Windows 10: Cannot access EFS Protected files after admin reset password

[Problem]:After admin reset the password for the local user account, user can no longer access the files inside the EFS protected folder.[Background]:User created a folder on desktop. The folder was EFS protection enabled Lock icon without anybody's knowledge. User did not set it. So there is no backup for the certificates and private key.PC is standalone, not joined to domain.[What have been done]:Could decrypt the folder and subfolder, but not the files, under the same account with new password.Checked the certificate linked to the protected file.Confirmed the certificate is under user acc

:)

 

admin password?

You can reset the Admin Password using Windows XP repair; See Here for step by step.

*Toast :toast:

 

Why do you need admin to add a password to a file?

Ah, you mean encrypting file using EFS. This is not password protected. it may be called "account protected". Your account has access to such files but any other account - don't.

But beware the data loss! If you will not save encryption certificate in a safe place and reinstall or reset Windows, your data will be lost, it will be impossible to decrypt them.

EFS does not require admin privileges by default. Maybe you or some installed software made some changes in the system.

 

Forgotten admin password.

Sorry but "Admin account" might be a description. Is your answer to 1 that you are signed in to the built-in account with the username Administrator or do you just mean that you are signed in to an account that has admin status [an account that you have made at some stage]?

The account to select in the list is the one that you want to reset the password to. If that is the one you are signed in to then you'll get that To change your password press Alt+Ctrl+Delete message instead [and the existing password is needed in order to do any change].

You need to be signed in to a different admin user account in order to reset the existing one's password. By the way, you will lose all your saved internet sign-in credentials by resetting it.
- You could create a new password-protected, admin-level local user account {steps given in a separate post below} then sign in to it so you could then use netplwiz to reset the original one.

Denis