Re: Problem digitally signing and decrypting (OE6 & XP SP2)

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Thanks for posting back with your results.

--

Mike - http://pages.prodigy.net/michael_santovec/techhelp.htm


"Stefan Ochs" <stefan.ochs@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Y9e_h.29373$Cx1.3353@xxxxxxxxxxx
Just found the solution to my encryption problem and want to share it
in case anybody else runs into the same problem:

The crucial hint was on one of Verisign's (www.verisign.com) support
pages. Verisign issues certificates for email encryption and other
purposes (unfortunately their email certificates are not free
however). I found their support pages very clear and helpful! The
hint in Solution ID: vs38439 - "Yes, export the private key" option
is not available - suggested that the problem might be related to
missing/wrong access rights to the %SystemDrive%\Documents and
Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\MachineKeys
directory. This directory holds some so called key containers and
permissions must be set so that private keys are exportable
(see also http://support.microsoft.com/kb/278381/). Well, I did change
access rights there but this did not solve the problem - however it
pointed me in the right direction.

It turned out that in my case not the ...\All Users\... directory was
the problem. Instead the ...Crypto\RSA\. directory for the "<current
user>" directory tree in ...\Documents and Settings\... contained the
key container that I and OE could not access. I changed the security
settings for the folders in the ...\Crypto\RSA\... directory which
contained the most recent keys (therefore I was sure that this are the
keys that OE could not access) so that I (i.e. the logged in user)
have full access rights in the ...\RSA directory and to all
directories and files in the RSA directory.

Sounds complicated? Maybe! But this did the magic and I can now send
signed and encrypted messages. It is as easy as I was hoping it would
be. OE nicely does all the encrypting/decrypting in the background.
Also - and this is the answer to my original question #2 - you do NOT
need to send a copy of an encrypted message to yourself in order to be
able to read it. If you have the "Save copy of sent messages in the
Sent Items folder" in Tools/Options/Send enabled you can read it
without being one of the encrypted mail's recipients. And really, why
shouldn't you be able to read your own email...? ;-)



.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Problem digitally signing and decrypting (OE6 & XP SP2)
    ... The crucial hint was on one of Verisign's support pages. ... Verisign issues certificates for email encryption and other purposes. ... This directory holds some so called key containers and permissions must be set so that private keys are exportable ... I did change access rights there but this did not solve the problem - however it pointed me in the right direction. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6_outlookexpress)
  • RE: Email Encryption Between Servers
    ... Secure E-mail, PGP, secure web server, ... Are the doctors going to have separate keys for each provider, doctor, ... desktop e-mail encryption, enterprise e-mail encryption. ... manage key exchange, staff training, ...
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  • Re: Which Drive Encryptor for this?
    ... detained without charge indefinitely. ... demand your access keys. ... The USA is not alone in this - in the UK you can be jailed for refusing to hand over encryption keys to the authorities. ... displayed on his laptop display and the customs officer saf that. ...
    (comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage)
  • Re: Which Drive Encryptor for this?
    ... detained without charge indefinitely. ... demand your access keys. ... encryption keys, the current state of affairs seems to be that ... displayed on his laptop display and the customs officer saf that. ...
    (comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage)
  • My response to a message by Dorothy Denning in 1995 - Australia and Encryption Policy
    ... Subject: Australia and Encryption Policy ... interception, which includes the issue of the use of cryptography as: ... keys but may be required to provide them in response to a court order. ...
    (sci.crypt)