XP Encrypted files..locked out

[Guest]

Ok, I have been unsuccessfull in researching the Interent for this.
Non-Domain Windows Media Center 2005 (a VERY bad OS btw) crashed...for the
last time. It was sitting on a SATA Drive. That Drive is now 2nd and a new
SATA Drive holding Windows XP Professional SP2 is in place. I can access the
old Drive with no problems. I see an Encrypted folder, but I cannot access
it, copy it, or see the details of the certificate, ie who encrypted it,
thumbprint etc...

What do you do in this situation? The original user’s is a user on a
non-bootable OS?!
There is no recovery agent! not by default in a non-domain scenario.
thanks for any help.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Ok, I have been unsuccessfull in researching the Interent for this.
Non-Domain Windows Media Center 2005 (a VERY bad OS btw) crashed...for the
last time. It was sitting on a SATA Drive. That Drive is now 2nd and a new
SATA Drive holding Windows XP Professional SP2 is in place. I can access the
old Drive with no problems. I see an Encrypted folder, but I cannot access
it, copy it, or see the details of the certificate, ie who encrypted it,
thumbprint etc...

What do you do in this situation? The original user’s is a user on a
non-bootable OS?!
There is no recovery agent! not by default in a non-domain scenario.
thanks for any help.

If the your encryption certificates and keys were not backed up
before the reinstallation, and the workstation isn't part of a domain
(whose Administrator might act as the designated recovery agent), those
files are gone, for all practical purposes. Encryption works well and
there is no "back door" or hack to access the files. (Wouldn't be much
point to EFS if it were easily by-passed.)


--

Bruce Chambers

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safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[Guest]

Thanks Bruce, you've just confirmed what I had thought. Luckily nothing that
isn't recoverable by a few downloads, oh well, live and learn.
Thanks

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Ok, I have been unsuccessfull in researching the Interent for this.
Non-Domain Windows Media Center 2005 (a VERY bad OS btw)
crashed...for the last time. It was sitting on a SATA Drive. That
Drive is now 2nd and a new SATA Drive holding Windows XP
Professional SP2 is in place. I can access the old Drive with no
problems. I see an Encrypted folder, but I cannot access it, copy
it, or see the details of the certificate, ie who encrypted it,
thumbprint etc...

What do you do in this situation? The original user's is a user on a
non-bootable OS?!
There is no recovery agent! not by default in a non-domain scenario.
thanks for any help.

Were the files actually ENCRYPTED - or are you just getting 'access denied'?
Big difference.

If just getting 'access denied' --> you just take ownership of the
files/folders and you are fine.

How to Take Ownership of a File or Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

Read *carefully* - do not just skim the page and start following steps.
There is important information there dependent on the version of Windows XP
you have.

 

[Vanguard]

Ok, I have been unsuccessfull in researching the Interent for this.
Non-Domain Windows Media Center 2005 (a VERY bad OS btw) crashed...for
the
last time. It was sitting on a SATA Drive. That Drive is now 2nd and
a new
SATA Drive holding Windows XP Professional SP2 is in place. I can
access the
old Drive with no problems. I see an Encrypted folder, but I cannot
access
it, copy it, or see the details of the certificate, ie who encrypted
it,
thumbprint etc...

What do you do in this situation? The original user’s is a user on a
non-bootable OS?!
There is no recovery agent! not by default in a non-domain scenario.
thanks for any help.

How much are the EFS-protected files worth to you? Willing to spend
$100 on an experiment to see if http://www.elcomsoft.com/aefsdr.html
works? I've never used it. I use TrueCrypt instead to provide
passworded access along with not having to export certs or delegate
alternate recovery agent accounts.