How To Recover NTFS Encrypted Files?

[noroom]

Hey there, I'm new to the board, and hopefully not posting in the wrong section.

Ok, here's the deal... I got 2 HDs, both NTFS. C was for Windows XP and progs, D for my personal files.
Some folders on D were encrypted (with that right click-> properties -> advanced... -> encrypt contents option) so that they would only be accessible from my password protected account. I then formatted C, to reinstall windows and everything. now i can access those folders anymore.

I've looked everywhere and tried to recover those files using various apps available on the net, but nothing can be recovered because i formatted, and the encryption keys were lost.

Do any of you guys know how i could recover my files? I lost all the source code to all my programming projects!

Any help is appreciated!

 

[LeeJend]

There is a thread on recovering private folders after a reformat

http://www.ntfs.org/forum/showthread.php?t=869&highlight=encrypt

but it is not looking too good for encrypted files. The MS link on encryption practices is:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tr...net/prodtechnol/winxppro/support/DataProt.asp

It sounds like you need the original encryption key which, unless you took special efforts, was stored on the C: drive and nowhere else.

The moral of the story is:

Back up everything, especially encryption keys. Note this applies to downloaded music etc. With DRM protected music files if you loose the keys you loose the product.

They tell you how in the MS link above.