Re: decrypt help...

richard:

i've been told (and read) that i did this backwards, and if i could go back
and do it over, i would. but i've also been told (and read) that as long as
i have access to the certificate/key, then i still have the ability to
decrypt the files. i thought i had deleted the certificate/key combo
completely, but, as noted, was able to recover it from the recycler folder
and import it to my current user account. what i'm trying to find now is
how -- if at all -- to use that certificate/key combo to open the files.
that is, knowing the user-account name under which that cert/key was used to
encrypt the files, can i recreate that account, import the cert/key and then
open the files? or, can i somehow add my current user-account to the list of
people with access to that cert/key?

in other words, i'm trying to figure out the steps to decrypting files when
the cert/key combo has been saved but the user account scrapped. it would
seem, from what i've read, that i should be able to decrypt the files as
long as i still have access to the cert/key combo, which i do.

thanks,
kevin

aka "cranky" (hey, i've got a teething toddler at home who just learned to
say "no". what can i say?)


"Richard Urban" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:ek37Z3dSFHA.2424@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> No, you have it backwards. You create the recovery agent "before" you have
> problems working with encrypted files - not after you experience trouble.
> And loading/reloading an operating system will likely cause problems. I am
> afraid that those files are no longer viable or usable. There is NO
> backdoor to the files.
>
> --
> Regards,
>
> Richard Urban
>
> aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard :-)
>
> If you knew as much as you think you know,
> You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
>
>
> "kevin" <kohoran@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:OMePlidSFHA.252@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> sorry if this has been asked (repeatedly?), but running into a problem
>> decrypting some files and i'm seeking help.
>>
>> the details: i'm running xp pro 32-bit edition on a compaq athlon64. i
>> installed the customer preview version of xp pro 64bit, but in doing so,
>> i changed my user name and deleted the old user-name account. the
>> problem, of course, is that i had encrypted some files with that old user
>> account. i've created a recovery agent since, and have located (i think)
>> the old certificate and key in the recycler folder. i've tried importing
>> the certificate (with the system telling me it has imported it, and
>> showing it as available to the user-named account i had deleted). but i
>> still can't access the files.
>>
>> the question: how do i use the "old" certificate and key combo to
>> unlock/decrypt the files, since i've already deleted the old user
>> account? i had thought i could just import the cert/key into my current
>> admin-privilege account and, voila, open the files. no such luck. i still
>> get the "access denied" error message.
>>
>> thanks for any help, and, again, sorry if this has been posted to death.
>>
>> kevin
>>
>
>


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: decrypt help...
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