# how to decrypt files



## jerryspringer (Dec 8, 2005)

hi i have a bunch of encrypted files and do not have the key. is it possible to still decrypt them somwhow? is it able to b e done in the registry or something, or is there anything that could maybe allow me to view the pics


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

How are they encrypted? With what program? Using the registry won't decrypt them, you need the right software.


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## jerryspringer (Dec 8, 2005)

well it was done with th e built in t0ol in XP


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## nickster_uk (Feb 7, 2005)

There is a way around it but you will need the certificates on your PC to achieve it....

http://www.practicalpc.co.uk/computing/windows/xpencrypt1.htm


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## jerryspringer (Dec 8, 2005)

alright so i did the certificate importing ad exporting and stuff so now how do i actually view the encrypted pictures now that i have all that?


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## nickster_uk (Feb 7, 2005)

Have you tried unencrypting the data using right click - properties etc?


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## jerryspringer (Dec 8, 2005)

where in properties to i decrypt?


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## nickster_uk (Feb 7, 2005)

Click the Advanced button on the General tab and remove the tick from the 'encrypt' box then click Apply...you will be asked if you want to change all contents etc - make the changes you want and click OK.

Try it then


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## jerryspringer (Dec 8, 2005)

ya i unticked the box but got a message that said an error occured applying attributes to file....Access is denied


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## nickster_uk (Feb 7, 2005)

Were these files encrypted using your user profile?


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## jerryspringer (Dec 8, 2005)

yes but before a re foramt


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## nickster_uk (Feb 7, 2005)

Try changing ownership of the folders and contents. Right click folder - Properties - Security - Advanced - Owner - click your username and tick box - click Apply - OK - Add - Advanced - Find Now - highlight your username - OK - OK put tick in Full Control box under Allow - Apply - OK.

If you don't see the Security tab, you will need to change some settings. In Explorer, click Tools - Folder Options - View - scroll to bottom of list and remove tick from 'Use simple file sharing (Recommended)' - Apply - OK - then try the above 

It may not work as when encryption goes wrong, you could lose the data forever


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## jerryspringer (Dec 8, 2005)

ok access is still denied..... now what?


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## nickster_uk (Feb 7, 2005)

Since formatting.....does your user profile have exactly the same name as before? 

Also....is your computer name still the same?


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## jerryspringer (Dec 8, 2005)

how can i find that out


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## nickster_uk (Feb 7, 2005)

When u formatted you would've been able to set the pc name....same applies to profile names


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## jerryspringer (Dec 8, 2005)

yes computer name is still the same


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## nickster_uk (Feb 7, 2005)

If it's the same u need to manually set it the same during install as the default name is generated at random by the install process. How about the profile name?


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## jerryspringer (Dec 8, 2005)

if u mean profile name as in the account name then yes it is still the same


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## nickster_uk (Feb 7, 2005)

Something must be different and it's likely to be the computer name.

The only way you will be able to recover those files is by changing the current pc name to the previous name and reboot...but without that details, the files are lost forever i'm afraid


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## jerryspringer (Dec 8, 2005)

does this method work?

http://www.beginningtoseethelight.org/efsrecovery/index.php


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## nickster_uk (Feb 7, 2005)

It's worth a go giving it a try but from what I can make out the third party software requires the key to be present...but like I say, give it a go


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## jerryspringer (Dec 8, 2005)

thats the only problem man, its so hard to understand and it has a lack of instructions


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## LMO (Jun 15, 2006)

Similar situation as OP: copied files to external drive; reformatted; resinstalled XP and same user account. However, on the original install, I had recreated the main user account and XP had created a "Documents and Settings/computername.username" folder instead of "Documents and Settings/username" as it did this time. 

I am unable to access encrypted files after setting permissions as suggested above. Is there any way to recover them now?


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## Chevy (Jul 25, 2003)

Sorry to say, but those files are as good as gone.

When you create a user account, it also creates a SID (Security Identifier). This SID is how Windows sees the account, not by the name. Either through format/reinstall or by deleting and recreating an account, the SID will never be the same, even if the name is. So, when trying to decrypt the files, it uses the SID as part of the algorithim ... Different SID, no decryption.


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## dwarf2008 (Oct 27, 2009)

I found the solution ... actually i had a recovery software so i purposely deleted the encrypted file and then recovered it using the recovery software .. it works now i can use my encrypted files.


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## speedster123 (Oct 18, 2006)

You just replied to a 3 yr old thread as a different user.


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## Rhom Pogi (Oct 31, 2009)

dwarf2008 said:


> I found the solution ... actually i had a recovery software so i purposely deleted the encrypted file and then recovered it using the recovery software .. it works now i can use my encrypted files.


Can you please give the steps on to do that as well as the software that you use..I really need to decrypt my files asap!


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## Blade_Jones (Feb 5, 2005)

Use True Crypt instead next time. 
http://ask-leo.com/how_can_i_recover_files_encrypted_with_windows_filesystem_encryption.html


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## dwarf2008 (Oct 27, 2009)

dwarf2008 said:


> I found the solution ... actually i had a recovery software so i purposely deleted the encrypted file and then recovered it using the recovery software .. it works now i can use my encrypted files.


*Sorry all of u ... actually the files did recover .. but thery wer all corrupted ... !! *


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## suzzan (Nov 4, 2009)

first installed universal shield software and then do the following


If the file you want to decrypt is not listed in Universal Shield, add the file to the list. 
Open Windows Explorer to the location of the file you want to decrypt. 
Drag-and-drop the file you want to decrypt from Windows Explorer to the Universal Shield window. 
With the file now entered into the protection list, it's a simple matter to perform the decryption. Right-click the file you want to decrypt, and select Decrypt File. Or, select Encryption > Decrypt File. You can Shift+click and/or Ctrl+click more than one file to decrypt several files at once





may this answer works
suzzan


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