Before encrypting 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/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/cryptfs.mspx
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/athome/security/protect/default.aspx
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:
| I recently had to reinstall Windows XP, but now do not have access to
| the old "My Documents" folder on another partition.
|
| It was encrypted and 'made private', and the problem I now have is that
| I cannot access the files therein. Some of it it quite important
| (accounts and so on). I know I was an idiot not to have it or the key
| backed up, but we've all done that, haven't we?
|
| Tell me, is there any way of recovering this information?
