Can I unencrypt encrypted files?

Hungerdunger

About three years ago I encrypted some personal files which I didn't want anyone else opening. Since then I haven't needed to use them and had forgotten about the encryption.

I recently had to re-install Windows after problems, and now find that I can't access these files. If I right-click on one of them, select "Properties", then "Advanced" the "Encrypt contents to secure data" box is ticked, and if I deselect it I get a message saying "An error occurred applying attributes to this file".

Does anyone know whether it is possible to get access to these files again (preferably without paying for expensive software)?

chickmug

Sorry can't help but I have a problem as a girl who worked for me password protected several Word Docs in the week or so before she left. We can open but can't change and as they are long docs 30/40 pages each it will be a ruddy nuisence retyping. We are sure she did this on purpose but as she has moved abroad we are not able to ask her why!!!:mad:

iviv

Unfortunately, security is blind. Afterall, if you could simply right click a file to unencrypt it, then there wouldn't be much point in encrypting it in the first place.

According to the microsoft site, before you reinstalled, you should have backed up your certificate and private key to unencrypt them at a later date.
There's a good chance that there's tools that can do this, but a free solution? Not very likely I'm afraid.

Leopard

If you've got any encrypted files you might like to take a read through the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

While that nice Mr. Blair that everyone was so fond of was busy abolishing every hard-won civil right over the last 400 years, he inflicted this one on a grateful nation.

You'll be pleased to know that under the terms of it, the police can break down your door in the middle of the night and demand the encryption key of your encrypted files.

If you fail to provide it, you'll get a jail sentence of two years.

Not knowing it is not a defence. And if you claim to have forgotten it, the burden is upon you to prove that you've forgotten it (nice one, that - think about it).

Now, it might occur to you to tell somebody (like your family or your solicitor) that you have been required, on pain of a two year prison sentence, to supply the police with information you don't have.

That would be a bad idea. Telling anyone that you've been required to do this is a criminal offence in itself: that one carries a five year prison sentence.

So remember, if they come to take you away in the night, don't tell your family why they're doing it or you'll go to jail for seven years instead of two.

Of course, you could try to appeal against your seven year prison sentence, But, to do that, you'd have to tell somebody, wouldn't you? So that would be another five year jail sentence on top of the two terms you're now serving..

That's just the start of it; there are a whole lot more fun things in that Act.

And, you'll be pleased to hear, so grateful was the British electorate to Mr. Blair for that little piece of legislation that they gave him two more terms of office to pass a whole lot more.

Did you know you're now living in a Police state?

Just count yourself lucky that you're still even allowed to read the Act for which you can get banged up for seven years. They'll probably abolish that right, next.

Scared? :eek: You should be. Remember to thank your MP for voting for it. :T


I'd try to remember that key, if I were you.

iviv

When's that bill coming in that gets us money for shopping people in to the police?

Leopard

It's all part of New Labour's long-term "STASI" initiative. :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:

The general plan is to make Britain less dangerously liberal and uncontrolled than the former East Germany.

superscaper

That's why you should use Truecrypt. It has a two stage plausible deniability. One, the encrypted data is indistinguishable from noise/blank space and can only be seen if you know it's there to unencrypt in the first place. Second level is that you can have a second container within the container: "it's a fair cop here's my encryption key", while all your REALLY "private" stuff is kept in the second container, which is impossible to detect unless you already have the key to decrypt it.

(If I remember correctly Part 2 of the RIP Act was only brought in 18 months ago or something like that maybe less, i.e. the part concerning encryption keys)

Marty_J

Leopard wrote: »

If you've got any encrypted files you might like to take a read through the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

While that nice Mr. Blair that everyone was so fond of was busy abolishing every hard-won civil right over the last 400 years, he inflicted this one on a grateful nation.

You'll be pleased to know that under the terms of it, the police can break down your door in the middle of the night and demand the encryption key of your encrypted files.

If you fail to provide it, you'll get a jail sentence of two years.

Ah, now those where the days!

Back then, the government still kept up the pretence that it needed a reason for locking people up.

superscaper

Marty_J wrote: »

Ah, now those where the days!

Back then, the government still kept up the pretence that it needed a reason for locking people up.

Wasn't that long ago, only nine months ago that law was brought in (now I've checked).

Leopard

Right, Carruthers,

You can lock those three troublemakers up for 42 days, right now, and throw away the key.

Pay that Hungerdunger a visit, too, tonight.

We have to make this country safe for good, honest totalitarians.

Hungerdunger

fwor wrote: »

When you re-installed Windows, did you do a "repair install" which did not involve a hard disk format? If so, it may be possible to locate and import your key data.

It's a long story, but basically I tried to do a repair install; the computer went into an endless boot / reboot loop during the Setup, so I installed a fresh copy of Windows. (although with all the work that I've had to do since, I think I might as well have reformatted the whole thing!)

Anyway, this means that my existing folders survived intact. Do you know whereabouts I'd find the key?