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Recovering Data on Hard Disk

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by aq1902

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I encrypted my "My Documents" folder in Windows XP. Later, i had to reinstall the operating system. I did not back up the security certificate and now, i cant access my files. Is there any way to undo the encryption?

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by ann777

No, there's no way to undo encryption...You have to backup the key up by exporting it to a file. Remember, if the key is lost or corrupted, any files encrypted with that key will be unrecoverable. To export a private key in Win2000, log in as administrator, and start the Local Security Policies tool by clicking Start, Programs, Administrative Tools, Local Security Policies (or by typing secpol.msc at the Start, Run command). Under Public Key Policies, click Encrypted Data Recovery Agents.In the right-hand pane, right-click the key you want to export, and choose Export from the All Tasks menu. This will start the Certificate Export Wizard, which will prompt you for some options, a password, and a location for the export file. Keep the file in a safe place, and don't loose the password! I believe that WinXP is the same.

The only way you can recover those documents is if you have a backup of the documents "before encryption," stored on a tape or any other media.

Sorry.

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