Re: Restoring Encrypted Files

From: Brandon S. (bsmith_at_presentationsdirect.nospam.com)
Date: 10/06/04 

Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 11:29:06 -0500

I'm using EFS because of Microsoft recommendation to do so on portable
clients. 

-- 
Brandon
IT Director
Presentations Direct - Office Equipment & Supplies
http://www.presentationsdirect.com
"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" 
<lanwench@heybuddy.donotsendme.unsolicitedmail.atyahoo.com> wrote in message 
news:eoVAxe7qEHA.2696@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
> Brandon S. wrote:
>> If I encrypt files on an XP Pro client and backup those files using NT
>> backup . . . . would those files restore correctly to a different
>> machine? It would stand to reason that they would not since encrypted
>> files (EFS) can only be read by the machine they're encrypted on, but
>> if they can't be restored to a different machine, that seems like a
>> problem.
>
> I don't use EFS but this sort of question gets posted all the time in
> m.p.windowsxp.* (better groups for this question, BTW). You need to make
> sure you back up your certificates somewhere safe....or your data will
> likely be lost for good.
>
> From KB 223316:
>
> "Because there is no way to recover data that has been encrypted with a
> corrupted or missing certificate, it is critical that you back up the
> certificates and store them in a secure location. You can also specify a
> recovery agent. This agent can restore the data. The recovery agent's
> certificate serves a different purpose than the user's certificate."
>
>
> What's the reason you're using encryption and saving any data locally
> anyway?
>
>

Relevant Pages

  • RE: EFS File Share Help
    ... And your roaming profile cannot work properly. ... If user tries to encrypt a remote file/folder stored ... user, and subsequently requests, or generates a self-signed EFS ... The certificate and private key are loaded in a local profile ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • RE: EFS rollout using Active Directory
    ... I just have something to add to the Final Thought regarding laptop users: ... You can implement EFS on systems running Windows 2000 and Windows XP ... Stand-alone workstations generate their own public key certificate that you ... encrypt the contents of their files or folders. ...
    (Focus-Microsoft)
  • Re: EFS Errors
    ... Disabling DFS can disrupt your Group Policy propagation which may be causing ... your EFS errors if you have changed your Recovery Agent Certificate. ... I am able to encrypt on the server but noone is able to encrypt ...
    (microsoft.public.security)
  • EFS: What am I doing wrong?
    ... here is what I want to do: I want to encrypt some files I have on my ... notebook so that if someone steals it from me, he would not be able to ... I created a separate folder named EFS on the C: ... Then I've exported my encryption certificate to a file on a diskette. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)
  • Re: EPS
    ... EFS will encrypt only the ... EFS encrypts with one certificate per user; so all the files and folders ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)