Regain access - EFS

PainlessTorture · Oct 5, 2009

Hey everyone, need some help.

So I installed Windows 7 on my laptop and realised my personal files were still encrypted using EFS.

I imported the EFS cert but its not letting me decrypt the files. It is telling me the users who have access is "1" which was my vista username.

How can I use the private key to decrypt the files?

Thanks

zigzag3143 · Oct 5, 2009

PT

have you tired to take ownership of the files? before you do anything I would backup if the info is improtant. \the encryption may use GUID's that are specific to the machine and OS. If it does the only way to access the files is to decrypt them (in vista) then re-encrypt them in win 7

hope this helps

Ken

PainlessTorture · Oct 5, 2009

Hey,

I think you might be right its giving me an SID rather than a username or group. Here is a screenshot ...

http://www.vistax64.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16238&stc=1&d=1254758581

Is there no way I can use the Private Key to grant myself access from inside 7?

Thanks,
PainlessTorture.

zigzag3143 · Oct 5, 2009

I believe the SID is your user in the old OS. The sid caould also be trusted installer in the old OS. If you right click a file who is the owner??

PainlessTorture · Oct 5, 2009

zigzag3143 said:
I believe the SID is your user in the old OS. The sid caould also be trusted installer in the old OS. If you right click a file who is the owner??

The SID is the owner. (Account Unknown)

zigzag3143 · Oct 5, 2009

do you still have the old OS on the system? I dont even know if you were to re-install the old OS if you would get the same sid

Let me do some research

KEn

PainlessTorture · Oct 5, 2009

No, I formatted the disk

Thanks for trying to help though

zigzag3143 · Oct 5, 2009

PT

here is an interesting link for what happens if you lose your key or move the files
What’s EFS?

ken

PainlessTorture · Oct 5, 2009

Does this mean I cant get the files back?

zigzag3143 · Oct 5, 2009

PainlessTorture said:
Does this mean I cant get the files back?

I didnt think so but I just found a way that might work . read here Encrypting File System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

it describes methods for decrypting when password is lost using private keys. it might work for a different sid. I dont know.

ken

PainlessTorture · Oct 5, 2009

I'm going to change my computer SID to see if I can get a user account to have the same SID ...

Regain access - EFS

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