From within Windows 10, Recover XP user certificate to unlock EFS
I got a private home user that somehow??? accidentally encrypted his files with EFS. He was using windows XP and was unaware that the files were encrypted because his user account obviously had no problem accessing the files.
His XP had trouble booting and he ask me to do an upgrade to windows 10...
Because of the haphazard file structure we decided to leave the drive as is and install windows 10 without changing the original file structure.
After we discovered we could no longer access my documents, I tried running a XP repair, Taking ownership, setting permissions to everyone, enabled inheritance and sharing the folder all of which failed.
The original account used to encrypt the files is still present on the drive, is there a way to extract the certificate form the old XP registry and import it to windows 10's active user? (This pc was never part of a domain)
windows-10 windows-xp encryption certificate
asked Feb 7 '18 at 6:30
Rhdr
11
add a comment |
I got a private home user that somehow??? accidentally encrypted his files with EFS. He was using windows XP and was unaware that the files were encrypted because his user account obviously had no problem accessing the files.
His XP had trouble booting and he ask me to do an upgrade to windows 10...
Because of the haphazard file structure we decided to leave the drive as is and install windows 10 without changing the original file structure.
After we discovered we could no longer access my documents, I tried running a XP repair, Taking ownership, setting permissions to everyone, enabled inheritance and sharing the folder all of which failed.
The original account used to encrypt the files is still present on the drive, is there a way to extract the certificate form the old XP registry and import it to windows 10's active user? (This pc was never part of a domain)
windows-10 windows-xp encryption certificate
asked Feb 7 '18 at 6:30
Rhdr
11
found this social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/…
– Rhdr
Feb 7 '18 at 9:38
1
If the user doesn't have the certificate, then the certificate cannot be exported, if the installation isn't working. If you could do that you would defeat the purpose of EFS. "is there a way to extract the certificate form the old XP registry and import it to windows 10's active user?" - No
– Ramhound
Feb 7 '18 at 14:51
add a comment |
I got a private home user that somehow??? accidentally encrypted his files with EFS. He was using windows XP and was unaware that the files were encrypted because his user account obviously had no problem accessing the files.
His XP had trouble booting and he ask me to do an upgrade to windows 10...
Because of the haphazard file structure we decided to leave the drive as is and install windows 10 without changing the original file structure.
After we discovered we could no longer access my documents, I tried running a XP repair, Taking ownership, setting permissions to everyone, enabled inheritance and sharing the folder all of which failed.
The original account used to encrypt the files is still present on the drive, is there a way to extract the certificate form the old XP registry and import it to windows 10's active user? (This pc was never part of a domain)
windows-10 windows-xp encryption certificate
asked Feb 7 '18 at 6:30
Rhdr
11
I got a private home user that somehow??? accidentally encrypted his files with EFS. He was using windows XP and was unaware that the files were encrypted because his user account obviously had no problem accessing the files.
His XP had trouble booting and he ask me to do an upgrade to windows 10...
Because of the haphazard file structure we decided to leave the drive as is and install windows 10 without changing the original file structure.
After we discovered we could no longer access my documents, I tried running a XP repair, Taking ownership, setting permissions to everyone, enabled inheritance and sharing the folder all of which failed.
