Win2K File/Folder Recovery

I encrypted the contents of a file in Win2K Pro, forgot that I had done so, and then re-installed Win2K without setting up a Recovery Agent certificate prior to re-installation. I tried to set up a Recovery Agent Certificate after installing a new copy of Win2K, but was unable to retrieve the encrypted folder (perhaps I did this incorrectly?). My basic query is:

a) How can I retrieve this encrypted folder?