DPAPI Component

Properties   Methods   Events   Config Settings   Errors  

The DPAPI component allows you to protect and unprotect data.

Syntax

nsoftware.IPWorksEncrypt.Dpapi

Remarks

The component supports the classic Microsoft Windows Data Protection API (DPAPI) or CNG DPAPI implementation. The use of UseCNG determines which implementation is used.

The classic DPAPI functionality protects data on a single system. The CNG DPAPI is designed with modern use cases involved. In many cases, especially with cloud computing, protection and unprotection may be done on different systems. With this in mind the Microsoft CNG DPAPI allows encrypting to a set of principals that can be used to unprotect the data on other systems after authenticating.

Protecting Data

Protect protects the specified data.

The component supports protecting data using either the classic DPAPI or CNG DPAPI implementation. The use of UseCNG determines which implementation is used. The list of applicable properties differs depending on whether CNG DPAPI is being used.

When using classic DPAPI (UseCNG is False), the following optional properties are applicable:

When using CNG DPAPI (UseCNG is True), the following properties are applicable:

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

When using streams you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

Code Example (Classic DPAPI - UseCNG is False)

//Protect Dpapi dpapi = new Dpapi(); dpapi.InputMessage = "test"; dpapi.Protect(); byte[] protectedData = dpapi.OutputMessageB; //Unprotect dpapi = new Dpapi(); dpapi.InputMessageB = protectedData; dpapi.Unprotect(); Console.WriteLine(dpapi.OutputMessage); //outputs "test"

Code Example (CNG DPAPI - UseCNG is True)

//Protect Dpapi dpapi = new Dpapi(); dpapi.UseCNG = true; dpapi.ProtectionDescriptor = "LOCAL=user"; dpapi.InputMessage = "test"; dpapi.Protect(); byte[] protectedData = dpapi.OutputMessageB; //Unprotect dpapi = new Dpapi(); dpapi.UseCNG = true; dpapi.InputMessageB = protectedData; dpapi.Unprotect(); Console.WriteLine(dpapi.OutputMessage); //outputs "test"

Unprotecting Data

Unprotect unprotects the specified data.

The component supports unprotecting data using either the classic DPAPI or CNG DPAPI implementation. The use of UseCNG determines which implementation is used. The list of applicable properties differs depending on whether CNG DPAPI is being used.

When using classic DPAPI (UseCNG is False), the following optional properties are applicable:

When using CNG DPAPI (UseCNG is True), the following properties are applicable:

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

When using streams you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

Code Example (Classic DPAPI - UseCNG is False)

//Protect Dpapi dpapi = new Dpapi(); dpapi.InputMessage = "test"; dpapi.Protect(); byte[] protectedData = dpapi.OutputMessageB; //Unprotect dpapi = new Dpapi(); dpapi.InputMessageB = protectedData; dpapi.Unprotect(); Console.WriteLine(dpapi.OutputMessage); //outputs "test"

Code Example (CNG DPAPI - UseCNG is True)

//Protect Dpapi dpapi = new Dpapi(); dpapi.UseCNG = true; dpapi.ProtectionDescriptor = "LOCAL=user"; dpapi.InputMessage = "test"; dpapi.Protect(); byte[] protectedData = dpapi.OutputMessageB; //Unprotect dpapi = new Dpapi(); dpapi.UseCNG = true; dpapi.InputMessageB = protectedData; dpapi.Unprotect(); Console.WriteLine(dpapi.OutputMessage); //outputs "test"

Property List

The following is the full list of the properties of the component with short descriptions. Click on the links for further details.

DataDescriptionThe description of data.
InputFileThe file to process.
InputMessageThe message to process.
OutputFileThe output file when encrypting or decrypting.
OutputMessageThe output message after processing.
OverwriteIndicates whether or not the component should overwrite files.
PasswordAn optional password to further protect data.
PromptTitleThe title of the prompt window.
PromptUserWhether to display a prompt.
ProtectionDescriptorThe CNG protection descriptor.
UseCNGWhether to use CNG DPAPI.
UseHexWhether input or output is hex encoded.

Method List

The following is the full list of the methods of the component with short descriptions. Click on the links for further details.

