file decryption

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

I am running win xp pro, I have two hardrives. One for the OS the other for
data.

The drive I have the OS on died. The drive I have my data on has all the
files encrypted.

I put in the new drive with the os and when I tried to access my files I
keep getting access denied.

Whats going on here....? How do I fix this....?
 
Scott said:
I am running win xp pro, I have two hardrives. One for the OS the other for
data.

The drive I have the OS on died. The drive I have my data on has all the
files encrypted.

I put in the new drive with the os and when I tried to access my files I
keep getting access denied.

Whats going on here....? How do I fix this....?
Click to expand...

If you are talking EFS for encrypting the files and you did
not export/save your keys and you re-installed windows,
then your files are safe ... even from you. If what you meant
was the files were protected by security settings, then you
can take ownership of the files and go from there. If
the "new drive with the os" was a clone (or restore from
an image) of the original, you should be able to get to the
files. However, if the files were indeed encrypted with
EFS (Encrypting File System), and you have no key
backups or Designated Recovery Agent (DRA), they are
lost (but no one else can read them either !).

Check out the following links if you are considering
using EFS:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;223316
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/cryptfs.mspx
http://www.practicalpc.co.uk/computing/windows/xpencrypt1.htm

mikey
 
Scott;
If the data is encrypted and you did not back-up the keys, you can't fix it.
EFS is functioning as designed.
If EFS were easy to get around, it would not protect your data.

If it is not really encryption, step 1 on this link should help:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/encrypt.htm
Step 3 may help if your can recover the necessary files of the old hard
drive.
Otherwise see the links near the bottom of the page for ways to help prevent
this type of data loss in the future.
 
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