Re: Can I access a decrypted file if I have all the files backed u

Rojo26 wrote:
If I had, certainly after reading those articles, I wouldn't have
made that post. Windows gave no message at all saying that
encryption even involved certificates or keys.

What I need to know is if there is any possiblity that I can
retrieve the certificate and key from the hard drive.

While there may be some possibility - it is slim. I am sorry you did not
learn about encryption and the best practices for using it before diving
into it - as it may have sealed the fate of any encrypted files you have on
the unbootable hard disk drive.

One of the things encrypting your files was meant to protect against is
booting from something other than the system and copying/accessing the files
contained within the actual drive with the interesting data. Although your
predicament does not exactly match that scenario (you are reportedly trying
to access your own data because of a hard disk failure or something else
that made said system non-accessible by the means you were used to) - it
does bear a striking resemblance to "booting from something other than the
system and copying/accessing the files contained withing the actual drive
with the interesting data..." :-(

I am unsure what attempting a repair install might do (or even attempting to
image/clone the defunt system from the dying drive to a new drive and then
performing a repair install) and it COULD make things worse. However - if
it was me and this data was unbelievably important (and for some reason -
not backed up) - I would likely make a clone of the drive and try a repair
install on the cloned drive to get it back up and running to see if I could
access the data within. After that - you'd likely have to go with
non-microsoft products/services and spend a good hunk of money to try and
get the files decrypted.

For the future - if you plan on continuing to utilize EFS...

How to back up the recovery agent Encrypting File System (EFS) private key
in Windows Server 2003, in Windows 2000, and in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/241201

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html


.

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