Windows Easy Transfer - 'Access is denied'

Hi I realy hope someone can help me out here,

I was using xp pro when i started the easy transfer process onto a seporate
hdd in my pc.
I formated my windows drive when i was satisfied i had double backed up
anything i'd need and had my 'from old pc' folder on another drive, and made
a clean install of vista home premium.

Now the problem with easytransfer starts when it tries to access and copy
across files that were in my 'my documents' folder, it comes up with:

'Transfer failed for.... 'file name' ...access is denied'

and it gives me the option to 'click continue to skip the file' and move on
however the same error message seems to come up with all files from
mydocuments and after pressing continue many times (skipping all the files as
i go) it crashes.

I'm wondering if the fact i chose to encrypt my 'my documents' and all files
inside it would have an impact here and cause this problem. if so how can i
resolve this as i wasn't warned to decrypt before making the easy transfer
'.mig' file

thankyou for reading and looking forward to your help (all my music is in
there! =p)

On Thu, 15 Feb 2007 18:47:10 -0800, metalmouse
<metalmouse@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>Hi I realy hope someone can help me out here,
>
>I was using xp pro when i started the easy transfer process onto a seporate
>hdd in my pc.
>I formated my windows drive when i was satisfied i had double backed up
>anything i'd need and had my 'from old pc' folder on another drive, and made
>a clean install of vista home premium.
>
>Now the problem with easytransfer starts when it tries to access and copy
>across files that were in my 'my documents' folder, it comes up with:
>
>'Transfer failed for.... 'file name' ...access is denied'
>
>and it gives me the option to 'click continue to skip the file' and move on
>however the same error message seems to come up with all files from
>mydocuments and after pressing continue many times (skipping all the files as
>i go) it crashes.
>
>I'm wondering if the fact i chose to encrypt my 'my documents' and all files
>inside it would have an impact here and cause this problem. if so how can i
>resolve this as i wasn't warned to decrypt before making the easy transfer
>'.mig' file
>
>thankyou for reading and looking forward to your help (all my music is in
>there! =p)

The whole point of encryption is to prevent what you're attempting.
You need to decrypt BEFORE trying to copy the files, then once they
are copied you'll need to encrypt again. This is one of those rare
times Windows actually did something right. If you would have managed
to copy the files in some encryption state they would be likely be
hopelessly messed up if the encryption method employs some cypher or
compression based on the file system, assuming yours does and both
encrypts and decrypts on the fly.

I can appreceate the fact that it is keeping my files encrypted, but they are
still My files, and if it needed my old admin name and password to dycript
them surly this would be enough to decrypt (since i could have accessed them
all this way just by logging on before)

And fair enough it's my fault for not decrypting first, but a warning
message - amd the option to decrypt there and them would help anyone else
going down this road.

that asside and acepting my part of the 'blame', does anyone know what i can
do now to access the files?

"Adam Albright" wrote:

> On Thu, 15 Feb 2007 18:47:10 -0800, metalmouse
> <metalmouse@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> >Hi I realy hope someone can help me out here,
> >
> >I was using xp pro when i started the easy transfer process onto a seporate
> >hdd in my pc.
> >I formated my windows drive when i was satisfied i had double backed up
> >anything i'd need and had my 'from old pc' folder on another drive, and made
> >a clean install of vista home premium.
> >
> >Now the problem with easytransfer starts when it tries to access and copy
> >across files that were in my 'my documents' folder, it comes up with:
> >
> >'Transfer failed for.... 'file name' ...access is denied'
> >
> >and it gives me the option to 'click continue to skip the file' and move on
> >however the same error message seems to come up with all files from
> >mydocuments and after pressing continue many times (skipping all the files as
> >i go) it crashes.
> >
> >I'm wondering if the fact i chose to encrypt my 'my documents' and all files
> >inside it would have an impact here and cause this problem. if so how can i
> >resolve this as i wasn't warned to decrypt before making the easy transfer
> >'.mig' file
> >
> >thankyou for reading and looking forward to your help (all my music is in
> >there! =p)
>
> The whole point of encryption is to prevent what you're attempting.
> You need to decrypt BEFORE trying to copy the files, then once they
> are copied you'll need to encrypt again. This is one of those rare
> times Windows actually did something right. If you would have managed
> to copy the files in some encryption state they would be likely be
> hopelessly messed up if the encryption method employs some cypher or
> compression based on the file system, assuming yours does and both
> encrypts and decrypts on the fly.
>
>
>

