Using Encryption on External Drive with Vista and 2003

I have an external drive on which I keep files. If I encrypt files at home using Vista machine, backup certificate, import it on Windows 2003 Server machine and try to read files from Windows 2003 machine I can't do that.

The reverse process works just fine. In other words files encrypted on Windows 2003 machine, its certificate is imported into Vista machine and vista can read those files.

It is like Vista encryption is not exactly compatible with Windows 2003 encryption. Am I correct? How do I get the two to work with each other? Can I simply upgrade Windows 2003 encryption?

bazad wrote:
> I have an external drive on which I keep files. If I encrypt files at
> home using Vista machine, backup certificate, import it on Windows 2003
> Server machine and try to read files from Windows 2003 machine I can't
> do that.
>
> The reverse process works just fine. In other words files encrypted on
> Windows 2003 machine, its certificate is imported into Vista machine and
> vista can read those files.
>
> It is like Vista encryption is not exactly compatible with Windows 2003
> encryption. Am I correct? How do I get the two to work with each
> other? Can I simply upgrade Windows 2003 encryption?

I can't help with the built in encryption but have you considered
another solution.
Maybe something like Truecrypt to create an encrypted storage
container...or PGP to encrypt individual files?

"Isaac Hunt" <isaac@hunt.com> wrote in message
news:WFhNh.22494$267.3203@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net...

> I can't help with the built in encryption but have you considered another
> solution.
> Maybe something like Truecrypt to create an encrypted storage
> container...or PGP to encrypt individual files?

I'll second Isaac's suggestion. The best way of making this work really well
and reliably would be to use a 3rd party encryption product that works on
all the OSes you need to use. Anything else leaves you at the mercy of every
patch, hotfix and service pack in existence for either system to 'just tweak
something'.

I tried TrueCrypt. It looks reasonable.

It still would be nice to know what went wrong between Vista and Windows
2003 Server.

"Robert Moir" <robspamtrap@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:uI$RAlsbHHA.4656@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>
> "Isaac Hunt" <isaac@hunt.com> wrote in message
> news:WFhNh.22494$267.3203@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net...
>
>> I can't help with the built in encryption but have you considered another
>> solution.
>> Maybe something like Truecrypt to create an encrypted storage
>> container...or PGP to encrypt individual files?
>
> I'll second Isaac's suggestion. The best way of making this work really
> well and reliably would be to use a 3rd party encryption product that
> works on all the OSes you need to use. Anything else leaves you at the
> mercy of every patch, hotfix and service pack in existence for either
> system to 'just tweak something'.
>

"bazad" <no reply> wrote in message
news:e0S%23R8ybHHA.2188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>I tried TrueCrypt. It looks reasonable.
>
> It still would be nice to know what went wrong between Vista and Windows
> 2003 Server.

I'm not sure anything is "wrong" as such as different systems written to
different levels. Upgrading from one to the other might be fine but moving
backwards and forewards is a different thing entirely. This is just my
opinion/speculation, I certainly don't know for sure!

Robert response is correct. This behavior is due to the many new
capabilities that came with EFS in Vista. Your lower-level files can be
modified at the Vista level but not vice versa. We are looking into this to
see what we can do to make file sharing between versions more doable. Stay
tuned.

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


"Robert Moir" wrote:

>
> "bazad" <no reply> wrote in message
> news:e0S%23R8ybHHA.2188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> >I tried TrueCrypt. It looks reasonable.
> >
> > It still would be nice to know what went wrong between Vista and Windows
> > 2003 Server.
>
> I'm not sure anything is "wrong" as such as different systems written to
> different levels. Upgrading from one to the other might be fine but moving
> backwards and forewards is a different thing entirely. This is just my
> opinion/speculation, I certainly don't know for sure!
>
>
>

I'm not sure where this thread will go...but I have just bought a new HP
w/Vista. My "old" computer runs XP. I have most of the "old" hard drive
encrypted with TrueCrypt. Will TrueCrypt work on Vista? Will I need a new
version?
--
Ricardo_rn


"Isaac Hunt" wrote:

> bazad wrote:
> > I have an external drive on which I keep files. If I encrypt files at
> > home using Vista machine, backup certificate, import it on Windows 2003
> > Server machine and try to read files from Windows 2003 machine I can't
> > do that.
> >
> > The reverse process works just fine. In other words files encrypted on
> > Windows 2003 machine, its certificate is imported into Vista machine and
> > vista can read those files.
> >
> > It is like Vista encryption is not exactly compatible with Windows 2003
> > encryption. Am I correct? How do I get the two to work with each
> > other? Can I simply upgrade Windows 2003 encryption?
>
> I can't help with the built in encryption but have you considered
> another solution.
> Maybe something like Truecrypt to create an encrypted storage
> container...or PGP to encrypt individual files?
>
>

TrueCrypt 4.3 works in vista. I have it working just fine with Flash Drive.

"Ricardo_rn" <ricardo_rn> wrote in message
news:6A99AB3F-5C8B-4500-A624-B6A32B655DFC@microsoft.com...
> I'm not sure where this thread will go...but I have just bought a new HP
> w/Vista. My "old" computer runs XP. I have most of the "old" hard drive
> encrypted with TrueCrypt. Will TrueCrypt work on Vista? Will I need a
> new
> version?

Thanks I am glad to hear that Microsoft is working on this issue.

"Pat Hoffer [MSFT]" <pathoff@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5115951C-B7E0-49E1-A136-CEC3CED1EFA5@microsoft.com...
> Robert response is correct. This behavior is due to the many new
> capabilities that came with EFS in Vista. Your lower-level files can be
> modified at the Vista level but not vice versa. We are looking into this
> to
> see what we can do to make file sharing between versions more doable.
> Stay
> tuned.
>
> Thanks.
> Pat
> --
> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
> rights.