Windows Folder encryption - can't get rid of encrypted attribute

On my PC's HDD I have some files encrypted by Windows Vista. Used "folder
encryption" that is in one of folder properties selected "Encrypt data..."

Folder is shown in green in explorer respectively.

In the beginning, when I copied any files from this folder to another
location (e.g. USB HDD) files became automatically decrypted, i.e. I could
read those files from USB HDD on any other PC.

But now something changed. Though I did not make any changes to security or
file system settings, files copied from encrypted folder to USB HDD stay
encrypted. That is - I can read them only on PC where I copied them to USB
HDD. On other PCs where I connect USB HDD files are not accessible.

How can I change it back? I need files copied from encrypted folder to USB
HDD to decrypt automatically, because it's backup procedure and I need them
accessible on any other PC. How can I stop encryption attribute to be copied
together with file?

When you encrypt data on your computer you will lose data if you store your
encryption key on a smart card and the smart card is damaged. You should
have backed up your encryption certificate and key. Since more than one
person uses your files, and you use a smart card to encrypt files, you
should create a file recovery certificate. This link will tell you how to do
that.

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Win...5e15e1033.mspx


--
The Real Truth http://pcbutts1-therealtruth.blogspot.com/
*WARNING* Do NOT follow any advice given by the people listed below.
They do NOT have the expertise or knowledge to fix your issue. Do not waste
your time.
David H Lipman, Malke, PA Bear, Beauregard T. Shagnasty, Leythos.




"sunorain" <sunorain@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0D04594A-525F-4002-A37C-04973B4FCB53@microsoft.com...
> On my PC's HDD I have some files encrypted by Windows Vista. Used "folder
> encryption" that is in one of folder properties selected "Encrypt data..."
>
> Folder is shown in green in explorer respectively.
>
> In the beginning, when I copied any files from this folder to another
> location (e.g. USB HDD) files became automatically decrypted, i.e. I could
> read those files from USB HDD on any other PC.
>
> But now something changed. Though I did not make any changes to security
> or
> file system settings, files copied from encrypted folder to USB HDD stay
> encrypted. That is - I can read them only on PC where I copied them to USB
> HDD. On other PCs where I connect USB HDD files are not accessible.
>
> How can I change it back? I need files copied from encrypted folder to USB
> HDD to decrypt automatically, because it's backup procedure and I need
> them
> accessible on any other PC. How can I stop encryption attribute to be
> copied
> together with file?
>

Irrelevant. I don't need to grant access to encrypted file. I just need them
DECRYPTED when they are copied. And it worked untill very recent....


"The Real Truth MVP" wrote:

> When you encrypt data on your computer you will lose data if you store your
> encryption key on a smart card and the smart card is damaged. You should
> have backed up your encryption certificate and key. Since more than one
> person uses your files, and you use a smart card to encrypt files, you
> should create a file recovery certificate. This link will tell you how to do
> that.
>
> http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Win...5e15e1033.mspx
>

You are forgetting the purpose of what encryption is. It is working the way
it is supposed to work. Maybe you did something or someone did something and
not know it so it is not irrelevant in order to read those files they need
to be decrypted to do that you need to have a recovery certificate installed
on all the other computers that cannot read the file.


--
The Real Truth http://pcbutts1-therealtruth.blogspot.com/
*WARNING* Do NOT follow any advice given by the people listed below.
They do NOT have the expertise or knowledge to fix your issue. Do not waste
your time.
David H Lipman, Malke, PA Bear, Beauregard T. Shagnasty, Leythos.




"sunorain" <sunorain@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5B558F34-7E57-4E27-BECA-EB7E3E2F555E@microsoft.com...
> Irrelevant. I don't need to grant access to encrypted file. I just need
> them
> DECRYPTED when they are copied. And it worked untill very recent....
>
>
> "The Real Truth MVP" wrote:
>
>> When you encrypt data on your computer you will lose data if you store
>> your
>> encryption key on a smart card and the smart card is damaged. You should
>> have backed up your encryption certificate and key. Since more than one
>> person uses your files, and you use a smart card to encrypt files, you
>> should create a file recovery certificate. This link will tell you how to
>> do
>> that.
>>
>> http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Win...5e15e1033.mspx
>>
>

If you must make identical posts to multiple newsgroups, please cross-post
one (1) message to all of them. Thank you.

