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Help! How do I access to files encrypted by Microsoft Private Folder 1.0?

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7 replies

by rmaney

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Help! I have some very important files that I put into Microsoft Private Folder 1.0. Then, my company made changes to my PC, setting up a new identity for me within Windows XP, to access a new company domain. Now, I can see the files in Microsoft Private Folder 1.0, but they are encrypted and I can't figure out how to unencrypt them. I NEED these files!

Thanks in advance for anyone's help.

Russ

7 replies

by willywarmer

the person who really owns the folder and files and ask them for the password

by rmaney

I hoped that posting a question on this forum would give me a straight and helpful answer. Instead, I get a comedian (not!) that needs to keep his day job. _I_ was the original owner of the folder and still know the password, if that helps anyone else out there that wants to be genuinely helpful.

by bthoang

You're right. You have to be the original owner of the folder or else you won't be able to access the folder without the password. The files being encrypted is just weird. Unless the person fixing your computer knows the password to your Private Folder, than he/she wont' be able to get into the folder to change the content of the files by encrypting it. Maybe you encrypted it yourself but forgot the password? I use Private Folder 1.0 and I know that you can't even add files to the folder unless you open the folder with a password first. Are all the files in the folder encrypted?

by tdeanw

I have the same issue. I had a Trojan issue and while running a clean-up the system did a hard crash. Upon restarting it created a new profile with my same log on ID. I can go into the C drive and go to user documents and there are now two users and each has it;s own private folder. I can use explorer to go into the Private folder and if you have "hidden" files set to view you will see "$E_" files for each file you have in that private folder. But you click to open and it cannot open as it is encrypted.

Do not suppose you ever found a solution to this issue of being able to see the files in the private folder but not being able to open them???

by hydroworks

1. First you need to have a working copy of microsoft private folder on a machine
2. When you run MPF you get an icon in the lower right toolbar. Right click it and select options, then import encrypted files.
3. Browse to the old MPF folder where you see the files and the _$e encryption files and import them to your new MPF folder
4. MPF will ask you for the password to your old MPF. Once you give the correct password, they should import ok and you should be able to use them as before.

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