Problems with encryption

[captainMcKay]

I just finished upgrading to Windows 7 from Windows XP, all my files were backed up on my second drive. Some of those files were encrypted using the encrpytion option in XP's file properties. Now I can't access, or move any of these files, it asks for permission from a Computer Administrator of File Owner, which I am both. I tried playing with the security and ownership settings for many files but I still have no access.

How can I remove the encryption so I can access my files?

 

[seth500]

Hi captainMcKay welcome to the forums,

So you used EFS to encrypt your files? The problem here is that encryption and unencryption in win7 and xp has to be done with the system used to create the encryption. Just like I use Truecrypt to create file containers and what have you, no other software will mount that and decrypt it so I can access those containers.

So the file owner is the owner of the xp system it is asking for and a way you can access those files again would be to have an xp environment. You could either reinstall xp and gain control over the encrypted files by accessing the security tab and taking ownership of them and decrypting them or take the secondary harddrive out and take it over to another computer that is running xp and do it. If that's feasible to do other than that I don't know of any other way.

 

[captainMcKay]

I'll try what you suggested, thanks for your help

 

[seth500]

You welcome and the best of luck I know that it's not fun to hear.