Help - Encrypted out of my own file !!

[Guest]

Hi
I have a very weird problem on my hand that I need some help with urgently.I use Win XP Pro and I used the in built encryption to encrypt a single text file without using any password (as it is not required by XP) Also my account was not password protected.The file was not on my system drive but on a seperate partition with absolutely no restrictions.Later for some reason I had to format my system drive and reinstalled XP Pro. Now when I try to access this specific file, I get an access error warning and it just won't open or even convert to un-encrypted status. Is this because my account name has changed (although I still have administrator rights) or something else ? Is there a way around or any tool / software that can help me ? I am willing to try anything as this file is really vital and I am desperate !

fatman2.0

 

[Con]

Sorry but you are out of luck! Believe me as I spent an entire week
researching and trying every solution possible on the net and still lost all
my info. The re-install of XP will kill the encryption keys let alone the
fact that your username and password may also be different.

If you find a workaround that actually WORKS then post for all to see as I
have many files that are victim to the XP Encryptor.
( I am sure that there are my posters & surfers who could make a living out
of this issue if a real solution was posted ....)

In future I would recommend (and use) that you go into explorer tools->
explorer options -> view -> untick simple file sharing, this seems to work
better for me.

Hi,
I have a very weird problem on my hand that I need some help with

urgently.I use Win XP Pro and I used the in built encryption to encrypt a
single text file without using any password (as it is not required by XP)
Also my account was not password protected.The file was not on my system
drive but on a seperate partition with absolutely no restrictions.Later for
some reason I had to format my system drive and reinstalled XP Pro. Now when
I try to access this specific file, I get an access error warning and it
just won't open or even convert to un-encrypted status. Is this because my
account name has changed (although I still have administrator rights) or
something else ? Is there a way around or any tool / software that can help
me ? I am willing to try anything as this file is really vital and I am
desperate !!

 

[Guest]

Im afraid if you did not back up your encryption key prior to formatting that it may not be possible.

 

[Kelly]

Try that again in the body, Bill.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Your data is most likely gone for good:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/encrypt.htm

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
An easier way to read newsgroup messages:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/newsgroups/setup.asp
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/

Hi,
I have a very weird problem on my hand that I need some help with

urgently.I use Win XP Pro and I used the in built encryption to
encrypt a single text file without using any password (as it is not
required by XP) Also my account was not password protected.The file
was not on my system drive but on a seperate partition with absolutely
no restrictions.Later for some reason I had to format my system drive
and reinstalled XP Pro. Now when I try to access this specific file, I
get an access error warning and it just won't open or even convert to
un-encrypted status. Is this because my account name has changed
(although I still have administrator rights) or something else ? Is
there a way around or any tool / software that can help me ? I am
willing to try anything as this file is really vital and I am
desperate !!

 

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

a similar problem: my problem is that after re-installing
Windows XP, I could not open my private directory.

Hi

This one might help you out of your problem:

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

 

[Goran]

Hi,
You could try Advanced EFS Data Recovery
http://www.crackpassword.com/products/prs/otherms/efs/

But it could take some time to crack that encryption....

/goran

Hi,
I have a very weird problem on my hand that I need some help with

urgently.I use Win XP Pro and I used the in built encryption to encrypt a
single text file without using any password (as it is not required by XP)
Also my account was not password protected.The file was not on my system
drive but on a seperate partition with absolutely no restrictions.Later for
some reason I had to format my system drive and reinstalled XP Pro. Now when
I try to access this specific file, I get an access error warning and it
just won't open or even convert to un-encrypted status. Is this because my
account name has changed (although I still have administrator rights) or
something else ? Is there a way around or any tool / software that can help
me ? I am willing to try anything as this file is really vital and I am
desperate !!

 

[Malke]

Sorry but you are out of luck! Believe me as I spent an entire week
researching and trying every solution possible on the net and still
lost all my info. The re-install of XP will kill the encryption keys
let alone the fact that your username and password may also be
different.

If you find a workaround that actually WORKS then post for all to see
as I have many files that are victim to the XP Encryptor.
( I am sure that there are my posters & surfers who could make a
living out of this issue if a real solution was posted ....)

I really have to take issue with your phrase, "victim to the XP
Encryptor". There is nothing wrong with XP encryption - it works
exactly as it should. You are not a victim. You did not know how to
properly use and backup encryption. The whole point of good encryption
is that it can't be broken easily (or at least not without vast effort
and computing power). This is completely a case of user error.

Malke

 

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

I really have to take issue with your phrase, "victim to the XP
Encryptor". There is nothing wrong with XP encryption - it works
exactly as it should. You are not a victim. You did not know how to
properly use and backup encryption. The whole point of good encryption
is that it can't be broken easily (or at least not without vast effort
and computing power). This is completely a case of user error.

Hi

What's *really* wrong with EFS is that the user does not get any
warning the first time he/she encrypts a file, so in that way the
user is a victim, sort of.

What I would like to see implemented is a large warning dialog that
pops up the first time a user encrypts a file, informing about the
importance of exporting the private key and place it on a safe storage
outside of the computer, and offer to start a export EFS key wizard.

