Removing Encryption after PC crash?

My PC with Windows XP crashed and died and the encrypted files on the
removable media can't be accessed now. Does anyone know if there is any way
to get these files decrypted on my new PC running Vista? I don't have any
keys from the old machine, (didn't know I needed anything when I encrypted
them using XP).

DVO <DVO@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>My PC with Windows XP crashed and died and the encrypted files on the
>removable media can't be accessed now. Does anyone know if there is any way
>to get these files decrypted on my new PC running Vista? I don't have any
>keys from the old machine, (didn't know I needed anything when I encrypted
>them using XP).

I think something from here might help:

www.geocities.com/windowsfixes/tools.html

DVO wrote:
> My PC with Windows XP crashed and died and the encrypted files on the
> removable media can't be accessed now. Does anyone know if there is any way
> to get these files decrypted on my new PC running Vista? I don't have any
> keys from the old machine, (didn't know I needed anything when I encrypted
> them using XP).


If your encryption certificates and keys were not backed up for
transfer to the new OS, and the workstation isn't part of a domain
(whose Administrator might act as the designated recovery agent), those
files are gone, for all practical purposes. Encryption works well and
there is no "back door" or hack to access the files. (Wouldn't be much
point to EFS if it were easily by-passed.)


--

Bruce Chambers

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