ConfigSets or retrieves a configuration setting.
ProtectProtects the data.
ResetResets the component
SetInputStreamSets the stream from which the component will read data to encrypt or decrypt.
SetOutputStreamSets the stream to which the component will write encrypted or decrypted data.
UnprotectUnprotects the data.

Event List

The following is the full list of the events fired by the component with short descriptions. Click on the links for further details.

ErrorFired when information is available about errors during data delivery.
ProgressFired as progress is made.

Config Settings

The following is a list of config settings for the component with short descriptions. Click on the links for further details.

CloseInputStreamAfterProcessingDetermines whether or not the input stream is closed after processing.
CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessingDetermines whether or not the output stream is closed after processing.
EscapeDescriptorWhether to escape the protection descriptor.
ProtectionFlagsUsed to specify additional options.
UseStreamModeWhether to use the CNG streaming operations.
BuildInfoInformation about the product's build.
GUIAvailableWhether or not a message loop is available for processing events.
LicenseInfoInformation about the current license.
MaskSensitiveWhether sensitive data is masked in log messages.
UseInternalSecurityAPIWhether or not to use the system security libraries or an internal implementation.

DataDescription Property (DPAPI Component)

The description of data.

Syntax

public string DataDescription { get; set; }

Public Property DataDescription As String

Default Value

""

Remarks

This property specifies an optional description of the protected data.

This may be set before calling Protect. This property will be populated when calling Unprotect.

This setting is not applicable when UseCNG is set to True.

InputFile Property (DPAPI Component)

The file to process.

Syntax

public string InputFile { get; set; }

Public Property InputFile As String

Default Value

""

Remarks

This property specifies the file to be processed. Set this property to the full or relative path to the file which will be processed.

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

When using streams you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

InputMessage Property (DPAPI Component)

The message to process.

Syntax

public string InputMessage { get; set; }
public byte[] InputMessageB { get; set; }

Public Property InputMessage As String
Public Property InputMessageB As Byte()

Default Value

""

Remarks

This property specifies the message to be processed.

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

When using streams you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

OutputFile Property (DPAPI Component)

The output file when encrypting or decrypting.

Syntax

public string OutputFile { get; set; }

Public Property OutputFile As String

Default Value

""

Remarks

This property specifies the file to which the output will be written when Encrypt or Decrypt is called. This may be set to an absolute or relative path.

This property is only applicable to Encrypt and Decrypt.

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

When using streams you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

OutputMessage Property (DPAPI Component)

The output message after processing.

Syntax

public string OutputMessage { get; }
public byte[] OutputMessageB { get; }

Public ReadOnly Property OutputMessage As String
Public ReadOnly Property OutputMessageB As Byte()

Default Value

""

Remarks

This property will be populated with the output from the operation if OutputFile and SetOutputStream are not set.

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

When using streams you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

This property is read-only and not available at design time.

Overwrite Property (DPAPI Component)

Indicates whether or not the component should overwrite files.

Syntax

public bool Overwrite { get; set; }

Public Property Overwrite As Boolean

Default Value

False

Remarks

This property indicates whether or not the component will overwrite OutputFile. If Overwrite is False, an error will be thrown whenever OutputFile exists before an operation. The default value is False.

Password Property (DPAPI Component)

An optional password to further protect data.

Syntax

public string Password { get; set; }

Public Property Password As String

Default Value

""

Remarks

This property may be set to a password to protect the data further.

When protecting data without specifying a password any application running under the same user account can unprotect the data. By specifying a password another piece of information is required to unprotect the data.

This may be set before calling Protect. If a password was specified when protecting data it must be set before calling Unprotect.

This setting is not applicable when UseCNG is set to True.

PromptTitle Property (DPAPI Component)

The title of the prompt window.

Syntax

public string PromptTitle { get; set; }

Public Property PromptTitle As String

Default Value

""

Remarks

This property specifies the title of the prompt dialog if PromptUser is True. The default value is empty string.

This setting is not applicable when UseCNG is set to True.

PromptUser Property (DPAPI Component)

Whether to display a prompt.

Syntax

public bool PromptUser { get; set; }

Public Property PromptUser As Boolean

Default Value

False

Remarks

This property specifies whether a prompt is displayed when calling Protect. This dialog is created by the system and informs the user of the request action. The user may accept or cancel the request. If the user cancels the request the Protect method throws an exception.

