Problem with Encrypt and Decrypt

[dtaluthge]

I have 2 partitions c and d. i encrypted some files in d:. yesterday i formatted ma lap and i installed a fresh copy of win7. today i tried to copy that files into a cd it displays an error. then i tried to decrypt that files it also getting an error. even i cant open that files. plzzzzzz some one help me

 

[arkhi]

Did you have a password before you formatted? Try using that same password and decrypt again. Restart before decrypting if you have to.

Edit: password on your user account, if it wasn't clear.

 

[Dzomlija]

And if Arkhi's suggestion does not help, then you'll have to go to a data recovery specialist to decrypt the files. What you should have done was write those files to disk before reloading your Windows.

I built a new POS Server computer for a client several weeks ago, and their original data was encrypted with EFS. The files could be seen but not accessed on the new computer after transplanting the old hard disk, which had to be put back into the original box so that I could decrypt them first. Only after decrypting the files on the machine that originally performed the encryption was I able to access them on the new machine.

 

[dtaluthge]

it doesnt prompt to enter password

 

[dtaluthge]

wt can i do nw??????????? even i cant delete that files

 

[fseal]

Well it depends on how you encrypted them. Was it a third party tool? Or did you use the built in windows Encrypted File Sytem to do it?

If the EFS, as Dzomlija indicated, that's kind of the point of the encrypted file system. The files can ONLY be decrypted on the machine with the same user account that created them. Not just the user name and password, the /actual/ account and it's associated credentials. So if the drive is removed it cannot be decrypted anywhere else, even if they got your user name and password and created a new account.

If you had exported your credentials or made an encryption recovery disk or assigned a differnet user (that still exists) as a data recovery agent then there might be a chance but if not, and you reformatted your drive that old user account is now gone forever and so is the data

 

[fseal]

You may be able to delete the files by taking ownership of them using the new account. Seach "Take Ownership" in this forum, there are several threads that show how to do that. Basically all those files currently "belong" to the old user account, you need to take them over, then you can manipulate them.

 

[Dzomlija]

it doesnt prompt to enter password

I think what Arkhi meant was that you must change your current user account password, log off, then log in again, and then try to decrypt the files.

I'm not too sure whether or not that will work though, as the EFS uses a unique internal SID for encryption together with your password. This SID is first created when a user account is created, and remains constant even though you may change your username or password. In fact, Windows warns you that changing an account password may lead to inability to access encrypted data.

Deleting the user account and recreating it with exactly the same name and password won't work, because a new, differemt, SID will be generated that will be incompatible with the already encrypted files.

As I said, what you should have done is either decrypt those files before reloading Windows, or write them to disk. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to get back to those files without an extreme amount of effort.

You have three choices. Go to a data recovery specialist, download them again if you can, or cut your losses and remember to keep backups next time.

I know it sounds nasty, and I'm trying to say this as nicely as possible, but in most cases I've seen, those files are gone for good.

 

[dtaluthge]

thanks for all. i didnt got any answer i deleted those files

 

[Dzomlija]

Sorry we couldn't help, but encrypting your files IS a dangerous prospect for the uninitiated.

Just remember next time to keep proper backups. And if your files do contain sensitive information (why else would you need encryption?), and you have written them to CD for backup, you can always keep them locked in a personal safe away from prying eyes. Better yet, get yourself a safety deposit box at your local bank and keep them in there...

 

[darkassain]

if i remember correctly EFS is based on certificates if i am not mistaken
you could actually go around EFS in windows xp but not anymore in vista and above...
next time backup your personal EFS cert and you should be able to decrypt these files