Multiposting vs Crossposting:
http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm

You'd be much better off posting in Vista Security newsgroup instead:
microsoft.public.windows.vista.security

--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
www.banthecheck.com


sunorain wrote:
> On my PC's HDD I have some files encrypted by Windows Vista. Used "folder
> encryption" that is in one of folder properties selected "Encrypt data..."
>
> Folder is shown in green in explorer respectively.
>
> In the beginning, when I copied any files from this folder to another
> location (e.g. USB HDD) files became automatically decrypted, i.e. I could
> read those files from USB HDD on any other PC.
>
> But now something changed. Though I did not make any changes to security
> or
> file system settings, files copied from encrypted folder to USB HDD stay
> encrypted. That is - I can read them only on PC where I copied them to USB
> HDD. On other PCs where I connect USB HDD files are not accessible.
>
> How can I change it back? I need files copied from encrypted folder to USB
> HDD to decrypt automatically, because it's backup procedure and I need
> them
> accessible on any other PC. How can I stop encryption attribute to be
> copied
> together with file?

sunorain wrote:
> On my PC's HDD I have some files encrypted by Windows Vista. Used
> "folder encryption" that is in one of folder properties selected
> "Encrypt data..."
>
> Folder is shown in green in explorer respectively.
>
> In the beginning, when I copied any files from this folder to
> another location (e.g. USB HDD) files became automatically
> decrypted, i.e. I could read those files from USB HDD on any other
> PC.
>
> But now something changed. Though I did not make any changes to
> security or file system settings, files copied from encrypted
> folder to USB HDD stay encrypted. That is - I can read them only on
> PC where I copied them to USB HDD. On other PCs where I connect USB
> HDD files are not accessible.
>
> How can I change it back? I need files copied from encrypted folder
> to USB HDD to decrypt automatically, because it's backup procedure
> and I need them accessible on any other PC. How can I stop
> encryption attribute to be copied together with file?

Seriously - you should learn to cross-post. This is the third of these I
have found from you.
http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm

Things you should understand about EFS (above and beyond just the best
practices and how not to lose your data.)

... Copying a file into an encrypted folder encrypts the file, but moving it
into the folder leaves the file encrypted or unencrypted, just as it was
before you moved the file.

... If encrypted files are moved on the same type of file system (NTFS)
they stay encrypted

... if users add files to an encrypted folder the new files are automatically
encrypted.

... Moving or copying EFS files to another file system removes the
encryption, but backing them up preserves the encryption (with native
tools for sure - cannot say otherwise with any confidence.)

... If you copy your files to a CD/DVD to back them up, they will be
decrypted.

... If you send encrypted files through e-mail, the copy sent will not be
encrypted.

Nothing has changed with the EFS you are using that I am aware of. Sounds
more like you have changed the way you are doing something or the format of
the external drive.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

"Shenan Stanley" wrote:
> Seriously - you should learn to cross-post. This is the third of these I
> have found from you.

I'll do. Just needed solution fast, and still nothing, just empty talks and
meaningless trivial statements....

> Things you should understand about EFS (above and beyond just the best
> practices and how not to lose your data.)

I asked very simple and very "solitary" question - it's nice that you quote
EFS manual in response, but it's not what's needed on forum, really.


> ... If encrypted files are moved on the same type of file system (NTFS)
> they stay encrypted

I think I explained in plain language it was not like that. Main drive was
NTFS, USB HDD was NTFS and still copying from main HDD to USB HDD
automatically decrypted files and on USB HDD they were decrypted. I don't
know why and how but this is why I'm here....

problem can be solved by xcopy /g as pointed out by Old Rookie, thanks, him
for this advice. Still I'm trying to find what could make such drastic change
when I copied earlier by "normal" file manager.

sunorain wrote:
> problem can be solved by xcopy /g as pointed out by Old Rookie,
> thanks, him for this advice. Still I'm trying to find what could
> make such drastic change when I copied earlier by "normal" file
> manager.

