Vista - Vista Encryption?

I'm running Vista 32-bit Ultimate RTM, and I'm not interested in using
encryption on it, but now have questions. After having Vista installed
for about a month now, a Windows message (& icon in the taskbar)
suddenly popped up asking me if I wanted to backup my encryption
certificate and key, which I didn't know I had. Wondering about this, I
checked BitLocker in my Control Panel, and found that it says my drive
configuration is unsuitable for BitLocker encryption, and that a "TPM,"
which is required for BitLocker encryption, was not found. Comments, please?

TPM stands for "Trusted Platform Module" (I believe) and it's a chip on the
system board capable of creating and storing keys. OEMs are very spotty on
their inclusion of this and even spottier on documenting it.

As far as BitLocker is concerned, this is what is used to do the encryption
and decryption. The idea is that even if your hard drive were stolen, it
could only be read via that system running on that motherboard with that
TPM. Of course the threat of motherboard or TPM failure necessitates the
ability to backup your keys to an external source.

I think there's a workaround for using BitLocker without TPM using software
based or USB based keys but don't remember the details.

"Daze N. Knights" <Daze@microchip.com> wrote in message
news:%23M5fwAJTHHA.5016@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> I'm running Vista 32-bit Ultimate RTM, and I'm not interested in using
> encryption on it, but now have questions. After having Vista installed for
> about a month now, a Windows message (& icon in the taskbar) suddenly
> popped up asking me if I wanted to backup my encryption certificate and
> key, which I didn't know I had. Wondering about this, I checked BitLocker
> in my Control Panel, and found that it says my drive configuration is
> unsuitable for BitLocker encryption, and that a "TPM," which is required
> for BitLocker encryption, was not found. Comments, please?

Daze:
Type "EFS" in the search box, open "Windows Vista Security
Guide.doc". Chapter 3 or Chapter 5 should give the explanation. Have a great
day.

--
Dennis Pack
XP x64, Vista Enterprise x64
Office2007
"Daze N. Knights" <Daze@microchip.com> wrote in message
news:%23M5fwAJTHHA.5016@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> I'm running Vista 32-bit Ultimate RTM, and I'm not interested in using
> encryption on it, but now have questions. After having Vista installed for
> about a month now, a Windows message (& icon in the taskbar) suddenly
> popped up asking me if I wanted to backup my encryption certificate and
> key, which I didn't know I had. Wondering about this, I checked BitLocker
> in my Control Panel, and found that it says my drive configuration is
> unsuitable for BitLocker encryption, and that a "TPM," which is required
> for BitLocker encryption, was not found. Comments, please?

Should you ever use Encrypted File System (EFS) you'll need that key to
unencrypt files on another PC, or after a re-install of Windows. If you
never use EFS, I don't think you'll need it. If you do use EFS, back it up
many times and many places!

Dale

"Daze N. Knights" <Daze@microchip.com> wrote in message
news:%23M5fwAJTHHA.5016@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> I'm running Vista 32-bit Ultimate RTM, and I'm not interested in using
> encryption on it, but now have questions. After having Vista installed for
> about a month now, a Windows message (& icon in the taskbar) suddenly
> popped up asking me if I wanted to backup my encryption certificate and
> key, which I didn't know I had. Wondering about this, I checked BitLocker
> in my Control Panel, and found that it says my drive configuration is
> unsuitable for BitLocker encryption, and that a "TPM," which is required
> for BitLocker encryption, was not found. Comments, please?

Odd. I have a month-old, Intel DP965LT motherboard. I wonder why it
wouldn't be capable of using BitLocker?

LaRoux wrote:
> TPM stands for "Trusted Platform Module" (I believe) and it's a chip on the
> system board capable of creating and storing keys. OEMs are very spotty on
> their inclusion of this and even spottier on documenting it.
>
> As far as BitLocker is concerned, this is what is used to do the encryption
> and decryption. The idea is that even if your hard drive were stolen, it
> could only be read via that system running on that motherboard with that
> TPM. Of course the threat of motherboard or TPM failure necessitates the
> ability to backup your keys to an external source.
>
> I think there's a workaround for using BitLocker without TPM using software
> based or USB based keys but don't remember the details.
>
> "Daze N. Knights" <Daze@microchip.com> wrote in message
> news:%23M5fwAJTHHA.5016@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>> I'm running Vista 32-bit Ultimate RTM, and I'm not interested in using
>> encryption on it, but now have questions. After having Vista installed for
>> about a month now, a Windows message (& icon in the taskbar) suddenly
>> popped up asking me if I wanted to backup my encryption certificate and
>> key, which I didn't know I had. Wondering about this, I checked BitLocker
>> in my Control Panel, and found that it says my drive configuration is
>> unsuitable for BitLocker encryption, and that a "TPM," which is required
>> for BitLocker encryption, was not found. Comments, please?
>
>

I typed EFS in the search box and no "Windows Vista Security Guide.doc"
was revealed. So much for that.

Dennis Pack wrote:
> Daze:
> Type "EFS" in the search box, open "Windows Vista Security
> Guide.doc". Chapter 3 or Chapter 5 should give the explanation. Have a
> great day.
>

Ah. So I gather this message pops up whether one has ever used EFS or not?

Dale wrote:
> Should you ever use Encrypted File System (EFS) you'll need that key to
> unencrypt files on another PC, or after a re-install of Windows. If you
> never use EFS, I don't think you'll need it. If you do use EFS, back it
> up many times and many places!
>
> Dale
>
> "Daze N. Knights" <Daze@microchip.com> wrote in message
> news:%23M5fwAJTHHA.5016@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>> I'm running Vista 32-bit Ultimate RTM, and I'm not interested in using
>> encryption on it, but now have questions. After having Vista installed
>> for about a month now, a Windows message (& icon in the taskbar)
>> suddenly popped up asking me if I wanted to backup my encryption
>> certificate and key, which I didn't know I had. Wondering about this,
>> I checked BitLocker in my Control Panel, and found that it says my
>> drive configuration is unsuitable for BitLocker encryption, and that a
>> "TPM," which is required for BitLocker encryption, was not found.
>> Comments, please?
>

The EFS balloon appears only if someone (or something) generates a new EFS
certificate and sets that certificate as your EFS current key. Since you
have not encrypted files, yourself, something else has done that for you. We
know of two programs, so far, that will do this: offline files enabled for
encryption and Groove. There may be others. Do either of these apply to
you? If not, can you think back to another application you may have been
using that could have caused encryption to happen under the covers?

Thanks.
Pat
--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.


"Daze N. Knights" wrote:

> Ah. So I gather this message pops up whether one has ever used EFS or not?
>
> Dale wrote:
> > Should you ever use Encrypted File System (EFS) you'll need that key to
> > unencrypt files on another PC, or after a re-install of Windows. If you
> > never use EFS, I don't think you'll need it. If you do use EFS, back it
> > up many times and many places!
> >
> > Dale
> >
> > "Daze N. Knights" <Daze@microchip.com> wrote in message
> > news:%23M5fwAJTHHA.5016@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> >> I'm running Vista 32-bit Ultimate RTM, and I'm not interested in using
> >> encryption on it, but now have questions. After having Vista installed
> >> for about a month now, a Windows message (& icon in the taskbar)
> >> suddenly popped up asking me if I wanted to backup my encryption
> >> certificate and key, which I didn't know I had. Wondering about this,
> >> I checked BitLocker in my Control Panel, and found that it says my
> >> drive configuration is unsuitable for BitLocker encryption, and that a
> >> "TPM," which is required for BitLocker encryption, was not found.
> >> Comments, please?
> >
>