Re: Encryption and 'File settings and transfer wizard'
From: Richard Garrett (cranium@cfl.rr.com)
Date: 06/22/02
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From: "Richard Garrett" <cranium@cfl.rr.com> Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2002 02:59:40 -0400
Robert, I received your email. Thanks.
When using the wizard it first asks if this is the New computer or Old
computer. I indicated Old computer. The next step is to 'Select a transfer
method' with the options of either 'Floppy drive or other removeable media'
or 'Other (for example, a removable drive or network drive)'. And it states
'You can save files and settings to any disk drive or folder on your
computer'. I selected the second option and saved the files to my hard
drive. In this case it was my 'F' drive which is a striped RAID volume that
I use for software that I need to load fast (games).
The next step is what you were asking. 'What do you want to transfer?' with
the options being 'Settings only', 'Files only' or 'Both files and
settings'. The last option is selected by default. On the right hand side
of this window, there is a list of items that will be backed up. It breaks
it down into 3 areas. 'Settings' (and lists most all the software that has
been installed with Outlook express being one of them), 'Special folders'
(Desktop, Fonts, My Documents, etc.), and 'File types' (*.asf, *.doc, *.mp3,
etc). I left the default setting of 'Both files and settings'.
I should have been covered twofold. Outlook 2002 was in the 'Settings'
listing AND My postoffice was stored under the 'My Documents' folder of my
'D' drive (Default location was changed to 'd:\my documents'). With both of
these, I felt I was covered with it being mentioned both directly and
indirectly.
After creating the files, reformatting the 'C' drive, reinstalling XP, and
running the wizard again to restore the files and settings, the 'My
Documents' folder was put on the 'C' drive under 'Documents and settings'
and the profile I was logged in under. 'My music' was put under 'My
Documents'. 'My pictures' was put under 'My Documents'. These are the
default locations but I had changed the defaults to be the 'D' drive which
is a 40GB partition where my 'C' drive is a 10GB partition. But the most
important fact was that the Postoffice folder under 'My Documents' was
empty.
This indicates to me that there are 3 possibilites:
1. The postoffice was not backed up because it was encrypted
2. The postoffice was backed up but not restored because it was
encrypted
3. The postoffice was backed up but not restored because of a glitch in
the 'File settings and transfer wizard' (in which case the .pst file is in
the 22GB of .dat files that was created)
I really appreciate your assitance in this. Even if I can't recover the
file, it may point out a possible flaw in the 'File settings and transfer
wizard' and a definate weakness in documentation and notification of it.
Hopefully, this will be resolved (through better documentation or a patch of
the software) so that no-one else goes through what I went through.
Richard
"Robert Gu [MS]" <robertg@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:#HxOA8UGCHA.1436@tkmsftngp04...
> When you used the wizard, did you have a choice to transfer files in some
> folders or by the file type (extension)?
>
> --
> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.
>
> Robert Gu [MS Security Developer]
> "Richard Garrett" <cranium@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:OTM7AGNGCHA.2388@tkmsftngp13...
> > Robert,
> >
> > The wizard is in the System Tools folder. It installed with XP by
> default.
> >
> > I don't see any files copied. It just has a status bar showing progress
> > then a results window stating that it was successful. If it did back up
> the
> > postoffice and decrypt it while doing so, then there is an issue with
the
> > 'File settings and transfer wizard' in restoring the data. In fact I
know
> > there is an issue in restoration because the wizard backed up files
across
> 3
> > drive partitions then did the restore on the 'c' drive partition. After
> > which it move some of the files to another partition but left the
majority
> > on the 'c' drive partition. Because it backed up the 'My Documents'
> folder
> > (which also contained the .pst files), the 'My Pictures' folder (a
couple
> > gigs of pics) and the 'My Music' folder (20 gigs of MP3's), restoring on
> the
> > main partition is typically not possible. The only way I was able to do
> > this was to install an 80GB drive I wasn't using and install XP on it as
> one
> > big 80GB partition.
> >
> > I have kept the 13 .DAT files totalling 24.1GB of data just in case the
> data
> > is in there but not restoring correctly. (It's hard to let go of a few
> > years of information I was keeping).
> >
> > Richard
> >
> >
> > "Robert Gu [MS]" <robertg@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > news:uB54XMIGCHA.1424@tkmsftngp04...
> > > Richard, when you use the wizard, did you see the encrypted files
> copied?
> > I
> > > was told that the wizard would decrypt the files while coping. In
other
> > > words, you files should be fine except no longer encrypted.
> > >
> > > --
> > > This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
> > rights.
