Hello Everybody,

I have a folder with a few hundred MB of data in D partition in a folder. I
have encrypted it from folder properties. I had to delete all files from C
and install WinXP again some days ago. Now I cannot access any of those
files on D partition that I encrypted.
Whenever I try to access any one of them, they won't open. When I try to
remove encryption, a message say "An error occurred while applying
attribute:"

How can I make these files accessible?
Any help will be highly appreciated, because that data is really important
for me.

Thank you,

--
Syed Zeeshan Haider



---------------------------------
http://szh.20m.com/

You probably can't.
Unless you have the ORIGINAL profile or keys, the data is most likely gone
for good.
They can not be recreated.
If there is a possibility, something on the following link may help:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/encrypt.htm
See the links near the bottom of the page to help prevent this in the
future.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/


"Syed Zeeshan Haider" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ew$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello Everybody,
>
> I have a folder with a few hundred MB of data in D partition in a folder.
> I
> have encrypted it from folder properties. I had to delete all files from C
> and install WinXP again some days ago. Now I cannot access any of those
> files on D partition that I encrypted.
> Whenever I try to access any one of them, they won't open. When I try to
> remove encryption, a message say "An error occurred while applying
> attribute:"
>
> How can I make these files accessible?
> Any help will be highly appreciated, because that data is really important
> for me.
>
> Thank you,
>
> --
> Syed Zeeshan Haider
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> http://szh.20m.com/

Windows XP file encryption is virtually "bullet proof". Without the
encryption certificates (you did back them up, didn't you) there is no way
for ANYONE to further access those files. After all, that is what encryption
is all about. If there was a way in, a backdoor so to speak, your files
wouldn't be safe and could be viewed by anyone.

You have just learned a very painful lesson!

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard :-)

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!


"Syed Zeeshan Haider" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ew$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello Everybody,
>
> I have a folder with a few hundred MB of data in D partition in a folder.
> I
> have encrypted it from folder properties. I had to delete all files from C
> and install WinXP again some days ago. Now I cannot access any of those
> files on D partition that I encrypted.
> Whenever I try to access any one of them, they won't open. When I try to
> remove encryption, a message say "An error occurred while applying
> attribute:"
>
> How can I make these files accessible?
> Any help will be highly appreciated, because that data is really important
> for me.
>
> Thank you,
>
> --
> Syed Zeeshan Haider
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> http://szh.20m.com/
>
>

"Syed Zeeshan Haider" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ew$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello Everybody,
>
> I have a folder with a few hundred MB of data in D partition in a
> folder. I
> have encrypted it from folder properties. I had to delete all files
> from C
> and install WinXP again some days ago. Now I cannot access any of
> those
> files on D partition that I encrypted.
> Whenever I try to access any one of them, they won't open. When I try
> to
> remove encryption, a message say "An error occurred while applying
> attribute:"
>
> How can I make these files accessible?
> Any help will be highly appreciated, because that data is really
> important
> for me.


After encrypting anything the first time, you need to export the EFS
certificate to a floppy for safe keeping. That is because you will need
it when you do a fresh install of the operating system since the next
EFS certificate that you create when you encrypt something under that
new instance of the OS will not have the same random key that the other
EFS certificate under the prior instance of the OS.

Start -> Help and Support
Search on "EFS export"

Since you don't have the old EFS certificate to import into your new
instance of the OS, you can't decrypt those old files whether for the
ones on the hard drive or from file backups.

--
____________________________________________________________
Post your replies to the newsgroup. Share with others.
E-mail reply: Remove "NIXTHIS" and add "#VS811" to Subject.
____________________________________________________________

Hi,

Are you positive you encrypted it? If not, it may just be an ownership
issue. If this is the case, open Help & Support from the start menu and
search on "take ownership".

If you are positive that you encrypted them, then the *only* way to recover
access to them is with the original encryption certificate or recovery agent
made from within the installation that was used to create them. If you do
not possess either of these, then that data is lost to you.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"Syed Zeeshan Haider" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ew$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello Everybody,
>
> I have a folder with a few hundred MB of data in D partition in a folder.
> I
> have encrypted it from folder properties. I had to delete all files from C
> and install WinXP again some days ago. Now I cannot access any of those
> files on D partition that I encrypted.
> Whenever I try to access any one of them, they won't open. When I try to
> remove encryption, a message say "An error occurred while applying
> attribute:"
>
> How can I make these files accessible?
> Any help will be highly appreciated, because that data is really important
> for me.
>
> Thank you,
>
> --
> Syed Zeeshan Haider
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> http://szh.20m.com/
>
>

Syed Zeeshan Haider wrote:

>I have a folder with a few hundred MB of data in D partition in a folder. I
>have encrypted it from folder properties. I had to delete all files from C
>and install WinXP again some days ago. Now I cannot access any of those
>files on D partition that I encrypted.