Until Microsoft implements something this, I'm afraid a lot of people
will continue to loose their data. It is not without reason Kent W.
England (MVP) calls EFS the "delayed Recycle Bin" ;-)

 

[Malke]

Hi

What's *really* wrong with EFS is that the user does not get any
warning the first time he/she encrypts a file, so in that way the
user is a victim, sort of.

What I would like to see implemented is a large warning dialog that
pops up the first time a user encrypts a file, informing about the
importance of exporting the private key and place it on a safe storage
outside of the computer, and offer to start a export EFS key wizard.

Until Microsoft implements something this, I'm afraid a lot of people
will continue to loose their data. It is not without reason Kent W.
England (MVP) calls EFS the "delayed Recycle Bin" ;-)

Good point, Torgeir. I always assumed that if people went to the trouble
of encrypting things, they had an understanding of the process. I'm
quite sure you are right - a lot of people probably just think they're
making their files "secret" without understanding the consequences.
Thanks for the information.

Cheers,

Malke

 

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

Good point, Torgeir. I always assumed that if people went to the trouble
of encrypting things, they had an understanding of the process.

Sadly, that is very often not the case. E.g. many think that if they need
to reinstall the OS, creating a user with the same name and password
should be enough to decrypt the files again.

I'm
quite sure you are right - a lot of people probably just think they're
making their files "secret" without understanding the consequences.

Yes, and you can remove the word probably ;-)

Thanks for the information.

Your welcome

 

[NobodyMan]

Hi

What's *really* wrong with EFS is that the user does not get any
warning the first time he/she encrypts a file, so in that way the
user is a victim, sort of.

What I would like to see implemented is a large warning dialog that
pops up the first time a user encrypts a file, informing about the
importance of exporting the private key and place it on a safe storage
outside of the computer, and offer to start a export EFS key wizard.

Until Microsoft implements something this, I'm afraid a lot of people
will continue to loose their data. It is not without reason Kent W.
England (MVP) calls EFS the "delayed Recycle Bin" ;-)

If they are indeed "loosing" their data, they simple need to tighten
it down to secure it.

Now as for "losing" data, that's another problem entirely...

 

[NobodyMan]

urgently.I use Win XP Pro and I used the in built encryption to encrypt a
single text file without using any password (as it is not required by XP)
Also my account was not password protected.The file was not on my system
drive but on a seperate partition with absolutely no restrictions.Later for
some reason I had to format my system drive and reinstalled XP Pro. Now when
I try to access this specific file, I get an access error warning and it
just won't open or even convert to un-encrypted status. Is this because my
account name has changed (although I still have administrator rights) or
something else ? Is there a way around or any tool / software that can help
me ? I am willing to try anything as this file is really vital and I am
desperate !!

Sorry but you are out of luck! Believe me as I spent an entire week
researching and trying every solution possible on the net and still lost all
my info. The re-install of XP will kill the encryption keys let alone the
fact that your username and password may also be different.

It has nothing to do with their username/password. Even if they used
admistrative permissions and took ownership of the files/folders in
question, they would still be unable to access the encrypted data.

When the drive was reformatted the encryption keys were lost. With
those lost, that data is lost. Forever. Period.

If you find a workaround that actually WORKS then post for all to see as I
have many files that are victim to the XP Encryptor.
( I am sure that there are my posters & surfers who could make a living out
of this issue if a real solution was posted ....)

The solution is really simple: export the encryption keys to a
location not on the computer. Most folks who use encryption keys know
this and have done it since day one.

There's no victim here. XP encryption is not a villian. Lack of a
sound knowledge of how encryption works is more the villian. Don't
blame to OS for operator error!

 

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

If they are indeed "loosing" their data, they simple need to tighten
it down to secure it.

Now as for "losing" data, that's another problem entirely...

LOL, yes, you have a point there. Now you try to write something
in Norwegian, so I can have some fun with you

 

[Rehan]

Con wrote:
[...]
I really have to take issue with your phrase, "victim to the XP
Encryptor". There is nothing wrong with XP encryption - it works
exactly as it should. You are not a victim. You did not know how to
properly use and backup encryption. The whole point of good encryption
is that it can't be broken easily (or at least not without vast effort
and computing power). This is completely a case of user error.

Malke,

Although I more or less agree with your point about good encryption, I do
not agree that the way it is done in Windows XP is exactly best. Since the
xp encryption is linked with the password for the original account, anybody
able to supply that password must be considered the legitemate user of the
file. However the encryption system does not provide the facility to supply
that password if the orignal user account is lost for any reason.

Neither does it warn you about this consequence of your action when
encyption is activated.

 

[Malke]

Malke,

Although I more or less agree with your point about good encryption, I
do not agree that the way it is done in Windows XP is exactly best.
Since the xp encryption is linked with the password for the original
account, anybody able to supply that password must be considered the
legitemate user of the file. However the encryption system does not
provide the facility to supply that password if the orignal user
account is lost for any reason.

Neither does it warn you about this consequence of your action when
encyption is activated.

I didn't say it was "the best". From Torgeir's comments in this thread,
it obviously isn't "the best". I think his take on it is really good
and accurate. I certainly wouldn't change the strength of the
encryption or the impossibility of getting the data back. I totally
agree with Torgeir that adding some really strong wording in future
versions would be a good idea. As for anybody being able to supply the
password, that's true of all computers running any operating system: if
I have *physical* access to your computer and/or I've Got Root, your
system is mine.

Malke