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Windows Vista PFX certificate lost

Discussion in 'Legacy Windows' started by massimolivio, 2008/12/20.

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  1. 2008/12/20
    massimolivio

    massimolivio Inactive Thread Starter

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    Hello everybody,
    I have a major problem due to crash of my main hard disk. Since it happened I had to purchase a new one and re-install VISTA on it.
    Unfortunately a lot of files and pictures and movies on a second drive have been encrypted using the Personal Certificate utility provided by Vista. The certificate was resident on previous damaged Hard disk, so I do not think I can recover it.
    Does anybody knows how to remove the certificate persistent on the files I previously encrypted or a way to resolve this major matter ?

    Many thanks for any reply.

    Massimo
     
    massimolivio,
    #1
  2. 2008/12/20
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    I'm sorry to be the barer of bad news, but you are SOL. There's no way you'll be able to recover these encrypted files without your certificate.

    That's what you get for not having your certificate or recovery key backed up.
     
    Arie,
    #2


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  4. 2008/12/20
    massimolivio

    massimolivio Inactive Thread Starter

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    Many thanks for your reply. This is one of the cases that make me very upset but since I do not ,and never will, accept a "NO" as an answer I'm positive that there must be a way to recover those files. In fact, what I thinks is very simple: if it's so easy to hide documents on a windows pc , it is natural to think it will be used by the whorst criminals around, therefore no way for the men in black to recover them without the key ?
     
    massimolivio,
    #3
  5. 2008/12/20
    Admin.

    Admin. Administrator Administrator Staff

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    Do you know anything about EFS encryption? Probably not.

    If you search the 'net you could find software that might help you, but that is something we won't assist you with here (we have no way of knowing it works & they usually cost quite a few $$$). Good luck.
     
    Admin.,
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  6. 2008/12/20
    massimolivio

    massimolivio Inactive Thread Starter

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    Many thaks again, specially for the "Good luck" :)) .

    You see ??? There's ALWAYS a solution.... What I thought is that since You are the experts and I'm not probably You could reccomend a solution, even if it's an expencive sofware... I do not pretend it is "free of charge ".

    I'll try with this and if it works I'll post it here for everybody else..

    Have a nice day
     
    massimolivio,
    #5
  7. 2008/12/20
    Admin.

    Admin. Administrator Administrator Staff

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    No need to post here. We don't want information that can be used to circumvent security posted here.
     
    Admin.,
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