De-crypt Encrypted files on Windows XP

1. Login as Administrator

2. Go to Start/Run and mode in cmd and click OK.

At the prompt mode cipher /r:Eagent and press enter

This prompt will then display:

Please mode in the password to protect your .PFX file:

Type in your Administrator password
Re-confirm your Administrator password

The prompt will then display

Your .CER file was created successfully.
Your .PFX file was created successfully.

The Eagent.cer and Eagent.pfx files will be saved in the current directory thats shown at the command prompt. Example: The command prompt displays C:Documents and Settingsadmin> the two files are saved in the admin folder. (For security concerns, you should house the two files in your Administrator folder or on a floppy disk).

3. Go to Start/Run and mode in certmgr.msc and click OK. This will launch the Certificates Manager. Navigate to Personal and right click on the folder and select All Tasks/Import. The Certificate Import Wizard will appear. Click Next. Browse to the C:Documents and Settingsadmin folder. In the Open dialog box, change the Files of Type (at the bottom) to personal Information Exchange (*.pfx,*.P12). Select the file Eagent.pfx and click Open. Click Next. Type in your Administrator password (leave the two checkboxes blank) and click Next. Make sure the Radio button is active for the first option (Automatically select the certificate store based on the mode of certifcate). Click Next. Click Finish. (Youll receive a message that the import was successful). To confirm the import, close Certificates Manager and re-open it. Expand the Personal folder and you will see a new subfolder labeled Certificates. Expand that folder and you will see the new entry in the right side column. Close Certificate Manager.

4. Go to Start/Run and mode in secpol.msc and click OK. This will launch the Local Security Policy. Expand the Public Key Policies folder and then right click on the Encrypted File System subfolder and select Add Data Recovery Agent... The Wizard will then display. Click Next. Click the Browse Folders... button. Browse to the C:Documents and Settingsadmin folder. Select the Eagent.cer file and click Open. (The wizard will display the status User_Unknown. Thats ok). Click Next. Click Finish. You will see a new entry in the right side column. Close the Local Security Policy.

You, the Administrator are now configured as the default Recovery Agent for All Encrypted files on the Local Machine.

To Recover Encrypted files:

Scenario #1

If you have completed the above steps BEFORE an existing user encrypted his/her files, you can log in to your Administrator account and navigate to the encrypted file(s). Double click on the file(s) to watch the contents.

Scenario #2

If you have completed the above steps AFTER an existing user has already encrypted his/her files, you need to login to the applicable Users User Account and then immediately logout. Next, login to your Administrator account and navigate to the encrypted file(s). Double click on the file(s) to watch the contents.


*Warning

Do not Delete or Rename a Users account from which will want to Recover the Encrypted Files. You won't be able to de-crypt the files using the steps outlined above.