Frequently Asked Questions
- What kind of files can Puffer encrypt?
- I forgot my password. How can I recover my encrypted files?
- I live outside of the U.S. Can I still get the full-strength encryption?
- Is Puffer compatible with PGP?
- How do I decrypt my Puffer 3 archives with Puffer 4?
- Why does my anti-virus program delete the PufStub.dat file?
- What kind of files can Puffer encrypt?
Puffer can encrypt any kind of file. It does not distinguish between types and treats all files as just a collection of bytes.
- I forgot my password. How can I recover my encrypted files?
You can't. The password is never stored and there are no backdoors in Puffer. You will have to remember your password.
- I live outside of the U.S. Can I still get the full-strength encryption?
Yes, the U.S. government finally relaxed most export restrictions on encryption software. This applies to all countries that the U.S. has normal trading relations with. All versions of Puffer now contain the full strength encryption algorithms.
- Is Puffer compatible with PGP?
No, Puffer uses a different set of encryption algorithms and file formats.
- How do I decrypt my Puffer 3 archives with Puffer 4?
Install the Puffer 3 Decryption Module available on the main Puffer page.
- Why does my anti-virus program delete the PufStub.dat file?
PufStub.dat is an EXE stub program used to create self-extracting archives. Even though this file has not changed since 2003, beginning in 2006 many anti-virus programs started falsely tagging it as being a virus or trojan. All of these companies (including AVG, Symantec/Norton, Kaspersky/Zone Alarm) have fixed their definition files after being made aware of the false positive. Unfortunately other companies seem to have licensed the same outdated AV engine and the false positive reports have not yet ceased. If your AV program tries to delete this file, please submit it to their support department to get it cleared. The trial version on the Puffer home page at http://www.briggsoft.com/puffer.htm contains the same PufStub.dat file that is included with the licensed version.
