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User Guide

Table Of Contents

  1. Overview
  2. Editing and Saving Text
  3. Toolbar
  4. Status Line
  5. Menu Reference
  6. Appendix A: Usage Examples

Overview

DeadboltEdit is a basic text editor that uses strong Blowfish encryption to store files. The program can be used to safely edit and store sensitive information that you would not want disclosed in the event that your computer is sold, stolen, or compromised by malware. Typical uses are editing website login information, and personal information that you need to have on your computer. The program can also be used to edit unencrypted plain-text files.

Encrypted files can be be used as e-mail attachments. You can send encrypted information to another person who also has DeadboltEdit installed on their computer.

Warning #1: DeadboltEdit uses strong encryption. The data security offered by this program is based on the use of a strong encryption method (Blowfish), which is an accepted and trusted standard for encryption. There are no master keys, backdoors, or programming tricks that permit recovery of your encrypted data. If you forget your password or pass-phrase, your data is lost. There is absoluteley nothing the developer can do to help you recover your data.

Warning #2: The security offered by this program can be compromised by malicious software that records keyboard activity ("key loggers"). Do not install or use this program on any computer that has doubtful security. Computers that are shared in public areas, such as college workrooms, hotel guest areas, and libraries, should not be used with this program.

Program Features


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Editing and Saving Text

DeadboltEdit is a simple and basic text editor, much like the Notepad editor on Microsoft Windows™.  The purpose of this program is to edit and safely store sensitive information. It isn't a word processor, but it is a full-featured text editor.

Encryption is integral and seamless to using the editor. Anytime you save a file, it will be encrypted, unless you explicitly choose "Save As Plain-text File". (See reference section below for "File Menu".)

Creating A Password For A File: When you save a file for the first time, you will be prompted for a password which will be used to encrypt the data. This same password will be used to decrypt the file anytime you open the file in the future.

Important: Use a srong password or, even better, use a pass-phrase. Even the best encryption can be defeated by brute-force attacks if weak passwords are used. A minumum length of 8 characters is recommended. Longer is better! Do not use dictionary words. Mix upper-case and lower-case characters, and add numbers and special characters. Examples of good passwords:

Changing The Password For A File: You may change the password for a file at any time. First open the file ("File -> Open File"), and then choose "File -> Password Change". Text in the editor will be encrypted with the new password and then saved. The new password will be used the next time you open the file.


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Toolbar

The Toolbar has graphical buttons for frequently used functions in the program menus. The buttons are arranged in the same order as they appear in the program menus; the first five buttons are associated with functions in the "File" menu, the next three (Cut, Copy, Paste) are from the "Edit" menu, and the right-most button is program "Help".

Hover the mouse cursor over a button to see a brief description for the button.


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Status Line

Program status information will appear at the bottom of the editor window, in the lower part of the window frame. There are two display fields:


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Menu Reference

File Menu

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Edit Menu

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Settings Menu

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Help Menu

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Appendix A: Usage Examples

  1. Create a new DeadboltEdit encrypted note:

  2. Change the password for an existing DeadboltEdit encrypted note:

  3. Add text from a plain-text file to a DeadboltEdit encrypted note:

  4. Send a DeadboltEdit encrypted note as an e-mail attachment:

    DeadboltEdit encrypted files are formatted to be compatible as e-mail attachments. (An encoding that is complient with RFC 2045 Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) Part One: Format of Internet Message Bodies by Freed and Borenstein)



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