When True the PromptTitle may be set to customize the window title.

This setting is not applicable when UseCNG is set to True. ;

ProtectionDescriptor Property (DPAPI Component)

The CNG protection descriptor.

Syntax

public string ProtectionDescriptor { get; set; }

Public Property ProtectionDescriptor As String

Default Value

""

Remarks

This property specifies the protection descriptor rule string. The protection descriptor is used by the system to decide which entities can unprotect the data at a later time. This property must be specified before calling Protect. This property is populated after calling Unprotect.

Protection descriptors can be defined for the following types of authorization:

  • A local user or machine
  • An account or group in an Active Directory forest
  • A set of web credentials
  • A certificate in the user's certificate store

A local user or machine may be used for machines that are or are not on a domain. For instance:

  • LOCAL=user
  • LOCAL=machine

The use of SID and SDDL requires that the machine be part of a domain. For instance:

  • SID=S-1-5-21-4392301 AND SID=S-1-5-21-3101812
  • SDDL=O:S-1-5-5-0-290724G:SYD:(A;;CCDC;;;S-1-5-5-0-290724)(A;;DC;;;WD)

Certificates may also be used as a descriptor. To decrypt, the certificate with corresponding private key must be present in the user's certificate store. The public certificate can be specified as the SHA1 thumbprint (hash) of the certificate, or the base64 encoded certificate itself. For instance:

  • CERTIFICATE=HashID:28ac375635b82ca3e20a1c9422145bc93965dae7
  • CERTIFICATE=CertBlob:MIIC7TCCAdWgAw...pgpVgYpppr
Note: The base64 certificate data should not include any headers, footers, or whitespace.

The use of AND and OR operators are accepted in order to encrypt data for multiple parties or establish multiple conditions for decryption.

For more details about protection descriptors and accepted formats please refer to the Microsoft Documentation for Protection Descriptors

This setting is only applicable when UseCNG is set to True.

UseCNG Property (DPAPI Component)

Whether to use CNG DPAPI.

Syntax

public bool UseCNG { get; set; }

Public Property UseCNG As Boolean

Default Value

False

Remarks

The component supports protecting data using either the classic DPAPI or CNG DPAPI implementation. When set to True the CNG DPAPI implementation is sued. When set to False (default) the classic DPAPI implementation is used.

UseHex Property (DPAPI Component)

Whether input or output is hex encoded.

Syntax

public bool UseHex { get; set; }

Public Property UseHex As Boolean

Default Value

False

Remarks

This property specifies whether the encrypted data is hex encoded.

If set to True, when Protect is called the component will perform the encryption as normal and then hex encode the output. OutputMessage or OutputFile will hold hex encoded data.

If set to True, when Unprotect is called the component will expect InputMessage or InputFile to hold hex encoded data. The component will then hex decode the data and perform decryption as normal.

Config Method (DPAPI Component)

Sets or retrieves a configuration setting.

Syntax

public string Config(string configurationString);

Async Version
public async Task<string> Config(string configurationString);
public async Task<string> Config(string configurationString, CancellationToken cancellationToken);

Public Function Config(ByVal ConfigurationString As String) As String

Async Version
Public Function Config(ByVal ConfigurationString As String) As Task(Of String)
Public Function Config(ByVal ConfigurationString As String, cancellationToken As CancellationToken) As Task(Of String)

Remarks

Config is a generic method available in every component. It is used to set and retrieve configuration settings for the component.

These settings are similar in functionality to properties, but they are rarely used. In order to avoid "polluting" the property namespace of the component, access to these internal properties is provided through the Config method.

To set a configuration setting named PROPERTY, you must call Config("PROPERTY=VALUE"), where VALUE is the value of the setting expressed as a string. For boolean values, use the strings "True", "False", "0", "1", "Yes", or "No" (case does not matter).

To read (query) the value of a configuration setting, you must call Config("PROPERTY"). The value will be returned as a string.

Protect Method (DPAPI Component)

Protects the data.

Syntax

public void Protect();

Async Version
public async Task Protect();
public async Task Protect(CancellationToken cancellationToken);

Public Sub Protect()

Async Version
Public Sub Protect() As Task
Public Sub Protect(cancellationToken As CancellationToken) As Task

Remarks

Protect protects the specified data.

