Accessing encrypted files

[Guest]

My computer crashed, and I have to get my data off of it before I wipe it and
reinstall Windows. (See earlier post, "Booting Issues") However, some of
those files are encrypted, and my backup encryption key died along with my
backup hard drive. Is there any way I can get access to those encrypted
files on a different computer, possibly by extracting the keys from there?

 

[Guest]

I am not part of a domain, so I do not have a "recovery agent." I would log
in as "Administrator," but I can't boot the system.

 

[John Wunderlich]

=?Utf-8?B?ZGFydGhtYXJ0aDM3?=

I am not part of a domain, so I do not have a "recovery agent." I
would log in as "Administrator," but I can't boot the system.

:

Chances are that you will not be able to recover these files.

To prevent this from happening again, read the KB article:
"Best practices for the Encrypting File System"
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/223316>

Paying particular attention to the paragraphs:
"Why you must back up your certificates" and
"How to back up your certificate"

Another solution would be to go with a 3rd party encryption solution
like freeware "Truecrypt" where encryption is based solely on a
passphrase.
<http://www.truecrypt.org/>

Good Luck,
John

 

[Guest]

Yeah, that's kind of the problem. Although I did back up my certificates,
the drive on which the pfx resided died at the same time.

 

[John Wunderlich]

=?Utf-8?B?ZGFydGhtYXJ0aDM3?=

Yeah, that's kind of the problem. Although I did back up my
certificates, the drive on which the pfx resided died at the same
time.

Talk about a streak of bad luck...
Stay away from me for a while...

-- John