Restoring Encrypted Backup from External Drive

Question

Hi, My hard drive recently crashed. I have made periodic backups and saved these to an external hard drive. However, I also encrypted them (by right clicking on the file, advanced, encrypt option). Unfortunately, I did not export the keys. How do I restore this backup now that the original encryption key is on the crashed drive? I cannot startup in windows xp from this drive anymore. But I am able to access the crashed hard drive using special software and was wondering if there is a clever work-around. Can I get the key file from the crashed drive and import that into xp? To summarize: - Backup of OS + SysState Data -> External Drive - Encrypt Backup on External Drive Only - Did not export keys - Hard drive crashed but has files accessible using special software - Cannot restore/decrypt Backups My flaw here was not to export the keys. Thanks for any help.

mombodog · Answer

I don't think so, this is the whole point of encryption, so data cannot be retrieved without the keys. How were the keys stored, what software did you use?

anupum · Answer

Hi,

I used Windows XP to encrypt the backups once stored on the external hard drive. In order to use this feature, one must right click on the file, select properties, click advanced, and select 'encrypt'.

Any help regarding how to get my key off my crashed hard drive or a work-around would be appreciated.

Thanks,
AK

jmwills · Answer

Without the key, those files are lost.

anupum · Answer

I have the key somewhere on the crashed hard drive... any ideas where to look? Thanks.

jmwills · Answer

Slave the old drive to the new and then look for it there.  However, you told the program where to store the file and only you know that location.

anupum · Answer

The old drive is a slave. The question is how to best locate the keys/certificates used to encrypt my files and transport that over to the master... Thanks.

jmwills · Answer

As far as I know there is no way to recover it.  It is 128 bit encryption and will be almost impossible to break.  It shoud have been saved in a file for safe keeping and then exported.

Windows General

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