The component supports protecting data using either the classic DPAPI or CNG DPAPI implementation. The use of UseCNG determines which implementation is used. The list of applicable properties differs depending on whether CNG DPAPI is being used.

When using classic DPAPI (UseCNG is False), the following optional properties are applicable:

When using CNG DPAPI (UseCNG is True), the following properties are applicable:

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

When using streams you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

Code Example (Classic DPAPI - UseCNG is False)

//Protect Dpapi dpapi = new Dpapi(); dpapi.InputMessage = "test"; dpapi.Protect(); byte[] protectedData = dpapi.OutputMessageB; //Unprotect dpapi = new Dpapi(); dpapi.InputMessageB = protectedData; dpapi.Unprotect(); Console.WriteLine(dpapi.OutputMessage); //outputs "test"

Code Example (CNG DPAPI - UseCNG is True)

//Protect Dpapi dpapi = new Dpapi(); dpapi.UseCNG = true; dpapi.ProtectionDescriptor = "LOCAL=user"; dpapi.InputMessage = "test"; dpapi.Protect(); byte[] protectedData = dpapi.OutputMessageB; //Unprotect dpapi = new Dpapi(); dpapi.UseCNG = true; dpapi.InputMessageB = protectedData; dpapi.Unprotect(); Console.WriteLine(dpapi.OutputMessage); //outputs "test"

Reset Method (DPAPI Component)

Resets the component

Syntax

public void Reset();

Async Version
public async Task Reset();
public async Task Reset(CancellationToken cancellationToken);

Public Sub Reset()

Async Version
Public Sub Reset() As Task
Public Sub Reset(cancellationToken As CancellationToken) As Task

Remarks

When called, the component will reset all of its properties to their default values.

SetInputStream Method (DPAPI Component)

Sets the stream from which the component will read data to encrypt or decrypt.

Syntax

public void SetInputStream(System.IO.Stream inputStream);

Async Version
public async Task SetInputStream(System.IO.Stream inputStream);
public async Task SetInputStream(System.IO.Stream inputStream, CancellationToken cancellationToken);

Public Sub SetInputStream(ByVal InputStream As System.IO.Stream)

Async Version
Public Sub SetInputStream(ByVal InputStream As System.IO.Stream) As Task
Public Sub SetInputStream(ByVal InputStream As System.IO.Stream, cancellationToken As CancellationToken) As Task

Remarks

This method sets the stream from which the component will read data to encrypt or decrypt.

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

When using streams you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

SetOutputStream Method (DPAPI Component)

Sets the stream to which the component will write encrypted or decrypted data.

Syntax

public void SetOutputStream(System.IO.Stream outputStream);

Async Version
public async Task SetOutputStream(System.IO.Stream outputStream);
public async Task SetOutputStream(System.IO.Stream outputStream, CancellationToken cancellationToken);

Public Sub SetOutputStream(ByVal OutputStream As System.IO.Stream)

Async Version
Public Sub SetOutputStream(ByVal OutputStream As System.IO.Stream) As Task
Public Sub SetOutputStream(ByVal OutputStream As System.IO.Stream, cancellationToken As CancellationToken) As Task

Remarks

This method sets the stream to which the component will write encrypted or decrypted data.

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

  • SetOutputStream
  • OutputFile
  • OutputMessage: The output data is written to this property if no other destination is specified.

When using streams you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

Unprotect Method (DPAPI Component)

Unprotects the data.

Syntax

public void Unprotect();

Async Version
public async Task Unprotect();
public async Task Unprotect(CancellationToken cancellationToken);

Public Sub Unprotect()

Async Version
Public Sub Unprotect() As Task
Public Sub Unprotect(cancellationToken As CancellationToken) As Task

Remarks

Unprotect unprotects the specified data.

The component supports unprotecting data using either the classic DPAPI or CNG DPAPI implementation. The use of UseCNG determines which implementation is used. The list of applicable properties differs depending on whether CNG DPAPI is being used.

When using classic DPAPI (UseCNG is False), the following optional properties are applicable:

When using CNG DPAPI (UseCNG is True), the following properties are applicable:

Input and Output Properties

The component will determine the source and destination of the input and output based on which properties are set.

