Re: EFS - Please help to unsecure data

From: Galen (galennews_at_gmail.com)
Date: 02/07/05 

Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2005 10:34:50 -0500

In news:e14963ODFHA.1188@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl,
 - 781 <lets@have.org> had this to say:

> I will buy and try all
> that's available, and will keep you posted if I had gotten anything
> from those tools. Thank you again, and thank you much.
> G

I have the OS installed at this point on a box sitting on the desk to my
left. Before you buy the software there's a few other options. There are
professionals who can deal with this and if you're really certain that
you've no other backups of your data you might want to look to them for
help. Each continued use of your computer lessens your chance of recovering
data from an earlier installation. While this software might help you nobody
seems to know for certain if it will or not and my GUESS is that this is to
be mostly based on your chances of recovering your lost keys.

I should know before the end of the day today if I'm even able to recover
the data after a fresh installation and generating some random drive
activity. Even if I'm able to recover the data and then use the application
to open the encrypted files it doesn't mean that you will certainly be able
to. The sectors holding your key information may very well have been
over-written.

Your original post says you reformatted your drive. I'm wondering if you
used the same user name for your account or not. I'd like to mimik your
actions as much as possible for this. I don't suppose you did a quick format
and/or a repair installation and still have your old user accounts in the
C:\Documents and Settings\*******\ folder? Where ****** is your old user
name... In order to see them you have to be logged on as an admin and you
will probably have to open My Computer, click on the C: drive (or your root
drive) and then click tools > folder options > view > and select show hidden
files and folders. Might want to click to show the hidden protected
operating system files as well but that might not be required... I suppose
that's a slim hope and that you probably don't have them anymore or you'd
have already tried that but I guess it's worth asking.

I'd also not let me give you false hope... I'm trying the expiriment based
on what I have seen here and what I've been reading. While I'm trying to
make it as close to your particular case as possible it's not certain that
the cases will be the same or even close enough to matter. My goal is just
to see if I can recover the keys after a re-installation with forensic tools
and then to see if the keys recovered will be enough to open any or all of
the six files that I have encrypted. (Just so you know it's two plain text
files, two executable files, and two compressed files that I'm trying this
with.) Even if I'm able to recover the keys AND the software works to
decrypt the material the same may not be true in your case.

A good idea would be to try the solution offered by R. McCarty (converting
to FAT32 to remove the encryption.) As odd a solution as that is it just
might work. I've been looking around on the 'net and this is what I came
across:

http://weblogs.asp.net/paranoidmike/archive/2005/01/24/359390.aspx

That says this:

"By default, encrypted data on NTFS will be decrypted when copied/moved to
non-NTFS media. We want a solution so that EFS encrypted data cannot be
copied to non-NTFS removable media."

I would definately try that. It can't hurt and it just might be the answer
you're looking for.

Galen 

-- 
"My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me
the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am
in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artificial
stimulants. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for
mental exaltation." -- Sherlock Holmes

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Unable to Decrypt Encrypted files
    ... Since the original account information in unavailable, there is no way to recover any of your encryption certificates. ... keys his data is gone. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)
  • Re: Widows XP reload problem
    ... Programs need to be reinstalled from the original installation media. ... Right-click the folder, select properties. ... To recover encrypted files you will need the original ... encryption certificate or a Recovery Agent from the installation under which ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: EFS - Please help to unsecure data
    ... be mostly based on your chances of recovering your lost keys. ... I should know before the end of the day today if I'm even able to recover ... the data after a fresh installation and generating some random drive ... to FAT32 to remove the encryption.) ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: EFS - Please help to unsecure data
    ... be mostly based on your chances of recovering your lost keys. ... I should know before the end of the day today if I'm even able to recover ... the data after a fresh installation and generating some random drive ... to FAT32 to remove the encryption.) ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: EFS Data recovery
    ... your EFS keys are stored in your user profiles and depending on how you ... If you do have the encryption keys saved, ... > import them on your new Win2k load and recover your data from there. ...
    (microsoft.public.win2000.security)