Re: decrypt help...

kerry:

thanks. i'm certain i don't have an image or backup of the system prior to
the 64-bit preview install. foolishly, i jumped right into the deep end of
the pool -- didn't even partition the hard drive for a dual boot. anyway,
sounds from what you've posted that i just need to get out of the pool. will
do. thankfully, i didn't encrypt a lot of files, and those that i did
encrypt can be restored from the earlier dates and worked from there. hey,
i'm a writer -- if nothing else, this gives me an excuse to edit myself.

again, thanks for help (to all),
kevin


"Kerry Brown" <kerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx*o*m> wrote in message
news:uS$04xmSFHA.3176@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> "kevin" <kohoran@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:Og9608lSFHA.2132@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> honestly, ron, i don't know at this point. i have an old backup of the
>> files, copied to cd before i encrypted them (what a brilliant idea the
>> latter has turned out to be -- argh!). i think those older versions are
>> what i'll have to default to. i'm running into brick wall after brick
>> wall re decryption, even though i'm almost certain the cert/key combo
>> i've recovered is the correct version for the files. in fact, it has to
>> be; they are the only files i've ever encrypted on this machine.
>>
>> i've tried re-establishing a user account with the same name as when i
>> encrypted the files, then importing the cert/key combo into that account
>> (with full admin privileges). that doesn't work any better than importing
>> the cert/key combo into my current user account (with a different name)
>> or even a direct admin account approach. that said, is there a private or
>> public key (or some other security block) set up unique to each account,
>> such that even though i've recovered the cert/key combo from my previous
>> account i still can't use it for anything?
>>
>> man, these bricks are hard.
>>
>
> You would need a backup of the user profile and machine system state as
> well as the files. I had a similar problem. The only way I was able to
> unencrypt the files was to image the system, restore from a previous
> image, unencrypt the files, copy to CD, then restore the newest image. Did
> you image or backup the system before installing the 64bit preview? If not
> the only solution is to use your ols unencrypted version of the files.
>
> Kerry
>
>>
>> "Ron Bogart" <rip.unoTHE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:%23rGA1pgSFHA.2908@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> In news:OiERBFfSFHA.3156@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
>>> kevin <kohoran@xxxxxxxxx> did some thinking and came up with these
>>> words:
>>>> 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
>>>
>>> The 'cert' ties in with user and system as well as the files. It is
>>> such a slippery slope that most stay as far away from encryption as
>>> possible. From the sounds of it - you have been given the opportunity to
>>> learn this the hard way. Do you perhaps have a good system backup/image
>>> where you can restore the previous version and regain control of your
>>> files?
>>>
>>> --
>>> Ron Bogart {} ô¿ô¬
>>> Associate Expert
>>> Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>>> Lovin life on Mercer Island 8^)
>>> "Life is what happens while we are making other plans."
>>> In memory of a true friend, MVP Alex Nichol (1935-2005)
>>>
>>
>>
>
>


.

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