Unable to access Encrypting File System despite knowing username/password

jsausten_at_hotmail.com
Date: 12/13/04 

Date: 13 Dec 2004 06:06:30 -0800

This morning my WinXP SP2 laptop suddenly refused to boot and wouldn't
get past the first few lines of the bios. Its on its way back to the
supplier and I have pulled the hard drive and put it into a external
USB housing in order to recover files, including several directories
that were encrypted using Windows' Encrypting File System. I have
logged onto my desktop using the exact same user name/password
combination as I was using on the laptop and I can browse the entire
hard drive, but I cannot open, copy or move any of the encrypted files.

Googling the problem, it appears that I need the Encryption Certificate
Key for the laptop in order to be able to decrypt the files.

I have followed KB308421 and attempted to take ownership of the
encrypted directories. I have also tried using the cipher command line
tool, but this also fails.

Are there any other techniques I can use to access these files?

So my questions are:
1. The laptop hard drive is undamaged. Can I access the Encryption
Certificate Key?
2. One of the encrypted directories was also shared and I used to
regularly access that directory from the desktop and I never had a
problem. How on earth did this work?
3. Why isn't the importance of backing up your Certificate displayed
in big bold flashing print when you attempt to encrypt a directory? I
know the username and password used to encrypt the files; why would I
even think that anything else was need to access the files?
4. If I can't recover the files, why am I even permitted to browse the
encrypted sub-directories? Surely even knowing file names and directory
structure is a security problem.

Thanks,

Stephen

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