Vista - Lost Encryption Keys

07-05-2008

My PC crashed, forcing a reload. I had stored some files in an
encrypted folder on a separate partition.

Like a bonehead, I didn't save the keys before the crash.

Is there anyway I can get to the file contents?

Help!!!!!!

07-05-2008

<bradb56@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:v28074ljir9oarnoi3aoqkhai4cm0njqrg@xxxxxx

Quote:

> My PC crashed, forcing a reload. I had stored some files in an
> encrypted folder on a separate partition.
>
> Like a bonehead, I didn't save the keys before the crash.
>
> Is there anyway I can get to the file contents?
>
>
> Help!!!!!!

If you made a backup to a different drive or to a DVD prior to the
crash you can backup your current configuration, use your backup to decrypt
the folder, get the information you need and then restore. Otherwise, you're
out of luck.
Any and all information of an important nature should always be backed
up on a regular basis.

C.B.

--
It is the responsibility and duty of everyone to help the underprivileged
and unfortunate among us.

07-06-2008

If you've used EFS and did not properly back up your private key, you're
toasted. If the computer was a member of a domain you could have removed EFS
by using the Recovery Agent's user account and private key. But on a Vista
stand-alone machine there is NO Recovery Agent, and even of there was, since
you formatted the drive all the data on it is lost.

You could try to use Elcomsoft's EFS recovery tool, but it costs money and
I'm not sure it will help when the machine was formatted.

--
Sincerely,

Daniel Petri
MVP, Senior IT consultant, trainer
www.petri.co.il

<bradb56@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:v28074ljir9oarnoi3aoqkhai4cm0njqrg@xxxxxx

Quote:

> My PC crashed, forcing a reload. I had stored some files in an
> encrypted folder on a separate partition.
>
> Like a bonehead, I didn't save the keys before the crash.
>
> Is there anyway I can get to the file contents?
>
>
> Help!!!!!!

07-07-2008

"Daniel Petri <MVP>" <daniel@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:84C53755-D8CC-4D12-872A-CDDD55444430@xxxxxx

Quote:

> If you've used EFS and did not properly back up your private key, you're
> toasted. If the computer was a member of a domain you could have removed
> EFS by using the Recovery Agent's user account and private key. But on a
> Vista
> stand-alone machine there is NO Recovery Agent, and even of there was,
> since you formatted the drive all the data on it is lost.
>
> You could try to use Elcomsoft's EFS recovery tool, but it costs money and
> I'm not sure it will help when the machine was formatted.

In many cases, it does. Professional version of our software scan the disks
by sectors, searching for keys by patterns, and if they have not been
overwritten
by other data -- they're retrieved and so could be used for decryption.

But I'd recommend to try the the free trial version, of course -- at least
it
detects whether any keys are still there, and whether the files are
decryptable:

http://www.elcomsoft.com/aefsdr.html

--
Sincerely yours,
Vladimir

Vladimir Katalov
CEO
ElcomSoft Co.Ltd.
mailto:vkatalov@xxxxxx
http://www.elcomsoft.com

07-07-2008

:-)

--
Sincerely,

Daniel Petri
MVP, Senior IT consultant, trainer
www.petri.co.il

"Vladimir Katalov" <vkatalov@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:6dds1sF21jrkU1@xxxxxx

Quote:

> "Daniel Petri <MVP>" <daniel@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:84C53755-D8CC-4D12-872A-CDDD55444430@xxxxxx

Quote:

>> If you've used EFS and did not properly back up your private key, you're
>> toasted. If the computer was a member of a domain you could have removed
>> EFS by using the Recovery Agent's user account and private key. But on a
>> Vista
>> stand-alone machine there is NO Recovery Agent, and even of there was,
>> since you formatted the drive all the data on it is lost.
>>
>> You could try to use Elcomsoft's EFS recovery tool, but it costs money
>> and I'm not sure it will help when the machine was formatted.

>
> In many cases, it does. Professional version of our software scan the
> disks
> by sectors, searching for keys by patterns, and if they have not been
> overwritten
> by other data -- they're retrieved and so could be used for decryption.
>
> But I'd recommend to try the the free trial version, of course -- at least
> it
> detects whether any keys are still there, and whether the files are
> decryptable:
>
> http://www.elcomsoft.com/aefsdr.html
>
> --
> Sincerely yours,
> Vladimir
>
> Vladimir Katalov
> CEO
> ElcomSoft Co.Ltd.
> mailto:vkatalov@xxxxxx
> http://www.elcomsoft.com

