i recently changed my motherboard and was directed upon starting up windows
that there had been significant enough hardware change to warrant getting a
new access code from windows. now some important image files are encrypted
with NTFS from my previous user account and i cannot manage decryption. im
told that this is a lost cause but i refuse to believe that is true, how
could there be such an oversight; why are you not prompted or even given the
opertunity to make changes and secure data before they spring the renewal on
you?! no price would be too high for software or technical support in
recovery of these files. please anyone that can offer assistance i will be
forever grateful. good karma for you too!

petejr.austin|texas wrote:
> i recently changed my motherboard and was directed upon starting up
> windows that there had been significant enough hardware change to
> warrant getting a new access code from windows. now some important
> image files are encrypted with NTFS from my previous user account and
> i cannot manage decryption. im told that this is a lost cause but i
> refuse to believe that is true, how could there be such an oversight;
> why are you not prompted or even given the opertunity to make changes
> and secure data before they spring the renewal on you?! no price
> would be too high for software or technical support in recovery of
> these files. please anyone that can offer assistance i will be
> forever grateful. good karma for you too!

How did you encrypt your files?

You may be able to gain access to them via taking Ownership and removing the
encryption :-

How to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;308421

How to remove file or folder encryption in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308993/en-us

If you encrypted the data via EFS and did not export your recovery agent key
the the data is probably gone for good.

The last link (Elcomsoft) may enable you to recover your data.


The Encrypting File System
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec...hyetc/efs.mspx

Best practices for the Encrypting File System
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/223316/en-us

How to back up the recovery agent Encrypting File System (EFS) private key
in Windows Server 2003, in Windows 2000, and in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/241201

How To Encrypt a Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=308989

How To Remove File Encryption in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=308993

How To Encrypt a File in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=307877

HOW TO: Share Access to an Encrypted File in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=308991

Advanced EFS Data recovery (Elcomsoft)
http://www.crackpassword.com/products/prs/mswin/efs/