Figure 1: Key Entry Dialog Box
The simplest operation you can perform with Enigma is to encrypt or decrypt a single file. There are two ways you can select a file. First you can drag the desired files to the Enigma icon and release the mouse button. You will be prompted for a key. The files are automatically encrypted and/or decrypted depending on their type. Depending on the options you have selected you will need to enter a key and output filename for each file dragged to Enigma. Alternatively you can select files from within the Enigma Application by selecting "Open..." from the Enigma file menu.
Figure 1: Key Entry Dialog Box
Enigma determines if the file should be encrypted or decrypted. However, you can manually override this during key entry if you desire. The only reason to ever override Enigma's default selection is if you are double or triple encrypting a file; or decrypting a file encrypted on a PC that does not have the default file extension. Figure 1 shows the key entry dialog box.
If you have the freeware versin of Enigma you will not be able to deselect the "Use Limited DES" check box.
Figure 2: Encryption Status Dialog Box
During encryption or decryption a dialog box showing progress will be displayed. Figure 2 shows this dialog box. You can select cancel at any time to abort the process (Any file that would have been overwritten by the encryption operation will be restored). You can also move the status window around the screen, or push Enigma into the background by clicking on the window of another open application. In the background Enigma will continue to encrypt/decrypt at a somewhat slower pace. Cryptography is very CPU intensive so expect some slowdown of other applications even when Enigma is in the background.
Enigma has many options that will allow you to customize and streamline the encryption/decryption process. Refer to the section "Customizing Enigma" for details.