions are mentioned in the FAQ, and the answer to both are: No, there isn't. The reason for this is simple: the PGP source code is a real mess, with I/O and cryptography routines mixed together. It is correct that there exists a Win32 compilation of PGP, but it is a text-mode application with no fancy GUI, and it does not add any functionality over the MS-DOS versions. Writing a true Windows version of PGP or a DLL that can be plugged into other applications will require a total rewrite of the PGP source code. This will not be done until PGP 3.0, which is already long over due. PGP 3.0 will include a complete API, which will separate the cryptography routines from the user interface, thus making it much easier to write GUI programs for such platforms as Windows, Macintosh and X11. Rumours have it that PGP 3.0 will be ready this autumn, but I doubt it.

BTW: If you live in Canada or the US, you can try the commercial ViaCrypt PGP. They have a special Windows toolkit, but as I haven't tested it myself, I cannot recommend it.

So what can you do?

If you are a Windows user and want to run PGP, you have at least 4 options:

  1. Run one of the the MS-DOS versions (16 or 32 bit) in a DOS box under Windows. This means that you have to remember all the cryptic command line parameters, and encrypt/decrypt files manually from the MS-DOS prompt.

  2. Wait for PGP 3.0. This may take several months, so you have to be patient! ;-)

  3. Use the limited, non-GUI Win32 compilation. It supports long filenames, but has no clipboard functions or other advantages over the MS-DOS compilations, other than possibly a slight speed advantage due to its 32-bit Windows nature. However, it is relatively easy to integrate it into Windows 95 explorer.

  4. Use one of the many Windows front-end shells that wraps around the MS-DOS versions. This is probably the best choice, and will let you integrate PGP seamlessly into your email reader, use the clipboard for encryption, etc. Note: most Windows shells are designed to work with the MS-DOS version of PGP, and so probably won't work with the Win32 compilation.
Last updated February 5, 1997 by Stσle Schumacher <stale@hypnotech.com>