Lost Encryption Keys

  • Thread starter bradb56@hotmail.com
  • Start date
B

bradb56@hotmail.com

Guest
My PC crashed, forcing a reload. I had stored some files in an

encrypted folder on a separate partition.

Like a bonehead, I didn't save the keys before the crash.

Is there anyway I can get to the file contents?

Help!!!!!!

 
N

Nonny

Guest
bradb56@hotmail.com wrote:

<span style="color:blue">

>My PC crashed, forcing a reload. I had stored some files in an

>encrypted folder on a separate partition.

>

>Like a bonehead, I didn't save the keys before the crash.

>

>Is there anyway I can get to the file contents?

>

>

>Help!!!!!!</span>

Answer is the same as the one you got in your first thread in

vista.general

 
C

C.B.

Guest
<bradb56@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:v28074ljir9oarnoi3aoqkhai4cm0njqrg@4ax.com...<span style="color:blue">

> My PC crashed, forcing a reload. I had stored some files in an

> encrypted folder on a separate partition.

>

> Like a bonehead, I didn't save the keys before the crash.

>

> Is there anyway I can get to the file contents?

>

>

> Help!!!!!!</span>

If you made a backup to a different drive or to a DVD prior to the

crash you can backup your current configuration, use your backup to decrypt

the folder, get the information you need and then restore. Otherwise, you're

out of luck.

Any and all information of an important nature should always be backed

up on a regular basis.

C.B.

--

It is the responsibility and duty of everyone to help the underprivileged

and unfortunate among us.

 
D

Daniel Petri

Guest
If you've used EFS and did not properly back up your private key, you're

toasted. If the computer was a member of a domain you could have removed EFS

by using the Recovery Agent's user account and private key. But on a Vista

stand-alone machine there is NO Recovery Agent, and even of there was, since

you formatted the drive all the data on it is lost.

You could try to use Elcomsoft's EFS recovery tool, but it costs money and

I'm not sure it will help when the machine was formatted.

--

Sincerely,

Daniel Petri

MVP, Senior IT consultant, trainer

www.petri.co.il

<bradb56@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:v28074ljir9oarnoi3aoqkhai4cm0njqrg@4ax.com...<span style="color:blue">

> My PC crashed, forcing a reload. I had stored some files in an

> encrypted folder on a separate partition.

>

> Like a bonehead, I didn't save the keys before the crash.

>

> Is there anyway I can get to the file contents?

>

>

> Help!!!!!! </span>

 
V

Vladimir Katalov

Guest
"Daniel Petri <MVP>" <daniel@petri.co.il.removethis> wrote in message

news:84C53755-D8CC-4D12-872A-CDDD55444430@microsoft.com...<span style="color:blue">

> If you've used EFS and did not properly back up your private key, you're

> toasted. If the computer was a member of a domain you could have removed

> EFS by using the Recovery Agent's user account and private key. But on a

> Vista

> stand-alone machine there is NO Recovery Agent, and even of there was,

> since you formatted the drive all the data on it is lost.

>

> You could try to use Elcomsoft's EFS recovery tool, but it costs money and

> I'm not sure it will help when the machine was formatted.</span>

In many cases, it does. Professional version of our software scan the disks

by sectors, searching for keys by patterns, and if they have not been

overwritten

by other data -- they're retrieved and so could be used for decryption.

But I'd recommend to try the the free trial version, of course -- at least

it

detects whether any keys are still there, and whether the files are

decryptable:

http://www.elcomsoft.com/aefsdr.html

--

Sincerely yours,

Vladimir

Vladimir Katalov

CEO

ElcomSoft Co.Ltd.

mailto:vkatalov@elcomsoft.com

http://www.elcomsoft.com

 
D

Daniel Petri

Guest
:)

--

Sincerely,

Daniel Petri

MVP, Senior IT consultant, trainer

www.petri.co.il

"Vladimir Katalov" <vkatalov@elcomsoft.com> wrote in message

news:6dds1sF21jrkU1@mid.individual.net...<span style="color:blue">

> "Daniel Petri <MVP>" <daniel@petri.co.il.removethis> wrote in message

> news:84C53755-D8CC-4D12-872A-CDDD55444430@microsoft.com...<span style="color:green">

>> If you've used EFS and did not properly back up your private key, you're

>> toasted. If the computer was a member of a domain you could have removed

>> EFS by using the Recovery Agent's user account and private key. But on a

>> Vista

>> stand-alone machine there is NO Recovery Agent, and even of there was,

>> since you formatted the drive all the data on it is lost.

>>

>> You could try to use Elcomsoft's EFS recovery tool, but it costs money

>> and I'm not sure it will help when the machine was formatted.</span>

>

> In many cases, it does. Professional version of our software scan the

> disks

> by sectors, searching for keys by patterns, and if they have not been

> overwritten

> by other data -- they're retrieved and so could be used for decryption.

>

> But I'd recommend to try the the free trial version, of course -- at least

> it

> detects whether any keys are still there, and whether the files are

> decryptable:

>

> http://www.elcomsoft.com/aefsdr.html

>

> --

> Sincerely yours,

> Vladimir

>

> Vladimir Katalov

> CEO

> ElcomSoft Co.Ltd.

> mailto:vkatalov@elcomsoft.com

> http://www.elcomsoft.com </span>

 
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