The order in which the input properties are checked is as follows:

When a valid source is found the search stops. The order in which the output properties are checked is as follows:

When using streams you may need to additionally set CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing or CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing.

Code Example (Classic DPAPI - UseCNG is False)

//Protect Dpapi dpapi = new Dpapi(); dpapi.InputMessage = "test"; dpapi.Protect(); byte[] protectedData = dpapi.OutputMessageB; //Unprotect dpapi = new Dpapi(); dpapi.InputMessageB = protectedData; dpapi.Unprotect(); Console.WriteLine(dpapi.OutputMessage); //outputs "test"

Code Example (CNG DPAPI - UseCNG is True)

//Protect Dpapi dpapi = new Dpapi(); dpapi.UseCNG = true; dpapi.ProtectionDescriptor = "LOCAL=user"; dpapi.InputMessage = "test"; dpapi.Protect(); byte[] protectedData = dpapi.OutputMessageB; //Unprotect dpapi = new Dpapi(); dpapi.UseCNG = true; dpapi.InputMessageB = protectedData; dpapi.Unprotect(); Console.WriteLine(dpapi.OutputMessage); //outputs "test"

Error Event (DPAPI Component)

Fired when information is available about errors during data delivery.

Syntax

public event OnErrorHandler OnError;

public delegate void OnErrorHandler(object sender, DpapiErrorEventArgs e);

public class DpapiErrorEventArgs : EventArgs {
  public int ErrorCode { get; }
  public string Description { get; }
}

Public Event OnError As OnErrorHandler

Public Delegate Sub OnErrorHandler(sender As Object, e As DpapiErrorEventArgs)

Public Class DpapiErrorEventArgs Inherits EventArgs
  Public ReadOnly Property ErrorCode As Integer
  Public ReadOnly Property Description As String
End Class

Remarks

The Error event is fired in case of exceptional conditions during message processing. Normally the component throws an exception.

The ErrorCode parameter contains an error code, and the Description parameter contains a textual description of the error. For a list of valid error codes and their descriptions, please refer to the Error Codes section.

Progress Event (DPAPI Component)

Fired as progress is made.

Syntax

public event OnProgressHandler OnProgress;

public delegate void OnProgressHandler(object sender, DpapiProgressEventArgs e);

public class DpapiProgressEventArgs : EventArgs {
  public long BytesProcessed { get; }
  public int PercentProcessed { get; }
}

Public Event OnProgress As OnProgressHandler

Public Delegate Sub OnProgressHandler(sender As Object, e As DpapiProgressEventArgs)

Public Class DpapiProgressEventArgs Inherits EventArgs
  Public ReadOnly Property BytesProcessed As Long
  Public ReadOnly Property PercentProcessed As Integer
End Class

Remarks

This event is fired automatically as data is processed by the component.

The PercentProcessed parameter indicates the current status of the operation.

The BytesProcessed parameter holds the total number of bytes processed so far.

Config Settings (DPAPI Component)

The component accepts one or more of the following configuration settings. Configuration settings are similar in functionality to properties, but they are rarely used. In order to avoid "polluting" the property namespace of the component, access to these internal properties is provided through the Config method.

DPAPI Config Settings

CloseInputStreamAfterProcessing:   Determines whether or not the input stream is closed after processing.

Determines whether or not the input stream set by SetInputStream is closed after processing is complete. The default value is True.

CloseOutputStreamAfterProcessing:   Determines whether or not the output stream is closed after processing.

Determines whether or not the output stream set by SetOutputStream is closed after processing is complete. The default value is True.

EscapeDescriptor:   Whether to escape the protection descriptor.

This setting controls whether the ProtectionDescriptor value is escaped when Protect is called. When set to False (default) the value is passed exactly as provided to the underlying system libraries. When set to True the value is first escaped according to the escaping rules defined by Microsoft.

The default value of EscapeDescriptor is True.

This setting is only applicable when UseCNG is set to True.

ProtectionFlags:   Used to specify additional options.

Additional options are available to restrict or change the behavior of the protect and unprotect operations.

