Re: Can't view my own encrypted folders after re-format

From: Roger Abell [MVP] (mvpNOSPAM@asu.edu)
Date: 03/28/03 

From: "Roger Abell [MVP]" <mvpNOSPAM@asu.edu>
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 21:29:03 -0700

It sounds like you have no copy of the old profile from
the account that did the encrypting. Unless that profile
is recoverable via low-level recovery from the reformatted
disk (something that becomes increasingly unlikely as the
new install runs and is used longer) then your files are gone.

If anyone could take your second hard disk, after sneaking
into your home or office, and take it home and load it as
a new disk on their system and then get into the encrypted
files, what good would that system of encryption be ?
Heck, whatever that person would have to do could be
done by a second user without even moving the disk.
What good would that be for keeping things private ? 

-- 
Roger 
"Jim" <mybox132@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:4d2801c2f41e$ae455210$a101280a@phx.gbl...
> Thanks for the help everyone.  I'm hoping there is a 
> solution out there that will allow me to recover these 
> files.  
> 
> This is what I did - 
> 
> I had a 1.8GHz Dell with dual HD's.while I was running 
> that PC I encrypted and hid a folder on the second HD.  
> The folder was all .jpg's.   I was able to access them 
> just fine afterwards on the 1.8 box.
> I then got a new Dell 2.4GHz machine and took the two 
> HD's out of the 1.8 and installed them into the new 2.4 
> box.  In doing so, I had to reformat the primary drive 
> and reload Win XP so that the new PC would recognize the 
> drive. I then added the soeond drive, just as everything 
> was running in the 1.8 machine.  It was not a system 
> state backup, nor do I have the encryption keys from the 
> old set-up.
> 
> I find it hard to believe that, if the files in question 
> are still fully intact on the second hard drive, (which 
> wasn't altered in any way other then moving the HD to 
> another PC), that I can't retrieve them.  I can see the 
> file names in Windows Explorer.the file sizes are the 
> same as they were before I reformatted the primary 
> drive.  They are all still there!  
> 
> Is there no way to recover them without the encryption 
> keys?     
> 
> Thanks again all.
> Jim
> 
> 
> >-----Original Message-----
> >As Torgeir has pointed out, a reinstall is no help.
> >Getting the old system bootable again, and being able to 
> >log into it with the encrypting account with the 
> password 
> >at time of the backup will work (i.e. a restore from a 
> full 
> >with system state backup)
> >Otherwise, unless you were in a domain, or you exported 
> >the EFS private key of the account or of a data recovery 
> >account, then until recently you would be toast, with 
> lost 
> >files.
> >Now however, if you can still recover a sufficiently 
> >recent copy of the profile directory of the encrypting 
> >account then you have a route (or three).
> >One is to call MS Support and open a paid support call 
> >asking them to help you regain access to EFS encrypted 
> >data files.  Another, you can follow the direction Peter 
> >has been evolved, but I have seen him posting to this 
> >newsgroup without giving a link, so I am unsure whether 
> >- perhaps he will pick up on your thread
> >The other is that there are apparently also now third-
> parties 
> >that will assist you for a price if you have enough of 
> the 
> >old system still intact. 
> >
> >-- 
> >Roger 
> >
> >"Jim" <mybox132@hotmail.com> wrote in message 
> news:504a01c2f406$45d2f6f0$3001280a@phx.gbl...
> >> Are you certain of this Doug?  The files are still on 
> the 
> >> hard drive.  It's mostly pictures I've taken with my 
> >> digital camera and dumped into a folder on the PC.  
> There 
> >> must be some way to override the encryption if the 
> files 
> >> are all still intact.  
> >> What if I were to re-install the version of XP I was 
> >> using when I encrypted the files and connect the 
> second 
> >> HD to the PC afterwards?
> >> 
> >> Thank you for your reply.
> >>  
> >> 
> >> >-----Original Message-----
> >> >If you didn't backup your encryption keys, then the 
> >> files are no longer
> >> >usable.
> >> >
> >> >--
> >> >Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows XP/ Windows Smart Display
> >> >Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
> >> >http://www.dougknox.com
> >> >--------------------------------
> >> >Associate Expert
> >> >ExpertZone - 
> >> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
> >> >--------------------------------
> >> >Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
> >> >Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.
> >> >
> >> >"Jim" <mybox132@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> >> >news:4c1f01c2f3fe$0c963ad0$a101280a@phx.gbl...
> >> >> I'm running a Dell with Win XP Pro.  I installed a 
> >> second
> >> >> hard drive in the system using cable select mode. 
> Both
> >> >> drives are formatted NTFS.  I changed the file 
> >> attributes
> >> >> for a few folders on the secondary drive to be 
> >> encrypted
> >> >> and hidden.  Everything worked fine.
> >> >> I then upgraded to a newer Dell PC, reformated the
> >> >> primary drive, and reloaded it using the Win XP CD 
> that
> >> >> came with the the new Dell.  I made no changes to 
> the
> >> >> secondary HD, I just reinstalled it in the new PC 
> using
> >> >> cable select.
> >> >> I am no longer able to access the files on the 
> >> secondary
> >> >> drive that I encrypted with the previous version of 
> Win
> >> >> XP.  (In both instances I'm logged in as the
> >> >> administrator)
> >> >> I can see all the file names, but they won't open.  
> >> When
> >> >> I try to change the attributes I get a pop-up that 
> >> say's
> >> >> only the administrator can make changes.
> >> >>
> >> >> Any suggestions?
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >.
> >> >
> >.
> >

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