Unless you backed up the encryption certificates to restore them, those
files are totally irrecoverable. If you have some complete restore type
back up from before formatting and restore to that you might find things
become accessible again; if so decrypt the folder first before
formatting again

Encryption is a snare anyway. As the files are transparently available
immediately to the owning user, they are in fact no more secure in the
ordinary way than his logon password - not very in all probability

--
Alex Nichol MS MVP (Windows Technologies)
Bournemouth, U.K. (E-Mail Removed) (remove the D8 bit)

On Sun, 06 Feb 2005 14:38:42 +0000, Alex Nichol
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Syed Zeeshan Haider wrote:
>
>>I have a folder with a few hundred MB of data in D partition in a folder. I
>>have encrypted it from folder properties. I had to delete all files from C
>>and install WinXP again some days ago. Now I cannot access any of those
>>files on D partition that I encrypted.
>
>Unless you backed up the encryption certificates to restore them, those
>files are totally irrecoverable. If you have some complete restore type
>back up from before formatting and restore to that you might find things
>become accessible again; if so decrypt the folder first before
>formatting again
>
>Encryption is a snare anyway. As the files are transparently available
>immediately to the owning user, they are in fact no more secure in the
>ordinary way than his logon password - not very in all probability

Agreed - although the encryption itself is virtually unbreakable, most
people who even bother to password their accounts use something so
simple it would not even stop their family, let alone a determined
hacker or thief.

I often wonder what state secrets people keep on their computers at
home that they must encrypt. Or is it they are trying to keep their
porn collection away from the prying eyes of their significant
other/children?

I wouldn't use/write anything more to your c: drive. A professional forensic
recovery expert might be able to recover your keyfiles as raw data. It's
probably already too late.

"Syed Zeeshan Haider" wrote:

> Hello Everybody,
>
> I have a folder with a few hundred MB of data in D partition in a folder. I
> have encrypted it from folder properties. I had to delete all files from C
> and install WinXP again some days ago. Now I cannot access any of those
> files on D partition that I encrypted.
> Whenever I try to access any one of them, they won't open. When I try to
> remove encryption, a message say "An error occurred while applying
> attribute:"
>
> How can I make these files accessible?
> Any help will be highly appreciated, because that data is really important
> for me.
>
> Thank you,
>
> --
> Syed Zeeshan Haider
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> http://szh.20m.com/
>
>
>

Hi,

Thanks for your response!

Yes, I am dead sure that I encrypted it. And I just forgot to decrypt it
before formatting C drive.

Thanks again!
--
Syed Zeeshan Haider


------------------------------------
http://szh.20m.com/




"Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi,
>
> Are you positive you encrypted it? If not, it may just be an ownership
> issue. If this is the case, open Help & Support from the start menu and
> search on "take ownership".
>
> If you are positive that you encrypted them, then the *only* way to
recover
> access to them is with the original encryption certificate or recovery
agent
> made from within the installation that was used to create them. If you do
> not possess either of these, then that data is lost to you.
>
> --
> Best of Luck,
>
> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
> Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
> www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>
> "Syed Zeeshan Haider" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:ew$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Hello Everybody,
> >
> > I have a folder with a few hundred MB of data in D partition in a
folder.
> > I
> > have encrypted it from folder properties. I had to delete all files from
C
> > and install WinXP again some days ago. Now I cannot access any of those
> > files on D partition that I encrypted.
> > Whenever I try to access any one of them, they won't open. When I try to
> > remove encryption, a message say "An error occurred while applying
> > attribute:"
> >
> > How can I make these files accessible?
> > Any help will be highly appreciated, because that data is really
important
> > for me.
> >
> > Thank you,
> >
> > --
> > Syed Zeeshan Haider
> >
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------
> > http://szh.20m.com/
> >
> >
>
>

OK!

I just figured out that the said folder was included in a backup file
created by Windows Backup utility. But now, when I restore it from that
file, I still have the same problem.

Is there any chance to restore it from that backup file without losing
access to it?

Thanks!
--
Syed Zeeshan Haider


------------------------------------
http://szh.20m.com/


"Syed Zeeshan Haider" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ew$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello Everybody,
>
> I have a folder with a few hundred MB of data in D partition in a folder.
I
> have encrypted it from folder properties. I had to delete all files from C
> and install WinXP again some days ago. Now I cannot access any of those
> files on D partition that I encrypted.
> Whenever I try to access any one of them, they won't open. When I try to
> remove encryption, a message say "An error occurred while applying
> attribute:"
>
> How can I make these files accessible?
> Any help will be highly appreciated, because that data is really important
> for me.
>
> Thank you,
>
> --
> Syed Zeeshan Haider
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> http://szh.20m.com/
>
>