- Hard Drive failed - can't access encrypted files on data drive
- Posted by Scott on January 2nd, 2006
I am running win xp - pro.
My hard drive died.
I installed a new drive and loaded win xp pro on it, so far so good...
I have a second drive that Is encrypted with my data files (word, excel etc.)
I tried to access my data drive and was denied access to the files.
what's going on....? How/what needs to be done....
- Posted by Richard Urban on January 2nd, 2006
You have experienced encryption at work. You did back up your encryption
certificates in case of this scenario, right? If you didn't, you can kiss
those files goodbye. There is NO back door available.
--
Regards,
Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
"Scott" <Scott@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A793E2C3-DE4A-4AA5-A7C6-91ADAA1834F3@microsoft.com...
>I am running win xp - pro.
> My hard drive died.
> I installed a new drive and loaded win xp pro on it, so far so good...
> I have a second drive that Is encrypted with my data files (word, excel
> etc.)
> I tried to access my data drive and was denied access to the files.
>
> what's going on....? How/what needs to be done....
- Posted by Scott on January 2nd, 2006
I did not backup the encryption certificates.
Are you sure that there are no other avenues.
The fellow who advised the encryption of the drive never explained that I
needed to backup certificates.
- Posted by WTC on January 2nd, 2006
"Scott" <Scott@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A793E2C3-DE4A-4AA5-A7C6-91ADAA1834F3@microsoft.com...
>I am running win xp - pro.
> My hard drive died.
> I installed a new drive and loaded win xp pro on it, so far so good...
> I have a second drive that Is encrypted with my data files (word, excel
> etc.)
> I tried to access my data drive and was denied access to the files.
>
> what's going on....? How/what needs to be done....
I have used this tool on few computers that did not back up the encryption
certificate and it worked pretty good.
http://www.elcomsoft.com/aefsdr.html
--
William
- Posted by Richard Urban on January 2nd, 2006
Believe me, if there were, there would be companies out there where you
could send your drive for information recovery from this problem. There
aren't.
I'm sure that the National Security Agency (NSA) can do it in case of
national emergency. Have any friends there?
--
Regards,
Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
"Scott" <Scott@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:25A22668-2BF3-486A-8F37-CB74DAE00639@microsoft.com...
>I did not backup the encryption certificates.
>
> Are you sure that there are no other avenues.
>
> The fellow who advised the encryption of the drive never explained that I
> needed to backup certificates.
>
- Posted by Richard Urban on January 2nd, 2006
That "may" work only if the original system drive is unaltered and
available. The user has installed XP on a new drive. It isn't going to fly
for him.
--
Regards,
Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
"WTC" <bcrawfordjr(remove)@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:uYwsW9zDGHA.2628@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> "Scott" <Scott@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:A793E2C3-DE4A-4AA5-A7C6-91ADAA1834F3@microsoft.com...
>>I am running win xp - pro.
>> My hard drive died.
>> I installed a new drive and loaded win xp pro on it, so far so good...
>> I have a second drive that Is encrypted with my data files (word, excel
>> etc.)
>> I tried to access my data drive and was denied access to the files.
>>
>> what's going on....? How/what needs to be done....
>
>
> I have used this tool on few computers that did not back up the encryption
> certificate and it worked pretty good.
> http://www.elcomsoft.com/aefsdr.html
>
> --
> William
>
>
>
- Posted by WTC on January 2nd, 2006
It worked for me when users reinstalled XP and forgot to backup the
encryption certificate.
http://www.elcomsoft.com/help/aefsdr...ting_files.htm
<quote>
You have got a disk (with encrypted files) from an 'alien' system
.....
If you cannot boot from the disk with encrypted files, simply install it as
an additional one to any system with Windows NT/2000/XP installed, where you
have Administrator privileges
</quote>
--
William
"Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:%23I%23ExF0DGHA.644@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> That "may" work only if the original system drive is unaltered and
> available. The user has installed XP on a new drive. It isn't going to fly
> for him.
>
> --
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Richard Urban
> Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
>
> Quote from George Ankner:
> If you knew as much as you think you know,
> You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
>
> "WTC" <bcrawfordjr(remove)@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:uYwsW9zDGHA.2628@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>> "Scott" <Scott@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:A793E2C3-DE4A-4AA5-A7C6-91ADAA1834F3@microsoft.com...
>>>I am running win xp - pro.
>>> My hard drive died.
>>> I installed a new drive and loaded win xp pro on it, so far so good...
>>> I have a second drive that Is encrypted with my data files (word, excel
>>> etc.)
>>> I tried to access my data drive and was denied access to the files.
>>>
>>> what's going on....? How/what needs to be done....
>>
>>
>> I have used this tool on few computers that did not back up the
>> encryption certificate and it worked pretty good.
>> http://www.elcomsoft.com/aefsdr.html
>>
>> --
>> William
>>
>>
>>
>
>
- Posted by Scott on January 2nd, 2006
is there a way to rebuild these certificates from the encrypted data files
information...?
- Posted by Rock on January 2nd, 2006
Scott wrote:
> I am running win xp - pro.
> My hard drive died.
> I installed a new drive and loaded win xp pro on it, so far so good...
> I have a second drive that Is encrypted with my data files (word, excel etc.)
> I tried to access my data drive and was denied access to the files.
>
> what's going on....? How/what needs to be done....
The original files were encrypted with the SID of the installation.
When the OS was reinstalled a new SID was created. Unless you saved the
encryption certificate to import it, and/or designated a recovery agent,
then the files are lost to you.
Best practices for the Encrypting File System
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=223316
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/?id=241201
How to add an EFS recovery agent in Windows XP Professional
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=887414
--
Rock
MS MVP Windows - Shell/User
- Posted by Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers on January 2nd, 2006
Hi,
Are you sure they were encrypted? "Access denied" can simply mean an
ownership issue, in which case it can be resolved using the steps outlined
here: http://rickrogers.org/fixes.htm#Taking_ownership
If you purposely encrypted them, then I would suspect that you were aware
that you had. In this case, as others have pointed out, you need the
original encryption certificate or a recovery agent created in the original
installation. Most do not encrypt their files, and most shouldn't.
--
Best of Luck,
Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
"Scott" <Scott@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A793E2C3-DE4A-4AA5-A7C6-91ADAA1834F3@microsoft.com...
>I am running win xp - pro.
> My hard drive died.
> I installed a new drive and loaded win xp pro on it, so far so good...
> I have a second drive that Is encrypted with my data files (word, excel
> etc.)
> I tried to access my data drive and was denied access to the files.
>
> what's going on....? How/what needs to be done....
- Posted by NoNoBadDog! on January 2nd, 2006
"Scott" <Scott@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:25A22668-2BF3-486A-8F37-CB74DAE00639@microsoft.com...
>I did not backup the encryption certificates.
>
> Are you sure that there are no other avenues.
>
> The fellow who advised the encryption of the drive never explained that I
> needed to backup certificates.
>
There are absolutely *NO* options if you did not back up your encryption
keys. You should have a talk with the "fellow" that talked you into using
encryption.
Bobby