07-05-2008	#1 (permalink)
bradb56 n/a posts	Lost Encryption Keys My PC crashed, forcing a reload. I had stored some files in an encrypted folder on a separate partition. Like a bonehead, I didn't save the keys before the crash. Is there anyway I can get to the file contents? Help!!!!!!
My System Specs

07-05-2008	#2 (permalink)
C.B. n/a posts	Re: Lost Encryption Keys <bradb56@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:v28074ljir9oarnoi3aoqkhai4cm0njqrg@xxxxxx Quote: > My PC crashed, forcing a reload. I had stored some files in an > encrypted folder on a separate partition. > > Like a bonehead, I didn't save the keys before the crash. > > Is there anyway I can get to the file contents? > > > Help!!!!!! If you made a backup to a different drive or to a DVD prior to the crash you can backup your current configuration, use your backup to decrypt the folder, get the information you need and then restore. Otherwise, you're out of luck. Any and all information of an important nature should always be backed up on a regular basis. C.B. -- It is the responsibility and duty of everyone to help the underprivileged and unfortunate among us.
My System Specs

07-06-2008	#3 (permalink)
Daniel Petri n/a posts	Re: Lost Encryption Keys If you've used EFS and did not properly back up your private key, you're toasted. If the computer was a member of a domain you could have removed EFS by using the Recovery Agent's user account and private key. But on a Vista stand-alone machine there is NO Recovery Agent, and even of there was, since you formatted the drive all the data on it is lost. You could try to use Elcomsoft's EFS recovery tool, but it costs money and I'm not sure it will help when the machine was formatted. -- Sincerely, Daniel Petri MVP, Senior IT consultant, trainer www.petri.co.il <bradb56@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:v28074ljir9oarnoi3aoqkhai4cm0njqrg@xxxxxx Quote: > My PC crashed, forcing a reload. I had stored some files in an > encrypted folder on a separate partition. > > Like a bonehead, I didn't save the keys before the crash. > > Is there anyway I can get to the file contents? > > > Help!!!!!!
My System Specs

07-07-2008	#4 (permalink)
Vladimir Katalov n/a posts	Re: Lost Encryption Keys "Daniel Petri <MVP>" <daniel@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:84C53755-D8CC-4D12-872A-CDDD55444430@xxxxxx Quote: > If you've used EFS and did not properly back up your private key, you're > toasted. If the computer was a member of a domain you could have removed > EFS by using the Recovery Agent's user account and private key. But on a > Vista > stand-alone machine there is NO Recovery Agent, and even of there was, > since you formatted the drive all the data on it is lost. > > You could try to use Elcomsoft's EFS recovery tool, but it costs money and > I'm not sure it will help when the machine was formatted. In many cases, it does. Professional version of our software scan the disks by sectors, searching for keys by patterns, and if they have not been overwritten by other data -- they're retrieved and so could be used for decryption. But I'd recommend to try the the free trial version, of course -- at least it detects whether any keys are still there, and whether the files are decryptable: http://www.elcomsoft.com/aefsdr.html -- Sincerely yours, Vladimir Vladimir Katalov CEO ElcomSoft Co.Ltd. mailto:vkatalov@xxxxxx http://www.elcomsoft.com
My System Specs

07-07-2008	#5 (permalink)
Daniel Petri n/a posts	Re: Lost Encryption Keys :-) -- Sincerely, Daniel Petri MVP, Senior IT consultant, trainer www.petri.co.il "Vladimir Katalov" <vkatalov@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:6dds1sF21jrkU1@xxxxxx Quote: > "Daniel Petri <MVP>" <daniel@xxxxxx> wrote in message > news:84C53755-D8CC-4D12-872A-CDDD55444430@xxxxxx Quote: >> If you've used EFS and did not properly back up your private key, you're >> toasted. If the computer was a member of a domain you could have removed >> EFS by using the Recovery Agent's user account and private key. But on a >> Vista >> stand-alone machine there is NO Recovery Agent, and even of there was, >> since you formatted the drive all the data on it is lost. >> >> You could try to use Elcomsoft's EFS recovery tool, but it costs money >> and I'm not sure it will help when the machine was formatted. > > In many cases, it does. Professional version of our software scan the > disks > by sectors, searching for keys by patterns, and if they have not been > overwritten > by other data -- they're retrieved and so could be used for decryption. > > But I'd recommend to try the the free trial version, of course -- at least > it > detects whether any keys are still there, and whether the files are > decryptable: > > http://www.elcomsoft.com/aefsdr.html > > -- > Sincerely yours, > Vladimir > > Vladimir Katalov > CEO > ElcomSoft Co.Ltd. > mailto:vkatalov@xxxxxx > http://www.elcomsoft.com
My System Specs

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