By default no additional settings are specified (the value is 0). You may set this property to the binary 'OR' of one or more of the following values:

1 (0x1) CRYPTPROTECT_UI_FORBIDDEN This flag is used for remote situations where presenting a user interface (UI) is not an option. When this flag is set and a UI is specified for either the protect or unprotect operation, the operation fails.
4 (0x4) CRYPTPROTECT_LOCAL_MACHINE When this flag is set, it associates the data encrypted with the current computer instead of with an individual user. This is only applicable when calling Protect.
8 (0x8) CRYPTPROTECT_CRED_SYNC When this flag is used, no data is actually protected. Instead all MasterKeys are queried from disk, which will cause re-encryption in memory, presumably under a changed password. This is only applicable when calling Protect.
16 (0x10) CRYPTPROTECT_AUDIT This flag causes DPAPI to generate an audit when this data is protected or unprotected. This is only applicable when calling Protect.
64 (0x40) CRYPTPROTECT_VERIFY_PROTECTION If the protected data blob would be better protected under a new call to the internal protect function and this call succeeds, then GetLastError will return a CRYPT_I_NEW_PROTECTION_REQUIRED status code. This is only applicable when calling Unprotect.
536870912 (0x20000000) CRYPTPROTECT_SYSTEM If data was protected with this flag set, then this flag must be set to unprotect the data.

This setting is not applicable when UseCNG is set to True.

UseStreamMode:   Whether to use the CNG streaming operations.

When set to True the component will use the CNG streaming operations when Protect and Unprotect are called. When working with large amounts of data this can reduce the memory overhead during processing. Note that when enabled InputFile and OutputFile or SetInputStream and SetOutputStreamshould be used for optimal memory usage.

The default value of UseStreamMode is False.

This setting is only applicable when UseCNG is set to True.

Base Config Settings

BuildInfo:   Information about the product's build.

When queried, this setting will return a string containing information about the product's build.

GUIAvailable:   Whether or not a message loop is available for processing events.

In a GUI-based application, long-running blocking operations may cause the application to stop responding to input until the operation returns. The component will attempt to discover whether or not the application has a message loop and, if one is discovered, it will process events in that message loop during any such blocking operation.

In some non-GUI applications, an invalid message loop may be discovered that will result in errant behavior. In these cases, setting GUIAvailable to false will ensure that the component does not attempt to process external events.

LicenseInfo:   Information about the current license.

When queried, this setting will return a string containing information about the license this instance of a component is using. It will return the following information:

  • Product: The product the license is for.
  • Product Key: The key the license was generated from.
  • License Source: Where the license was found (e.g., RuntimeLicense, License File).
  • License Type: The type of license installed (e.g., Royalty Free, Single Server).
  • Last Valid Build: The last valid build number for which the license will work.
MaskSensitive:   Whether sensitive data is masked in log messages.

In certain circumstances it may be beneficial to mask sensitive data, like passwords, in log messages. Set this to true to mask sensitive data. The default is true.

This setting only works on these components: AS3Receiver, AS3Sender, Atom, Client(3DS), FTP, FTPServer, IMAP, OFTPClient, SSHClient, SCP, Server(3DS), Sexec, SFTP, SFTPServer, SSHServer, TCPClient, TCPServer.

UseInternalSecurityAPI:   Whether or not to use the system security libraries or an internal implementation.

When set to false, the component will use the system security libraries by default to perform cryptographic functions where applicable. In this case, calls to unmanaged code will be made. In certain environments, this is not desirable. To use a completely managed security implementation, set this setting to true.

Setting this configuration setting to true tells the component to use the internal implementation instead of using the system security libraries.

On Windows, this setting is set to false by default. On Linux/macOS, this setting is set to true by default.

If using the .NET Standard Library, this setting will be true on all platforms. The .NET Standard library does not support using the system security libraries.

Note: This setting is static. The value set is applicable to all components used in the application.

When this value is set, the product's system dynamic link library (DLL) is no longer required as a reference, as all unmanaged code is stored in that file.

Trappable Errors (DPAPI Component)

DPAPI Errors

104   Cannot read or write file.
109   Cannot protect data.
110   Cannot unprotect data
111   OutputFile already exists and Overwrite is False.
304   Cannot write file.
305   Cannot read file.
306   Cannot create file.