Recovering (decrypting) efs files after a machine failure

[googledude]

Greetings!

My laptop died, an important file was left encrypted by my foolishness.
Luckily, the disk (all user profiles, data) was spared, and I was able
to mount the laptop disk on my desktop. However, I kept getting an
"access denied" error for the EFS file. I have no designated recovery
agent. Based on web search, I followed directions using "brief and
advanced" options, at the following web site (effectively setup the
machine id and user values to match by creating a dummy Windows XP
install and copying over the crypto, protect and SystemCertificates
folders of the new user (under c:\Document and
Settings\user\Application Data\Microsoft folder) :

http://www.beginningtoseethelight.org/efsrecovery/

I was successful in opening my encrypted text file but all the text
inside the file is now garbage. What am I doing wrong ? Are there any
alternative ways of recovering EFS files ? Any help will be gratefully
appreciated!!

 

[Crusty \(-: Old B@stard :-\)]

You are able to look into the file but it is still encrypted. Without the
keys the file is history - you will never be able to unscramble it.

--
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!

 

[googledude]

Crusty:

My problem was that I did not have SP2 installed. It worked after I
patched the machine with SP2!! I am grateful to Peter Clark for his
instructions at http://www.beginningtoseethelight.org/efsrecovery/
(read his notes, they cover all scenarios).

Peter, if you read this post, I would be happy to organize the section
that worked for me. Your information is accurate, it just needs to be
itemized/checklisted. I tried sending an email with this suggestion but
your spam system may have filtered it. Thanks.