BFE File

What are BFE files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a BFE file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your BFE files.

What is a BFE file?

A .BFE file is a Bcrypt Encrypted Data file.

Bcrypt Encrypted Data files hold data that has been securely encrypted using the BCrypt utility (Johnny Shelley's file-encryption program) applying the Blowfish cipher. These files protect the contents with a passphrase; the same passphrase is required to decrypt and recover the original data. Encrypted files are designed to be portable across different operating systems and processors.

The BCrypt tool generates these files when a user encrypts any input file. By default it compresses the file first, encrypts it using Blowfish keyed from a passphrase (8 to 56 characters long, internally hashed to a 448-bit key), then writes the encrypted output and removes the original, overwriting it with random data several times to impede recovery. Files encrypted this way typically have an extra suffix; when decryption is requested (bcrypt sees the signature), it will reverse the process, decompressing if compression was applied.

Encrypted data begins with a characteristic two-byte signature 0x5401 at the very start of the file, making it detectable by format-checking tools.

How to open BFE files

Important: Different programs may use files with the BFE file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your BFE file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

We have not yet verified any programs for Windows that work with this specific file format. If you know one, please use the 'Suggest a program' link below. Thanks!

Last updated: August 23, 2026

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