The original account used to encrypt the files is still present on the drive, is there a way to extract the certificate form the old XP registry and import it to windows 10's active user? (This pc was never part of a domain)
windows-10 windows-xp encryption certificate
windows-10 windows-xp encryption certificate
asked Feb 7 '18 at 6:30
Rhdr
11
asked Feb 7 '18 at 6:30
Rhdr
11
edited Feb 7 '18 at 9:29
asked Feb 7 '18 at 6:30
Rhdr
11
asked Feb 7 '18 at 6:30
Rhdr
11
asked Feb 7 '18 at 6:30
Rhdr
11
11
found this social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/…
– Rhdr
Feb 7 '18 at 9:38
1
If the user doesn't have the certificate, then the certificate cannot be exported, if the installation isn't working. If you could do that you would defeat the purpose of EFS. "is there a way to extract the certificate form the old XP registry and import it to windows 10's active user?" - No
– Ramhound
Feb 7 '18 at 14:51
add a comment |
found this social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/…
– Rhdr
Feb 7 '18 at 9:38
1
If the user doesn't have the certificate, then the certificate cannot be exported, if the installation isn't working. If you could do that you would defeat the purpose of EFS. "is there a way to extract the certificate form the old XP registry and import it to windows 10's active user?" - No
– Ramhound
Feb 7 '18 at 14:51
found this social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/…
– Rhdr
Feb 7 '18 at 9:38
found this social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/…
– Rhdr
Feb 7 '18 at 9:38
1
1
If the user doesn't have the certificate, then the certificate cannot be exported, if the installation isn't working. If you could do that you would defeat the purpose of EFS. "is there a way to extract the certificate form the old XP registry and import it to windows 10's active user?" - No
– Ramhound
Feb 7 '18 at 14:51
If the user doesn't have the certificate, then the certificate cannot be exported, if the installation isn't working. If you could do that you would defeat the purpose of EFS. "is there a way to extract the certificate form the old XP registry and import it to windows 10's active user?" - No
– Ramhound
Feb 7 '18 at 14:51
add a comment |
1 Answer
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oldest
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If you have a fully functioning windows xp system, see if you can do the following:
- use cipher to create a data recovery account
- use certmgr.msc to export all the EFS and DRA keys and certs
Then try importing all that into the Win10 system and see if you can decrypt some/all of the files. If the user was very sloppy, they encrypted files with several different keys over the years...and that can be quite a mess to unscramble.
answered Dec 18 '18 at 18:50
David Taber
91
The author did not have a installation that was working.
– Ramhound
Dec 18 '18 at 19:14
add a comment |
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If you have a fully functioning windows xp system, see if you can do the following:
- use cipher to create a data recovery account
- use certmgr.msc to export all the EFS and DRA keys and certs
Then try importing all that into the Win10 system and see if you can decrypt some/all of the files. If the user was very sloppy, they encrypted files with several different keys over the years...and that can be quite a mess to unscramble.
answered Dec 18 '18 at 18:50
David Taber
91
The author did not have a installation that was working.
– Ramhound
Dec 18 '18 at 19:14
add a comment |
If you have a fully functioning windows xp system, see if you can do the following:
- use cipher to create a data recovery account
- use certmgr.msc to export all the EFS and DRA keys and certs
Then try importing all that into the Win10 system and see if you can decrypt some/all of the files. If the user was very sloppy, they encrypted files with several different keys over the years...and that can be quite a mess to unscramble.
answered Dec 18 '18 at 18:50
David Taber
91
The author did not have a installation that was working.
– Ramhound
Dec 18 '18 at 19:14
add a comment |
If you have a fully functioning windows xp system, see if you can do the following:
- use cipher to create a data recovery account
- use certmgr.msc to export all the EFS and DRA keys and certs
Then try importing all that into the Win10 system and see if you can decrypt some/all of the files. If the user was very sloppy, they encrypted files with several different keys over the years...and that can be quite a mess to unscramble.
answered Dec 18 '18 at 18:50
David Taber
91
If you have a fully functioning windows xp system, see if you can do the following:
- use cipher to create a data recovery account
- use certmgr.msc to export all the EFS and DRA keys and certs
Then try importing all that into the Win10 system and see if you can decrypt some/all of the files. If the user was very sloppy, they encrypted files with several different keys over the years...and that can be quite a mess to unscramble.
answered Dec 18 '18 at 18:50
David Taber
91
answered Dec 18 '18 at 18:50
David Taber
91
answered Dec 18 '18 at 18:50
David Taber
91
answered Dec 18 '18 at 18:50
David Taber
91
91
The author did not have a installation that was working.
– Ramhound
Dec 18 '18 at 19:14
add a comment |
The author did not have a installation that was working.
– Ramhound
Dec 18 '18 at 19:14
The author did not have a installation that was working.
– Ramhound
Dec 18 '18 at 19:14
The author did not have a installation that was working.
– Ramhound
Dec 18 '18 at 19:14
add a comment |
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found this social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/…
– Rhdr
Feb 7 '18 at 9:38
1
If the user doesn't have the certificate, then the certificate cannot be exported, if the installation isn't working. If you could do that you would defeat the purpose of EFS. "is there a way to extract the certificate form the old XP registry and import it to windows 10's active user?" - No
– Ramhound
Feb 7 '18 at 14:51