On Thu, 15 Feb 2007 20:26:00 -0800, metalmouse
<metalmouse@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>I can appreceate the fact that it is keeping my files encrypted, but they are
>still My files, and if it needed my old admin name and password to dycript
>them surly this would be enough to decrypt (since i could have accessed them
>all this way just by logging on before)

Wish I had better news for you, but the reality of file encryption is
once you do it ownership is blocked from normal access if you're the
owner or not (technically you no longer are) so in short you are no
longer the owner if you attempt to access the files or have Windows or
some other software try to do some operation on files or folders
WITHOUT the password or encryption key. In effect Windows, and
correctly so, sees you and everyone else attempting to access the
files you encrypted as a intruder and is just doing what you told it
to do... protect your files from being accessed.

This is VERY different then the simple UAC now part of Vista which
simply blocks access. That you can turn off if you have administrative
rights.

Worse, many encryption schemes also rely on encoding to something
enique either you told it, ie, a password or key or if the process is
automated like the one build into XP Pro it relies on doing something
that is enique to a particular instance of your OS and often noting
some time event in additon to knowing you as the owner doing the
original encrypting which becomes part of the cypher only the
operating system itself knows and hides away.

So if you no longer have copies of your encrypted files on the native
partiton residing in the computer you originally encrypted them to, or
copies of files in a unencrypted state your files are for all
practical purposes lost to you. There is no way to unencrypt them.

You can't unring a bell. This is true if you attempt a clean install
and wipe the OS out, since you also wipe out the scheme only the last
instance of the OS knew and used to encrypt the files. Installing even
the same OS again results in a slightly different encoding, so even
the same password or key becomes useless. This is also true if you
attempt to remove the drive the encrypted files are on and put it in a
new computer or as you are attempting to move the files in a encrypted
state. Again, the encryption process is just doing its job. Many users
fine out the hard way doing either of these things even if they know
their password if one is required or some key which is useless once
you overwrite the operating system with a new instance of itself or
attempt to remove the drive and put it in another computer. Attempting
to access encrypted files with a different OS only compounds the
problem. I agree the instructions regardless what method you used
should explain the pitfalls better. At least now you know. :-(
>
>And fair enough it's my fault for not decrypting first, but a warning
>message - amd the option to decrypt there and them would help anyone else
>going down this road.
>
>that asside and acepting my part of the 'blame', does anyone know what i can
>do now to access the files?
>
>"Adam Albright" wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 15 Feb 2007 18:47:10 -0800, metalmouse
>> <metalmouse@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>>
>> >Hi I realy hope someone can help me out here,
>> >
>> >I was using xp pro when i started the easy transfer process onto a seporate
>> >hdd in my pc.
>> >I formated my windows drive when i was satisfied i had double backed up
>> >anything i'd need and had my 'from old pc' folder on another drive, and made
>> >a clean install of vista home premium.
>> >
>> >Now the problem with easytransfer starts when it tries to access and copy
>> >across files that were in my 'my documents' folder, it comes up with:
>> >
>> >'Transfer failed for.... 'file name' ...access is denied'
>> >
>> >and it gives me the option to 'click continue to skip the file' and move on
>> >however the same error message seems to come up with all files from
>> >mydocuments and after pressing continue many times (skipping all the files as
>> >i go) it crashes.
>> >
>> >I'm wondering if the fact i chose to encrypt my 'my documents' and all files
>> >inside it would have an impact here and cause this problem. if so how can i
>> >resolve this as i wasn't warned to decrypt before making the easy transfer
>> >'.mig' file
>> >
>> >thankyou for reading and looking forward to your help (all my music is in
>> >there! =p)
>>
>> The whole point of encryption is to prevent what you're attempting.
>> You need to decrypt BEFORE trying to copy the files, then once they
>> are copied you'll need to encrypt again. This is one of those rare
>> times Windows actually did something right. If you would have managed
>> to copy the files in some encryption state they would be likely be
>> hopelessly messed up if the encryption method employs some cypher or
>> compression based on the file system, assuming yours does and both
>> encrypts and decrypts on the fly.
>>
>>
>>