Windows 10: Create a EFS certificate

Hi, my name is Robert, I want to start the post my telling my problem.

31 of March I updated Windows and it seemed that for some reason stopped working, even not showing the log-in screen, so as I tried to use the restore function and didn't worked I proceeded to format my disk drive C, the thing is that I had important data on that drive which I could recover using another pc, the bad part is that for some other reasons the data is encrypted thus I can't decrypt it because I don't have any certificate (need to mention that this data was encrypted 2 years ago and also decrypted a year later when the security reason behind the encryption was gone, for that I deleted the previous certificate as I don't need it anymore) the data was passed to portable HDD, and today when I was going to copy the data back to it's original computer it appears encrypted.

So my question is if there's some option to make a certificate to access those files, need to mention that I have in my possession the password used to encrypt the files in the first place.

Any question regarding the problem mention before I'll happy answer them. Any help is well received.

:)

 

EFS Certificate issue!!!!


I had the same issue. I'd encrypted some files using EFS. I did a clean install of Windows 10, forgot to migrate the previous certificate (it doesn't do this by default) almost resigned to the fact that all my encrypted migrated files where locked forever. All I'd done was import the WRONG certificate, one of three I had backed-up on an external drive (.pfx). Check the "thumbprint" (details/properties tab) of the files you EFS encrypted and can't open, against all Certificates you've created (saved externally or imported to your Personal store in Cert Mgr, must have passwords too) - hopefully you'll find a match. Good luck.

 

EFS Certificate issue!!!!


Hi. Here's what happened.

I encrypted my files with EFS a while ago and I THINK I backed up the certificate.
I moved a bunch of files over to a new HDD, copied the User folder from the old SSD, ran Samsung Disk Erase Manager on the SSD, and installed New Windows 10.
Of course, some of the files are still encrypted.
I tried opening the certificate I saved in an attempt to decrypt the files, but it either didn't work, or the certificate isn't getting accepted/recognized(I checked certmgr.msc it doesn't show up).

Is there anything that I could possibly do?
I have found the User/app data/my certificates folder with TWO certificates (not in standard cert file format though). Can I use these somehow?

Is there any way for me to completely recover my old OS or anything? I've only written ~20gb of new data on the SSD after I erased it.

I would appreciate any help. Thank you.

 

EFS

Also try regenerating a new EFS certificate manually.

But before you do that make sure all your files you have turned OFF the EFS if it happens to be on or else you will be locked permanently out of those files.

Once you do that go to search and type certmgr.msc

Then open up the console and go to Personal - Certificates.

Find the one with intended purposes of EFS and delete it.

Close certmgr.msc

Then try EFS encrypt again.