Help Neede To Decrypt Folder In Xp

[delivi 0]

I encrypted a folder and its contents in my XP Pro system(NTFS). Later due to some problems in my system I had to make a Fresh Installlation of XP Pro. Now I am not able to access or decrypt those folder and its files. So please help me how to decrypt and recover the data.

[delivi 0]

please someone help me I have some important data to retrive from it.

[bakuryu 0]

I encrypted a folder and its contents in my XP Pro system(NTFS). Later due to some problems in my system I had to make a Fresh Installlation of XP Pro. Now I am not able to access or decrypt those folder and its files. So please help me how to decrypt and recover the data.

Did you back up your default recovery keys private keys before the format ?? Also did you create a recovery agent ?

Actually EFS is used to encrypt files. EFS uses an encryption key that is dynamically generated to encrypt the file. The File Encryption Key (FEK) is encrypted with the EFS public key and is added to the file as an EFS attribute that is named Data Decryption Field (DDF). To decrypt the FEK, you must have the corresponding EFS private key from the public-private key pair. After you decrypt the FEK, you can use the FEK to decrypt the file.

If you have a backup of your private key, then follow these steps :
1) Log into the computer.
2) Insert the media with your key on it/ or maybe on your HD
3) Click on Start, and then click on Run. Type: mmc and click OK.
4) A console window will open up. Click on the Console menu, and then click on Add/Remove Snap In
5) Click the Add button in the bottom left of the new window, and then select certificates and click Add.
6) Click the + next to Certificates, and then click the + next to Personal.
7) Single click on Certificates
8) Click on the Action Menu, then click on All Tasks, and then Import. This will bring up the Import Wizard.
9) Click Next, and then click browse. Browse and locate the file within it that contains your key. Click Open. Then click Next.
10) Type in the password. Click Next
11) Make sure the Place all Certificates in the following store is checked, and then click Next and then click Finish.
12) It will hopefully say The import was successful and then you can close out all the console windows and say No to saving the console settings.
13)Now you should be able to access your encrypted files.

Had you not encrypted them, you could just log in with admin priviledges, and just taken ownership of the files/folders.


If you do not have any backup of the keys, or a recovery agent, then it is impossible for you to decrypt the files.

[dyknight 0]

There is an easier way.

Go to the folder that you want to unlock.

Right-click, select the security tab.

Then click advanced.

Then go to owner.

Change the owner, make sure to check "Change owners of subcontainers, folders ..."

Apply and close.

You might need to open the security tab again and add a user.

Enter your username, then click check name, then check ok.

If you are using xp pro, you might need to disable simple file sharing.

Go to my computer, on the top click tools->Folder Options ->Advanced->uncheck simple file sharing.

If you are using xp home, reboot in safe mode, then sign in as admin. else you won't see the security tab.

Anyway, this is not decrypt. This is hack/gaining access.

Hope this helps. Tell me what happens.
Edited July 4, 2006 by dyknight (see edit history)

[bakuryu 0]

There is an easier way.

 

Go to the folder that you want to unlock.

 

Right-click, select the security tab.

 

Then click advanced.

 

Then go to owner.

 

Change the owner, make sure to check "Change owners of subcontainers, folders ..."

 

Apply and close.

 

You might need to open the security tab again and add a user.

 

Enter your username, then click check name, then check ok.

If you are using xp pro, you might need to disable simple file sharing.

 

Go to my computer, on the top click tools->Folder Options ->Advanced->uncheck simple file sharing.

If you are using xp home, reboot in safe mode, then sign in as admin. else you won't see the security tab.

 

Anyway, this is not decrypt. This is hack/gaining access.

 

Hope this helps. Tell me what happens.

 

This is possible if you have NOT ENCRYPTED the folders. Sometimes after a fresh install of Windows, you may get an access denied message to the My Documents folder (even without encryption). Disabling simple file sharing and then taking ownership of the files work only in those cases.