> > >
> > > Robert Gu [MS Security Developer]
> > > "Robert Gu [MS]" <robertg@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > > news:Oye0ZsHGCHA.864@tkmsftngp04...
> > > > I feel very sorry to hear that.
> > > >
> > > > EFS really has no back door. In fact, any secure system will depend
on
> > you
> > > > have the keys to open the files. If keys are lost, the data will be
> > lost.
> > > >
> > > > I will check with "File settings and tranfer wizard" to see if we
can
> > > better
> > > > warn user. Where did you get that wizard?
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
> > > rights.
> > > >
> > > > Robert Gu [MS Security Developer]
> > > > "Richard Garrett" <cranium@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message
> > > > news:#lSwJ0#FCHA.2696@tkmsftngp12...
> > > > > Robert,
> > > > >
> > > > > I did not back up the EFS keys. I made the assumption that the
> 'File
> > > > > settings and transfer wizard' does what it says it will do. It
> states
> > > > that
> > > > > it will transfer files and settings from your old computer to your
> new
> > > > one.
> > > > > It includes that it will transfer email settings. It stated
nothing
> > > about
> > > > > not backing up the keys or that it would skip all encrypted files.
> M$
> > > has
> > > > > left out some extremely important facts concerning EFS and 'File
> > > settings
> > > > > and transfer wizard'.
> > > > >
> > > > > I've now learned a hard lesson and have lost a few years worth of
> > > emails,
> > > > my
> > > > > address book, and all my registration numbers.
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > "Robert Gu [MS]" <robertg@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> > > > > news:eUq4v$iFCHA.2392@tkmsftngp04...
> > > > > > Not sure about your post office. Have you backed up your EFS
> > > certs+keys
> > > > > > using the cert MMC page? If not, even if you restored all the
> files,
> > > you
> > > > > > probably wouldn't be able to access your EFS files. Without
> backing
> > up
> > > > > your
> > > > > > EFS certs+keys, it is very bad idea to reinstall the OS unless
> your
> > pc
> > > > is
> > > > > > part of a DC and the DC has EFS recovery policy in place.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --
> > > > > > This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
> no
> > > > > rights.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Robert Gu [MS Security Developer]
> > > > > > "Richard Garrett" <cranium@cfl.rr.com> wrote in message
> > > > > > news:uXpVzZZFCHA.2236@tkmsftngp04...
> > > > > > > I think I screwed myself with XP but wanted to see anyone
knows
> of
> > > > > > anything
> > > > > > > I could do.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I encrypted my post office (about 300MB worth of email, notes,
> > > > > address's,
> > > > > > > etc.). I had a problem with DirectX and instead of spending
> more
> > > time
> > > > > on
> > > > > > > trying to fix it, I decided to just reinstall the OS. Before
I
> > did,
> > > I
> > > > > > used
> > > > > > > the 'File settings and transfer wizard' and it created 24.1GB
of
> > > > backup
> > > > > > > files so I felt pretty safe that I would get all of the
settings
> > > back
> > > > > > > (including the encryption certificates). When I reloaded the
> OS,
> > I
> > > > > tried
> > > > > > to
> > > > > > > restore everything using the 'File settings and transfer
wizard'
> > and
> > > > it
> > > > > > > tried to put everything (all 24GB) on my 'C' drive partition
> > instead
> > > > of
> > > > > > the
> > > > > > > spreading it across the drives I had them on. It couldn't
> > complete
> > > > the
> > > > > > > restore. I then removed my main drive and put in an 80GB
drive
> > that
> > > I
> > > > > > wasn'
> > > > > > > t using and created an 80GB main partition, installed XP and
> then
> > > ran
> > > > > the
> > > > > > > 'File settings and transfer wizard'. All the files were
> recreated
> > > on
> > > > > the
> > > > > > 'C
> > > > > > > ' drive except the postoffice. That folder is blank.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Three questions:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > 1.. Isn't 'File settings and transfer wizard' supposed to
back
> > up
> > > > the
> > > > > > post
> > > > > > > office too? Figured that within the 24GB of compressed files
> the
> > > > 300MB
> > > > > > file
> > > > > > > would be in there somewhere.
> > > > > > > 2.. Is there a utility to check the contents fo the files
> > created
> > > by
> > > > > the
> > > > > > > 'File settings and transfer wizard' to check for the post
office
> > > file?
> > > > > > > 3.. Is there a way, utility or otherwise, to now retrieve
the
> > > > contents
> > > > > > of
> > > > > > > my post office?
> > > > > > > Thanks,
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Richard
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
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- In reply to: Robert Gu [MS]: "Re: Encryption and 'File settings and transfer wizard'"
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