File Encryption & Recovery Agent? HELP!!!

[Brian]

I recently lost most of my computer due to lightning.
After a reinstall of my XP, and some new hardware, all of
my old files on the drive were encrypted and now I cannot
access them. Does any one know how to step by step set up
the administrator account to be a recovery agent? I have
looked all day on the support website and cannot find an
answer.

Please Help!?!

Thanks,
Brian

[Aaron]

http://www.compulink.co.uk/~davedorn/computing/windows/xpencrypt2.htm

If you haven't completed the steps outlined in the above link, and your
computer is/was not part of a domain, then you are probably out of luck...

Sorrry
Aaron
Atlanta, GA




"Brian" > wrote in message
...
> I recently lost most of my computer due to lightning.
> After a reinstall of my XP, and some new hardware, all of
> my old files on the drive were encrypted and now I cannot
> access them. Does any one know how to step by step set up
> the administrator account to be a recovery agent? I have
> looked all day on the support website and cannot find an
> answer.
>
> Please Help!?!
>
> Thanks,
> Brian

[Aaron]

Forgot to add:

If you had PREVIOUSLY done the steps in part 2 of the link I posted, and you
have your certificates backed up and stored away on a disk, then you can go
to part 5 and recover your files:
http://www.compulink.co.uk/~davedorn/computing/windows/xpencrypt5.htm

If you have not backed up the certificates, then you are hosed.

In that case you probably need to just suck it up, fdisk, re-format , and
re-install - and if you use EFS again, make sure you back up the certs!!!!

Aaron


"Aaron" > wrote in message
...
> http://www.compulink.co.uk/~davedorn/computing/windows/xpencrypt2.htm
>
> If you haven't completed the steps outlined in the above link, and your
> computer is/was not part of a domain, then you are probably out of luck...
>
> Sorrry
> Aaron
> Atlanta, GA
>
>
>
>
> "Brian" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I recently lost most of my computer due to lightning.
> > After a reinstall of my XP, and some new hardware, all of
> > my old files on the drive were encrypted and now I cannot
> > access them. Does any one know how to step by step set up
> > the administrator account to be a recovery agent? I have
> > looked all day on the support website and cannot find an
> > answer.
> >
> > Please Help!?!
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Brian
>
>

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Brian;
Are you sure it is not an Ownership issue:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q308421&

If the files are encrypted.
If you did not back-up the encryption key or the Recovery Agent and
are not on a domain, the files are as good as gone.
This must be accomplished while you have access to the files.

If you can restore the original profile (not recreate) you may be able
to recover the data.
Recreating profiles and passwords is irrelevant.
Contact Microsoft if you can restore the profile.
Or:
http://www.beginningtoseethelight.org/efsrecovery/index.php

EFS is very good at what it does and there is no back door.
Read and understand these links before using EFS to keep from
permanently losing your data:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/techinfo/administration/recovery/default.asp
(58 pages)
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=223316

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
An easier way to read newsgroup messages:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/newsgroups/setup.asp
Please respond to newsgroup only for everyone's benefit.


"Brian" > wrote in message
...
> I recently lost most of my computer due to lightning.
> After a reinstall of my XP, and some new hardware, all of
> my old files on the drive were encrypted and now I cannot
> access them. Does any one know how to step by step set up
> the administrator account to be a recovery agent? I have
> looked all day on the support website and cannot find an
> answer.
>
> Please Help!?!
>
> Thanks,
> Brian