Encrypted file problem

[Dave Hopkins]

I have a user here that installed the SP4 on his system
and we had an application here that would not function
with the SP 4. I took his machine and reinstalled Win2k.
Now after the installation he has some files on a
secondary drive that had file encryption enabled. He
claims he doesn't know how to encrypt his files. If this
is the case is there a way to strip the encrytion from the
folder. I have tried the CIPHER utility and it doesn't
seem to change anything. When trying to access any files
within the folder I get a access denied or a couldn't find
path of file.

The system being used is a Dell 1.7Ghz P IV 512MB RAM
WIN2K SP3

Hope someone can help.

Thanks

 

[Prashant Nema]

Perhaps you could have uninstalled SP4. Re-installing W2k, I believe, made
the matter worse.
If you didnt back-up your certificates and private keys you will never be
able to read encrypted files. This is one of the biggest security reasons
behind the encrypted file.

That is, it dis-allows you to read the files of a user even if you have
physical access to the disk.
Consider the case where you are a hacker(an insider and not a remote). If
you could install another copy of Win2k on a machine and get access to the
encrypted files what good are they .

For best practice on encrypte files and how to backup the certificates
please read
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;223316

Btw, just out of curiosity, what was the application that was not
functioning with SP4?

-P