Because you are mistaken in what you thought you were doing.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

We all make mistakes... Me too, may be too often.
But I thought this forum is rather about tech details, not philosophy :)

I'm still trying to find out why behavious changed while I used normal file
manager for file copy operations.


"Shenan Stanley" wrote:

> Because you are mistaken in what you thought you were doing.
>

sunorain wrote:
> On my PC's HDD I have some files encrypted by Windows Vista. Used
> "folder encryption" that is in one of folder properties selected
> "Encrypt data..."
>
> Folder is shown in green in explorer respectively.
>
> In the beginning, when I copied any files from this folder to
> another location (e.g. USB HDD) files became automatically
> decrypted, i.e. I could read those files from USB HDD on any other
> PC.
>
> But now something changed. Though I did not make any changes to
> security or file system settings, files copied from encrypted
> folder to USB HDD stay encrypted. That is - I can read them only on
> PC where I copied them to USB HDD. On other PCs where I connect USB
> HDD files are not accessible.
>
> How can I change it back? I need files copied from encrypted folder
> to USB HDD to decrypt automatically, because it's backup procedure
> and I need them accessible on any other PC. How can I stop
> encryption attribute to be copied together with file?


The original posts from the author on this subject:
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...2f0f67f780015/
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...022839770cffa/
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...f205d26d351c4/
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...207a331108e13/
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...6c1c172680346/
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...2e8e85862a45c/
(at least all the multi-posts I have come across so far...)


sunorain wrote:
> problem can be solved by xcopy /g as pointed out by Old Rookie,
> thanks, him for this advice. Still I'm trying to find what could
> make such drastic change when I copied earlier by "normal" file
> manager.

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> Because you are mistaken in what you thought you were doing.

sunorain wrote:
> We all make mistakes... Me too, may be too often.
> But I thought this forum is rather about tech details, not
> philosophy :)
>
> I'm still trying to find out why behavious changed while I used
> normal file manager for file copy operations.

And you have been told - you are mistaken in some fact you have presented.

If you changed nothing, the file system has remained constant on all drives,
the way you are copying has remained constant in all ways, the file/folder
permissions on all drives has remained constant - then nothing changed and
if some result did change from doing the same thing you always did without
deviation in any way, then you missed something in your carefully detailed
procedures.

The way EFS works and the copy/move procedures/results are well documented.
They have not changed AFAIK. They are a constant in this case. So if you
take the rules laid out in how copying/moving said EFS folders affects them
and apply them to any case - the factors that can change are completely
under your control... File system, method of backup, copy vs. move, etc.

Truly - next time - you should cross-post. Your answers and query would
have gone to all the same groups and you would have gotten more activity
from more people with a broader range of skills and no comments on how you
could have saved yourself time/effort, others time/effort and such. ;-)

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

note (to self? or curious cats): workaround is to use non-standard file
manager.

any MS-DOS file manager started from Windows does the trick :)

Files copied by Norton Commander from NTFS to NTFS will be decrypted on the
fly and even long file names preserved :D
Rare GUI FMs can do this as well.

ah, those professional advisors... ;)

Really?...Well so much for NTFS security.



--
The Real Truth http://pcbutts1-therealtruth.blogspot.com/
*WARNING* Do NOT follow any advice given by the people listed below.
They do NOT have the expertise or knowledge to fix your issue. Do not waste
your time.
David H Lipman, Malke, PA Bear, Beauregard T. Shagnasty, Leythos.




"sunorain" <sunorain@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:3A9EF3ED-2D6D-4F11-A09A-9A6C057B93F3@microsoft.com...
> note (to self? or curious cats): workaround is to use non-standard file
> manager.
>
> any MS-DOS file manager started from Windows does the trick :)
>
> Files copied by Norton Commander from NTFS to NTFS will be decrypted on
> the
> fly and even long file names preserved :D
> Rare GUI FMs can do this as well.
>
> ah, those professional advisors... ;)