EFS data recovery

  • Thread starter Thread starter __PPS__
  • Start date Start date
P

__PPS__

Hello everybody, I stored some my important data in an encrypted text
file. Two months ago I gave my PC to my mother and just got a new pc
for me. Before I gave my pc I copied all my data to another HD. What
happened is that my encrypted folder also remained encrypted on the
other HD and now I can't read the files. So... the only way is to get
that certificate from my pc that was used for encryption. But I'm not
sure if I reinstalled windows on my pc before I gave it to my mother.
If I didn't then it'll be easy to recover that certificates. But in
case if I reformatted my hd the only possibility is that I can somehow
extract that certificates from the local copy of the data that I have.
Basically, I have copied that user folder located in C:\Document and
Settings\my_user_name". How can I recover the certificate files from
that what I have, are they located in user folder?
thanks
 
Also... it would be easy to visit my mother and check if I can get
correct certificates from my pc, but she lives on the other part of
the globe, she is computer illiterate and she doesn't have internet
access :) so, it's kind of difficult to get access to my old pc now.
Only when I go visit her on summer vacations...
 
__PPS__ said:
Hello everybody, I stored some my important data in an encrypted text
file. Two months ago I gave my PC to my mother and just got a new pc
for me. Before I gave my pc I copied all my data to another HD. What
happened is that my encrypted folder also remained encrypted on the
other HD and now I can't read the files. So... the only way is to get
that certificate from my pc that was used for encryption. But I'm not
sure if I reinstalled windows on my pc before I gave it to my mother.
If I didn't then it'll be easy to recover that certificates. But in
case if I reformatted my hd the only possibility is that I can somehow
extract that certificates from the local copy of the data that I have.
Basically, I have copied that user folder located in C:\Document and
Settings\my_user_name". How can I recover the certificate files from
that what I have, are they located in user folder?
thanks
Click to expand...

Basically no key/certificate=no recovery

The Encrypting File System
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/topics/cryptographyetc/efs.mspx

Best practices for the Encrypting File System
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/223316/en-us

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

How To Encrypt a Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=308989

How To Remove File Encryption in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=308993

How To Encrypt a File in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=307877
 
Back
Top