Need Help With New Windows 10 Installation Files and Folders

[Thebrave246]

Hey everyone I just did a clean wipe of my C:/ and before I did that moved some files and folders over to my external that I wanted to keep. Apparently I noticed afterwards these files and folders were encrypted and locked, they have the lock on the files and folders and giving me a hard time unlocking them. I used my main email address for this new clean Windows installation, not sure if it's the same as my old installation or anything, but the key and everything went through fine.

So what can I do to unlock these files and folders I brought over, everything else on my external does work though including my work files that have this lock on them.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Without the key, that was part of the old installation, I don't think there is any way to unlock them.

http://www.tomsguide.com/answers/id-3363189/open-encrypted-files-formatting-hard-drive.html

 

[Thebrave246]

I do have the windows 10 key, but I used a different Microsoft login for this Windows installation apparently, thought it was this email apparently a different one.

 

[Thebrave246]

So what are my options reinstalling a new windows install with my other Microsoft account and having access to those files or I actually have the files on my Dropbox account as well, I gotta check if those files are ok to download and use since that's the purpose of that anyway to save on a cloud and get later on.

 

[Thebrave246]

There are still some files that are locked, so let me know please what I can do about those, appreciate it!

 

[Darkbreeze]

By "key", I do not mean the product or installation key. I mean the encryption key that only Windows knew.

What did you use to encrypt the files in the first place?

 

[Thebrave246]

I didn't even know I had the files encrypted, the reason for the clean windows 10 install also is because my computer was compromised a couple of days ago some hacker got some of my information and tried to extort bitcoin from me, maybe that guy has something to do with it, not sure, some important files I put on the cloud so that's good, most of the files I did recover because I put them on the cloud anyways.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Yes, that has EVERYTHING to do with it, and is EXACTLY why those files are encrypted. There is NO way to decrypt them without the encryption key so either you take a chance that they will actually give you the key and pay them for the encryption key, or you write off the files and start again.

There is no other way. Even law enforcement can't decrypt these files most of the time and police departments across the country have actually PAID these lowlife hackers to recover their files because it was less hassle than trying to deal with the loss of them.

Lesson learned. Keep your Windows updates up to date and keep a premium malware and antivirus program on your system AND up to date, daily. Make sure it is a good antimalware program with exploit protection as well, such as the paid version of Malwarebytes or Spybot antispyware. There are others as well. I'd avoid some of them though like Norton and McAffey, as the tend to be overly bloated and full of features or processes that are simply unnecessary.

 

[Thebrave246]

Very much appreciate letting me know all of that, because that must be it then, yeah by the way I did notify the police and their is a report out about this hacker, and I even locked my credit stuff up with the major credit companies and all types of security stuff. But anyway most of the files that are encrypted are just pictures and nothing really important stuff besides what I just mentioned and took care of, which is why I didn't even think about that.

 

[Thebrave246]

And yeah I have a trial version of Malwarebytes on my PC right now and I will pay for it, it's a good service, it got rid of all the crap the hacker was using and even if it didn't the clean wipe today did the rest. I use also AVG Free, and CC Cleaner.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Well, good luck to you man. Hopefully things turn out ok.