Install or Upgrade PGP Command Line on Windows (2024)

Installing on Windows

This section tells you how to install, change the home directory, and uninstall on Windows.

Using PGP Command Line and PGP Desktop on the same system

PGP Command Line 10.4.2 and Symantec Encryption Desktop 10.4.2 can be installed on the same system at the same time.

To use PGP Command Line and Symantec Encryption Desktop for Windows on the same 64-bit system, you must use the 64-bit version of PGP Desktop and the 32-bit version of PGP Command Line.
This procedure ensures compatible versions of the PGP SDK are used. The PGP SDK for the 64-bit version of PGP Command Line includes functionality that makes it incompatible with PGP Desktop for Windows.

Starting with release 10.5, only a 64-bit version of PGP Command Line for Windows is available. Therefore PGP Command Line 10.5 and above and Symantec Encryption Desktop cannot be installed on the same system at the same time.

To Install on Windows

To install PGP Command Line onto a Windows system:

1. Close all Windows applications.
2. Download the zip file PGPCommandLine*.zip, to a known location on your system.
3. Unzip the file and the *.msi file will be extracted.
4. Open a command prompt as a local administrator.
5. Install using msiexec. For example: msiexec /i PGPCommandLine-10.5.0.418-MP2-Win64.msi
6. Follow the on-screen instructions.
7. If prompted, restart your machine. The Windows PGP Command Line application, pgp.exe, is installed into:

C:\Program Files\PGP Corporation\PGP Command Line\

After PGP Command Line runs for the first time, a home directory will be created automatically in the user’s home directory. The home directory is where PGP Command Line stores its keyring files:

Documents\PGP

Application data such as the PGPprefs.xml file is stored in the directory:

"%appdata%\PGP Corporation\PGP"

Changing the Home Directory on Windows

If you want the home directory changed on a permanent basis, you need to create the PGP_HOME_DIR environment variable and specify the path of the desired home directory.

To create the PGP_HOME_DIR environment variable on a Windows system:

1. Open Control Panel, and then select System. The System Properties dialog appears.
2. Select the Advanced tab, then click Environment Variables.
3. In the User Variables section, click New.
4. In the Variable name field, enter PGP_HOME_DIR. In the Variable value field, enter the path of the home directory you want to use. For example: C:\PGP\PGPhomedir
5. Click OK.

The Environment Variables screen reappears. PGP_HOME_DIR appears in the list of user variables.

Authorizing a PGP Command Line License

Use --license-authorize to license PGP Command Line. For example:

pgp --license-authorize --license-number A12BC-D3E4F-GHJKL-MNPQR-STVW5-X6Y --force

In releases prior to 10.4.2 MP8 the following options are also required:

• --license-name <Name>
  • where <Name> is your name or a descriptive name.
• --license-organization <Org>
  • where <Org> is the name of your company.

The following option is not required but is available:

• --license-email <EmailAddress>
  • where <EmailAddress> is a valid email address, generally the email address of the PGP Command Line administrator.

To upgrade PGP Command Line to a new version, it's always recommended to take a backup of all the keyring files (pubring.pkr and secring.skr).

Then install the new version over the top. If that does not work, uninstall what you have installed, and install the new version.

Check the following article for information on the latest version of PGP Command Line:

156303 - Symantec Encryption Products Current Version Available