5
votes
Accepted
Windows encrypted files can't be opened on macOS
Windows encrypts files using the transparent Encrypted File System (EFS).
The EFS encryption system is proprietary and is not supported by macOS. Therefore installing the certificate and private key ...
- 7,858
4
votes
Accepted
How to disable Encrypting File System
I wouldn't say it's correct.
EFS isn't really something you need to enable or disable globally – it's the individual files that can be marked as "encrypted" or not. Newly created files are encrypted ...
- 454k
4
votes
Accessing Windows encrypted files on another PC
EFS is designed to protect files against access in scenarios where an unauthorised user can read the hard disk, for example:
a member of the Administrators group who can change ACL permissions, or
a ...
- 350
3
votes
Can the SAM database be encrypted with EFS to prevent offline password cracking?
You probably can't, and even if you could, it wouldn't do any good.
The SAM file is always in use, and you can't even close the handles to it with Process Explorer running as SYSTEM. Therefore, ...
- 41k
3
votes
Accepted
Can the SAM database be encrypted with EFS to prevent offline password cracking?
Well, it’s simply not possible:
If you were to encrypt the file while Windows is not running, it would not use the correct EFS certificate, which will most likely break Windows.
- 63.1k
3
votes
How are individual files encrypted?
No, the actual file data is encrypted for EFS. For this the system that performs the encryption needs to be able to access the data. If a full file system offers encryption then you do generally need ...
- 1,858
3
votes
Accepted
Why does an EFS-encrypted file get decrypted when it gets uploaded to the Internet?
Because you uploaded the file.
As far as you (as a user) or any programs you run, the files are completely unencrypted.
EFS is designed to protect you against other users who have access to your ...
- 92.8k
3
votes
Will the contents of an encrypted file from a local disk be visible to others when uploaded to the Internet?
The encryption you activate is the EFS (Encrypting File System). It is designed to encrypt files while they reside on your local NTFS formatted hard disk.
The encryption is transparent to you; this ...
- 7,858
2
votes
Accepted
Are there any major risks to running a windows service as the login user?
Specifying a user account for running a system service requires specifying
the password.
The account data is stored as
LSA Private Data
in the registry under key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SECURITY\Policy\...
- 481k
2
votes
Can I give the EFS public key to others?
Yes, EFS uses hybrid encryption using per-user RSA keypairs (actually self-signed X.509 certificates), and you can import a certificate into Windows' Certificate Manager under "Other People" ...
- 454k
2
votes
Windows 8 EFS: How to tell windows to use "this" certificate for EFS encryption?
Go to Control Panel -> User Accounts -> User Accounts.
In the left menu, select:
Manage your file encryption certificates
This launches a little wizard:
that lets you view your currently ...
- 22.2k
2
votes
Can the SAM database be encrypted with EFS to prevent offline password cracking?
It is not possible to encrypt the SAM database using EFS.
But it is possible to encrypt the SAM database
The feature has existed in Windows since Windows NT 4.0 (1996): SysKey. (archive)
From a ...
- 22.2k
2
votes
EFS and encrypting new files automatically
User EFS certificates are stored in the user's profile folder, so if the entire folder was encrypted with that key, the key would be inaccessible and the user wouldn't be able to log in! Fortunately, ...
- 41k
2
votes
Access files encrypted with Windows EFS (Encrypting File System) on Linux
I was surprised to find there is a utility included in ntfs-3g called ntfsdecrypt which apparently allows you to decrypt EFS files in Linux.
ntfsdecrypt decrypts a file from an unmounted device and ...
- 737
2
votes
Windows File decryption fails after PC reset
You've reset the OS, so the encryption keys are now gone.
You have to either:
Restore the files from an unencrypted backup, or
Restore the OS from backup and decrypt your files, or
Import the ...
- 57k
2
votes
If I reset windows will it keep my EFS Certificate?
To export your private key (must be logged-in as the user that
encrypted the files, which is lost when resetting Windows):
Run certmgr.msc
Open "Personal"
Click on "Certificates"
...
- 481k
2
votes
Locked files in Windows.old Documents folder, how to grant permissions?
What is happening to this computer is illogical, but instead of trying
to fix it, I would suggest to workaround the problem.
I would suggest to boot a Linux Live USB and copy the Documents folder.
...
- 481k
2
votes
Seamless integrated encryption for Windows that also encrypts the file names?
No, it doesn't. "Seamlessly integrated" practically requires support to be built into the filesystem (like EFS is), and such feature is not built into Windows; what EFS does is all you have.
...
- 454k
1
vote
Accepted
Is the EFS key of all accounts associated with the same Microsoft account the same?
Yes, You can access files encrypted with EFS over devices associated with the same Microsoft account without exporting and installing the required Certificates.
- 2,098
1
vote
Can't export Windows 10 EFS certificate
It seems that the Private key is missing in your case, please check if there is the EFS related file under C:\Users[Yourname]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA
I have tested on my computer and ...
- 659
1
vote
Encrypting %userprofile% using EFS?
According to this article, files marked as System will not be encrypted, including the keys.
However when I tried to encrypt my user profile folder, it broke the profile. Explorer hung at various ...
- 466
1
vote
Accepted
Any way to block EFS Data Recovery Agent?
To Block EFS data recovery agent from being able to recover the encrypted files, you will need to modify your Group policy settings or Local policy settings using:
gpmc.msc (Default Domain policy or ...
- 126
1
vote
How to remove Encrypted flag when copying a file from a HDD to a USB drive?
Robocopy will do it with the /A-:E switch (E for encryption "attribute") - but not "on the fly": it does it as an (integrated) two-step process: first it does the copy (or move), ...
- 627
1
vote
How to remove Encrypted flag when copying a file from a HDD to a USB drive?
The thing that worked for me best, using Windows Command Prompt, is below (and the link where it is described). I had to use this because I had a complex folder structure and lots of files deep in the ...
- 11
1
vote
I started getting a weird message "Encrypting file system - Back up your file encryption key"
I got a bit paranoid when I saw the popup appear since I associate unwanted encryption of the disk with ransomware.
As the top rated comment recommended I did the following:
Run cmd as administrator ...
1
vote
I started getting a weird message "Encrypting file system - Back up your file encryption key"
This should not be a malware.
I had this same message, but it was from browser "Sphere", which is not malicious.
To see if it is malicious:
run CMD as administrator and type
cipher /U /N
if it ...
- 111
1
vote
How to use windows 10 personal certificates to encrypt a file
This is a correct method, however, your system has a Group Policy setting that requires every EFS-encrypted file to automatically use a second decryption certificate (the "recovery agent" certificate)....
- 454k
1
vote
EFS recovery in windows 7 after reinstalling windows
Simple answer it is not possible. You must have related certificates and User account. Although you create User name which is same to previous account it will not allow to open your files.
I don't ...
- 149
1
vote
EFS recovery in windows 7 after reinstalling windows
No. Without the private key and certificate associated with the original user (or possibly the Administrator account recovery agent key/cert) you will not be able to decrypt your files. Having a ...
- 109
1
vote
Accepted
Unable to decrypt EFS files with cipher command
I tried to decrypt a EFS file with the built-in cipher command:
cipher -d "D:\sample.txt"
Your syntax isn’t correct. The correct command is cipher /d /f "D:\sample.txt"
Cipher
- 42.8k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible