Windows 10: Recovering EFS encrypted files?

My Windows Laptop recently was damaged and I've had to replace it with a new similar machine. I am trying to recover some files from the original broken machine which are unfortunately not recently backed-up. Since the SSD C: drive from the old machine is undamaged and fully readable I've tried simply copying old files from this to my new PC. Unfortunately, some of the old files were encrypted with EFS on the old PC so when I try to copy those files off of the old SSD using my new PC they simply cannot be copied, presumably because of the encryption. Is there any way to recover these files

:)

 

How to decrypt/recover files that were corrupted during the EFS encryption?

During the encryption of file using EFS, the user cancelled the encryption process resulting EFS to stop midway during the encryption. Now, the user is unable to decrypt the file using his user account and recovery agent. Is there another way to decrypt/recover
the file?

 

EFS encryption

Hi, my name is Kelly, and I'm an independent consultant and I'm here to help.

I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble accessing your encrypted files after your motherboard died. Here are a few things you can try to regain access to your files:

Try logging in with the same user account: If you can still access the Windows installation on the original hard drive, try logging in with the same user account that was used to encrypt the files. This may allow you to access the encrypted files.

Use your EFS recovery agent: If you set up an EFS recovery agent when you encrypted the files, you may be able to use it to access the encrypted files. Check your EFS recovery agent certificate to see if you can use it to decrypt the files.

Decrypt the files using a backup of your EFS certificate: If you have a backup of your EFS certificate, you may be able to use it to decrypt the files. To do this, you'll need to import the EFS certificate into the certificate store of the computer you're using to access the encrypted files.

Contact a data recovery specialist: If you're unable to access your encrypted files using the above methods, you may need to contact a data recovery specialist who has experience with EFS encryption. They may be able to help you recover your encrypted files.

Note that EFS encryption is tied to the user account that encrypted the files and the specific hardware that was used to perform the encryption. If you're unable to access the encrypted files using any of the above methods, it may not be possible to recover them.

 

Can I recover encrypted files with EFS without having key.pfx file ?

Hi Michael,

The Encrypting File System (EFS) is a built-in encryption tool for Windows. It is used to encrypt files and folders on your computer. You can reverse the encryption to access your files again. To decrypt folders, follow the steps below:

• Right-click the folder or file, then click Properties.
• Click the General tab, then click Advanced.
• Uncheck the Encrypt contents to secure data checkbox.
• If you are decrypting folders, select the option Apply changes to this folder, subfolder and files.
• Click OK, then click OK again to exit the window.

Let us know if the solution above works for you.