unable to recover NTFS(EFS) partition

[angadsingh007]

Here's my problem:

I bought my new hard disk 1 week ago. I installed Windows XP SP2 onto the new hard disk after basic partitioning. I just copied data from the old hard disk to the new one.. except one partition on the old hd. That partition is an NTFS partition with EFS enabled, all files on it were encrypted. I used acronis "Copy partition" feature to copy the whole partition as it is to the free space of the new hd. Now the problem is that I cant even open that partition in the new XP installation and not even in the old one. I didnt know this would happen and I wiped out the old hd and later came to know about this . I still have the old windows installation (I copied that partition on the new hd too, just in case). I also know my previous installation's username and password. I've tried recovery using Acronis RecoveryExpert, GetDataBack for NTFS, and even the RAW recovery of EasyRecovery Pro.

Please help me. I have very important data on that EFS partition.

Thanks in advance

Edited June 11, 2005 by angadsingh007

[D.Celt]

Let's get this straight. You have 2 disks, a new one with 2 partitions, one of which is installed with a new clean XP & the other with your previous installation that was on a different drive. The second disk is now blank. Correct me if I'm wrong.

You need to access an efs folder created on another installation and the only way to do that is to log onto the old install & decrypt the folder from there. Can you be more specific about why you can't log onto the old install?

[bone]

The encrypted partition can be opened in your old windows installation.

And then copy the file to the unencrypted partition.

Edited June 12, 2005 by bone

[angadsingh007]

Let me make my situation a little clearer

NOW at the moment, I have 2 hard disks. Old one is "wiped", and formatted into one single partition. I had my EFS drive on the old partition. BEFORE wiping and formatting the old drive, I had copied both my EFS drive and my old windows installation onto the new hard disk. On the new HD, apart from these 2 partitions there is another partition on which i made a fresh installation of windows XP. Now the problem is that I cant access the EFS drive even from the old windows installation (which i run from the new hd). I also want to tell you that I had resized the EFS partition (on the new HD), if it makes a difference.

Thanks for your support

Looking forward to a solution

Edited June 12, 2005 by angadsingh007

[jaclaz]

Sorry to say this, but I think is too late for anything.

The only solution could be this one:

http://www.elcomsoft.com/aefsdr.html

jaclaz

[angadsingh007]

Why is it too late ?

I know about AEFSDR....... but the problem the drive is inaccessible....it says "Access Denied" when i try to open the drive...and so AEFSDR is unable to decrypt/recover any file.

Edited June 12, 2005 by angadsingh007

[dman]

Boot into your old installation then...

First, disable simple file sharing so you can set permissions on folder, then right click on drive, go to properties then security tab. Under group and user names click add then choose "Everyone". you should now have access to the drive.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...kb;EN-US;307874

Edited June 12, 2005 by dman

[Whimsy]

By design, EFS is not feasably recovered. It is keyed to your user account and your Windows installation. Changing folder permissions will not make a difference.

Reconstructing your data would take centuries. When you erased that hard disk, you erased any feasable way to restore it.

Read this:

Why your data is gone

How to be safe in the future

You have my condolences.

Edited June 12, 2005 by Whimsy

[D.Celt]

Why is it too late ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you can't log onto the old install then it's too late.

[angadsingh007]

Reconstructing your data would take centuries. When you erased that hard disk, you erased any feasable way to restore it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have erased the old hd. But I told you that I had also copied the EFS partition from the old HD to the new one before erasing the old HD, so you misunderstood me there.

Why is it too late ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you can't log onto the old install then it's too late.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Before erasing the old HD, I had also copied the partition (on which the old windows install resided) to the new HD. So I CAN logon to the old install, but the only difference is that its now located on the new hd.

Thanks for the support guys, but there is just a small misunderstanding here.

I still have the EFS partition intact (not erased or anything) and I CAN login to the old install

Waiting for a response

Edited June 14, 2005 by angadsingh007

[angadsingh007]

Boot into your old installation then...

First, disable simple file sharing so you can set permissions on folder, then right click on drive, go to properties then security tab. Under group and user names click add then choose "Everyone". you should now have access to the drive.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...kb;EN-US;307874

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks a lot man . No, files not recovered yet, but im now able to open the drive atleast and I can see the folders in it. Now I'll try recovery with AEFSDR.

[net_user]

what about using ghost to make a image of the efs drive.

then use ghost explorer to recover the data that way.

[D.Celt]

Thanks a lot man  . No, files not recovered yet, but im now able to open the drive atleast and I can see the folders in it. Now I'll try recovery with AEFSDR.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you can log into the old install and now access the folder, it should just be a matter of removing the encryption attribute to gain access to the files within.