Re: Encrypted vs file permissions etc.

From: Admiral Q (Star_Fleet_Admiral_Q(NOSPAM)_at_(SPAMNOT)hotmail.com)
Date: 02/04/05 

Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2005 20:43:09 -0500

Do you have a "backup" of the original profile (Documents &
Settings\<profile> that encrypted the files or if you designated a "recovery
agent" a backup of its profile? If you have either, the profile can be
restored to a folder on the hard drive, and referencing the MSKB article
(you'll have to search for it - I don't remember right off hand), it tells
you have to extract and import the "encryption/decryption" CERTs into your
new/current profile - end result, you can decrypt the files.
If you don't, I'm sorry to say, they are as good as gone, as if you went to
the drive and typed in "format", or "del /s *.*" or "rmdir /s". 

-- 
Star Fleet Admiral Q @ your service!
"Google is your Friend!"
www.google.com
***********************************************
"MICROSOFT" <nobody@devnull.spamcop.net> wrote in message
news:O$SHJ7kCFHA.3324@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
>
> Problem:  Cannot unzip or open ANY encrypted files stored on my external
> USB-2 160 Gig hard drive, an ACOM.
>
> XP Pro, SP2/hot fixed, 512 ram, two 80 Gig drvs, non-RAID etc., ext USB
160
> Gig drive
> XP just reinstalled - deleted partition, format, etc. etc..
> Have Norton av & firewall working, no spyware yet, popup blocking on.
>
> Problem:
> External USB drive:
>   Inadvertantly clicked Encrypt, and thus encrypted the contents.  Forgot
> that happened UNTIL I needed the backups on it.  Long story short, I
managed
> to trash the C drive drastically and after two days, figured reinstalling
> would be faster since I have good backups of everything.  That external
> drive has ALL my most recent archives; full backup and one incremental.
> Archives were created with WinZip, for easy manipulation, restoration of
> files, easy compares, etc. for future work.  Turns out there ain't much
> future in it after all <g>!!!  Anyway,
>
> AFTER the XP re-install, I got file or security permission errors when I
> tried to unzip any of the files.  I ass-u-me since XP wasa reinstalled, it
> thinks I'm not the owner?  Anyway, working on that premise, I have
succeeded
> in:
> --  Taking ownership of the Folders.  Folders no longer indicate encrypted
> (green color default font).
> But, I cannot figure out any way to take ownership (if that's the problem)
> of the files.
>
> I can:
> --  Copy, delete, change r, a, h, s attributes and Restore from the
Recycle
> Bin for the files on that drive.
> --  I can NOT copy them to any DIFFERENT drives.  Nothing which involves
> opening of the files can succeed.  When I click Properties for any of the
> encrypted files, then Advanced, and clear the check mark on Encrypt Files,
> Apply, I get the error message in a dialog box:
> -----------------
> An error occurred applying attributes to the file
> Path\fname
> Access is Denied.
> -------------------
> Options are to Ignore, Ignore All, Retry, or quit.  Retry fails of course.
> Ignore simply finished the windows up and closes them.  Next time the
window
> is opened, the check mark for Encrypt Files is still there.
>
> I had a couple of MVP articles saved on another archive CD on how to
retake
> ownership and set permissions on files, so I tried those, but I'm too
> ignorant of the processes to be sure of what I've done/am doing.  That
> article allowed me to take over the folers and get rid of the R attribute,
> but not to get rid of the Encrypted attribute.
>    Not sure whether it was XP or WinZip that did the original encryption,
> though.  WinZip gets essentially the same error message only shorter; I'm
> not allowed to access that file.  Can get the exact wording if needed.
>
> Just for grins, I took the drive to my XP laptop and checked it there:
Same
> results.  No access allowed.
>
> I've tried working from the DOS prompt, Safe Mode, and taking over the
files
> every way I can think of, but like I said, I'm pretty ignorant around
these
> things.
>    My own Admin account, AND the system undeleteable Admin accout, both
have
> Full Control now; I"ve gone thru the processes and Help files several
times.
>    The only permission I dont' have, and can't figure out how to get, OR
> what it is, is "Special Permissions".  I haven't looked for its meaning
yet,
> but I could find nothing in the groups, user, admin, etc., policies or
> anywhere to set it for myself.  It's not set for any account that I can
see,
> and I've looked at all of them.
>
> --  What are the Special Permission?
> --  How can I get access to those files at least temoprarily so that I can
> unzip them or copy them to the internal hard drives where I can unsip
them.?
>
> Any assistance or useful comments would be most appreciated.  I'm out of
> options and starting to grab at straws at this point.
>
> If the suggestion were to reinstall XP again that wouldn't be bad either;
> the system drive is pretty well virgin anyway, so no big deal.
>
> Thanks in Advance for your assistance and advice,
>
> Pop
>
>
>
>
>

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  • Encrypted vs file permissions etc.
    ... Inadvertantly clicked Encrypt, ... to trash the C drive drastically and after two days, figured reinstalling ... I got file or security permission errors when I ... -- I can NOT copy them to any DIFFERENT drives. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)