cannot access encrypted file, changing security ownership did not

[Guest]

Please someone help, I am begging from the bottom of my heart. I have over
six months of preparation getting my website going, this includes all my
spreedsheets, almost a thousand jpgs that I took and have edited, all email
correspondence for the last 8 months, business contacts, you name it, I have
it in this folder, and I cannot access it, it tells me access denied. These
are the steps that I am aware that I took to lead to this disaster.

1. I was worried that some hacker would get into my folder, so I encrypted
the folder using the advanced button in properties, it encrypted about 4.8gbs
of information, this was done about 2 weeks ago.

2. Next I told it I did not want anyone else to view/have access to this
folder, so I checked do not share also in the properties. done about the same
time, or may have been done before the encryption

3. norton security 2006 will not let me clean out my cookie index.dat, nor
any temp, internet temp index.dats, and they were growing rather large. So I
went back in to the folder properties about 5 days ago and said to share the
folder, but did not remove the encryption. (I knew I could log into my
spouses side and access the temp folders and clean out the index.dats that
way)

3a. So I get a blip saying I should password protect my files, or they
could be viewed by anyone. Of course I said yes, and I put in a password.

4. now everytime I turned the computer on, or even if I left and came back
and it had timed out, I would have to put in the password. That got annoying.
So I logged into the control panel\local security policy\account
policies\password policy and changed maximum password age to 1 day.
(yesterday)

5. which leads to today. When I went to log in, it asked what my new
password would be, I just left it blank and continued. Went back into the
control panel\local security policy\account policies\password policy and
changed the password change to 365 days.

Now I cannot get into my encrypted folders. I tried following the
instructions on the security and changing ownership... that did not work. I
still get access denied, or that some other program is using.

I tried the suggestion of changing ownership to the administrator, it did
not work. I still get access denied.

 

[Nepatsfan]

(e-mail address removed),

Please someone help, I am begging from the bottom of my
heart. I have over six months of preparation getting my
website going, this includes all my spreedsheets, almost a
thousand jpgs that I took and have edited, all email
correspondence for the last 8 months, business contacts, you
name it, I have it in this folder, and I cannot access it,
it tells me access denied. These are the steps that I am
aware that I took to lead to this disaster.

1. I was worried that some hacker would get into my folder,
so I encrypted the folder using the advanced button in
properties, it encrypted about 4.8gbs of information, this
was done about 2 weeks ago.

2. Next I told it I did not want anyone else to view/have
access to this folder, so I checked do not share also in the
properties. done about the same time, or may have been done
before the encryption

3. norton security 2006 will not let me clean out my cookie
index.dat, nor any temp, internet temp index.dats, and they
were growing rather large. So I went back in to the folder
properties about 5 days ago and said to share the folder,
but did not remove the encryption. (I knew I could log into
my spouses side and access the temp folders and clean out
the index.dats that way)

3a. So I get a blip saying I should password protect my
files, or they
could be viewed by anyone. Of course I said yes, and I put
in a password.

4. now everytime I turned the computer on, or even if I left
and came back and it had timed out, I would have to put in
the password. That got annoying. So I logged into the
control panel\local security policy\account
policies\password policy and changed maximum password age to
1 day. (yesterday)

5. which leads to today. When I went to log in, it asked
what my new password would be, I just left it blank and
continued. Went back into the control panel\local security
policy\account policies\password policy and changed the
password change to 365 days.

Now I cannot get into my encrypted folders. I tried
following the instructions on the security and changing
ownership... that did not work. I still get access denied,
or that some other program is using.

I tried the suggestion of changing ownership to the
administrator, it did not work. I still get access denied.

Try changing your password back to what it was when you
encrypted the files.

EFS, Credentials, and Private Keys from Certificates Are
Unavailable After a Password Is Reset
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290260&sd=tech

Sorry to have to say this but If you had backed up your files,
or the encryption key, you wouldn't be in this predicament.

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[Guest]

Oh thank you God and Nepatsfan, it worked.

For the love of God please tell me exactly how I can never have this happen
again. Reading the remove encryption and backing up keys doesn't make sense
to me. If I save the key on a cd, I have no clue how to use it to recover if
so needed. You cannot know how sick I was when you said what you said
(imagine slitting my wrists). I can't even begin to describe the despair, and
the work that I would have felt and lost.

How do I get these rotten keys and how do I use them if I should need them,
your talking imbecilic here.. right now I'm so shook up not much is making
sense.

 

[Colin Nash [MVP]]

Oh thank you God and Nepatsfan, it worked.

For the love of God please tell me exactly how I can never have this
happen
again. Reading the remove encryption and backing up keys doesn't make
sense
to me. If I save the key on a cd, I have no clue how to use it to recover
if
so needed. You cannot know how sick I was when you said what you said
(imagine slitting my wrists). I can't even begin to describe the despair,
and
the work that I would have felt and lost.

How do I get these rotten keys and how do I use them if I should need
them,
your talking imbecilic here.. right now I'm so shook up not much is making
sense.

How to back up your certificate: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/223316/ -
you can import them by clicking the import button in the same place.

You can also just back up your files to a CD or DVD in a non-encrypted form.
Then, you can rely on physical security, for example: a locked cabinet, to
protect them. (It's up to you to decide if that is adequate.)

 

[Guest]

Dear Colin

Thank you, but the link doesn't work, is there another one to try?

Silver

 

[Colin Nash [MVP]]

Dear Colin

Thank you, but the link doesn't work, is there another one to try?

Silver

I double-checked the link and it is correct. Try it again later or try
going to http://support.microsoft.com and use the search feature to look for
KB223316

 

[Guest]

Thank you Colin and Nepatsfan. I appreciate the help. I cannot even begin to
tell you the time and effort you saved me.

God Bless and keep you all safe
Silver

 

[All Things Mopar]

Today =?Utf-8?B?U2lsdmVy?= commented courteously on the
subject at hand

Oh thank you God and Nepatsfan, it worked.

You are now fully backed up to optical and external HD, right?
If not, then "he who does not heed history is forced to relive
it" immediately springs to mind here.

For the love of God please tell me exactly how I can never
have this happen again. Reading the remove encryption and
backing up keys doesn't make sense to me. If I save the key
on a cd, I have no clue how to use it to recover if so
needed. You cannot know how sick I was when you said what
you said (imagine slitting my wrists). I can't even begin
to describe the despair, and the work that I would have
felt and lost.

How do I get these rotten keys and how do I use them if I
should need them, your talking imbecilic here.. right now
I'm so shook up not much is making sense.

I imagine by now the hackers are just quaking in their boots ...
Best not to mess with The Dark Side iffn ya doesn't have The
Force behind you ...

 

[Guest]

Yes Mopar I spent alot of time last night backing everything up. It was kind
of you to ask that.

Silver