The first thing to know is what program encrypted it.Originally Posted by spankdidly
Encrypted File System. Question...
Is there anyway around this? Is there a bootable cd that can be used to dump the contents or unencrypt the files to another media. This is the encryption used in XP so other people can't mess with your stuff. I've google'd it. Someone said you can use knoppix which doesn't appear to work. I tried it with BT2F, and you can see the files in the folder, but when you click on them, it states that it is unreadable (which I assumed would happen). There are a slew of programs out there, but they require the "key" files to unlock the files.
Just curious is all. These are my files, but of course you can't trust what people say on the net anyway.
I felt like bending the bars back, and ripping out the window frames and eating them. yes, eating them! Leaping, leaping, leaping! Colonics for everyone! All right! You dumb*sses. I'm a mental patient. I'm *supposed* to act out!
The first thing to know is what program encrypted it.
I'm honestly not really sure. You right click on a folder, go to properties, click advanced, and check the encrypt contents box. It looks like it creates a certificate for that user to encrypt everything. Sorry, maybe this was a dumb question to ask.
It would be kind of pointless to encrypt files, a portion of a disk, or a filesystem if there were ways around it. The only "way around" it would be to have a copy of the key(s).
Or hope it's on a old busted unpatched system, I highly doubt that MS got their encrypted filesystem 100% right on the first go, there must have been vulnerabilities/patches at some point.
I'm a compulsive post editor, you might wanna wait until my post has been online for 5-10 mins before quoting it as it will likely change.
I know I seem harsh in some of my replies. SORRY! But if you're doing something illegal or posting something that seems to be obvious BS I'm going to call you on it.
If they're your files, how come you don't know what encrypted it?
A third party security audit is the IT equivalent of a colonoscopy. It's long, intrusive, very uncomfortable, and when it's done, you'll have seen things you really didn't want to see, and you'll never forget that you've had one.
Touche'. As far as I can tell, you need the keys in order to unencrypt. This is what's used at work. Someone said a knoppix disk will retrieve the files. This isn't the case. He probably meant permissions not encryption. I verified with my encrypted docs and it does not work. I only asked because there are a lot of ways around things, and I was wanting to see if anyone had run into this before. You'd think if it was XP encryption (not like pointsec or something) there would be a way around it.
This seems to provide some good information on the topic:
http://ls.berkeley.edu/mail/micronet/2005/0301.html
I'm a compulsive post editor, you might wanna wait until my post has been online for 5-10 mins before quoting it as it will likely change.
I know I seem harsh in some of my replies. SORRY! But if you're doing something illegal or posting something that seems to be obvious BS I'm going to call you on it.
Hey, Thank Thorin.
The only "flaw" in the design that I have found is that when a file is chosen for encryption, XP makes a temporary copy of the file during the encryption process.
This file is not securely wiped - just deleted in the usual way - marked as usable space.
So there is an outside chance that the temporary file may be found via data recovery tools.
Of course, this is always going to be a slim chance, in the grand scheme of things, but is a flaw nonetheless...
Having said that, Elcomsoft (for one example) make an EFS recovery program. I have never used it and have no idea of its efficiency.
It will only unencrypt the files if it finds the key file for the specified user you are trying to get the data from. The temporary copy thing is very interesting though. I may have to pull out my copy of 0ntrack and see.
I felt like bending the bars back, and ripping out the window frames and eating them. yes, eating them! Leaping, leaping, leaping! Colonics for everyone! All right! You dumb*sses. I'm a mental patient. I'm *supposed* to act out!
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