Vista - SecureString : Using -key

If I do this on my PC
$s = Read-Host -assecurestring
$s = ConvertFrom-SecureString $s -key(1..16)
$s > test.cfg

and then to this on another PC
$s = convertto-securestring (get-content test.cfg) - key (1..16)


The first 7 characters appears as ??????? followed by the rest of the string.
The same statement on the PC used to create the test.cfg file appears correct.

I used the -encoding option with out-file but have the same results.

Could anyone shed some light on this ? don't know whats going wrong. Thanks

dm_14,

I tested this on Win XP SP2 and the hash secured string is returned, not
???????. Which platform are you using for the 2 systems you mentioned?

--
............... All new, all fresh ..............
http://www.leedesmond.com/weblog/


"dm_14" wrote:

> If I do this on my PC
> $s = Read-Host -assecurestring
> $s = ConvertFrom-SecureString $s -key(1..16)
> $s > test.cfg
>
> and then to this on another PC
> $s = convertto-securestring (get-content test.cfg) - key (1..16)
>
>
> The first 7 characters appears as ??????? followed by the rest of the string.
> The same statement on the PC used to create the test.cfg file appears correct.
>
> I used the -encoding option with out-file but have the same results.
>
> Could anyone shed some light on this ? don't know whats going wrong. Thanks

Demond,

The encrypted string was created on a WinXP pc and the decryption occurs on
Win2003 server. If I perform both the encryption and decryption on the same
WinXP pc I get the correct secured string the same as you.

I tried several times between the server and the WinXP PC and each time the
first seven characters appear as ???????, all text past it appears correctly.
I got round it by creating the encrypted string on the Win2003 server and
that worked fine on the server.

But I still don't know why it shouldn't work between the PC and server.

Any thoughts ?

"Desmond Lee" wrote:

> dm_14,
>
> I tested this on Win XP SP2 and the hash secured string is returned, not
> ???????. Which platform are you using for the 2 systems you mentioned?
>
> --
> .............. All new, all fresh ..............
> http://www.leedesmond.com/weblog/
>
>
> "dm_14" wrote:
>
> > If I do this on my PC
> > $s = Read-Host -assecurestring
> > $s = ConvertFrom-SecureString $s -key(1..16)
> > $s > test.cfg
> >
> > and then to this on another PC
> > $s = convertto-securestring (get-content test.cfg) - key (1..16)
> >
> >
> > The first 7 characters appears as ??????? followed by the rest of the string.
> > The same statement on the PC used to create the test.cfg file appears correct.
> >
> > I used the -encoding option with out-file but have the same results.
> >
> > Could anyone shed some light on this ? don't know whats going wrong. Thanks