Encryption problem

[Guest]

Hi Ther

I have encrypted some documents on my D drive (hard disc, NTFS) a while back, and now it won't let me open them. Obviously, I have formatted once or twice since then. When I try to open them, it says access denied. Also, My D drive is set to READ ONLY

It there any way to bypass this encryption

Rg


Ratch

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Before you encrypt anything important, you should back up your
personal encryption certificate (with its associated private key)
and the recovery agent certificate to a floppy disk and store it in
a secure location. If you ever lose your original certificate
(because of a hard disk failure, for example), you can restore
the backup copy and regain access to your files.

If you lose all copies of your certificate (and no recovery agent certificates exist),
you won't be able to use your encrypted files. No back door exists,
nor is there any practical way to hack these files.
(If there were, it wouldn't be very good encryption.)

HOW TO: Remove File Encryption in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;308993

Without a backup of the original Encryption Certificate Key, encrypted files
are unrecoverable as they will stay encrypted forever. There is no recovery
method since the encryption algorithm is now completely different with a
reinstall of Windows XP.

See if the following articles help in any way:

HOW TO: Take Ownership of a File or Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308421

Best Practices for the Encrypting File System
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;223316

Encrypting File System in Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/prod
technol/winxppro/deploy/CryptFS.asp

EFS Files Appear Corrupted When You Open Them
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;329741

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

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| Hi There
|
| I have encrypted some documents on my D drive (hard disc, NTFS) a while back, and now it won't let me open
them. Obviously, I have formatted once or twice since then. When I try to open them, it says access denied.
Also, My D drive is set to READ ONLY?
|
| It there any way to bypass this encryption?
|
|
| Rgs
|
|
|
| Ratch

 

[Roger Abell]

Also, aside from telling you that the EFS protected files
are now gone forever, the Read-only you mention is how
all directories are always shown in the user interface.
It does not mean it is or is not read-only, but it most likely
is not unless you went out of your way to make it that way.

--
Roger Abell
Microsoft MVP (Windows Server System: Security)
MCSE (W2k3,W2k,Nt4) MCDBA

Hi There

I have encrypted some documents on my D drive (hard disc, NTFS) a while

back, and now it won't let me open them. Obviously, I have formatted once or
twice since then. When I try to open them, it says access denied. Also, My D
drive is set to READ ONLY?

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Ratch;
Do you have back-ups of the original encryption keys?
Do you have a back-up of the profile that encrypted the data?
If not the data is most likely gone for good:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/encrypt.htm

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/

Hi There

I have encrypted some documents on my D drive (hard disc, NTFS) a

while back, and now it won't let me open them. Obviously, I have
formatted once or twice since then. When I try to open them, it says
access denied. Also, My D drive is set to READ ONLY?