2.1 installation destroy axx-file

[Dan]

After installing 2.1 my old file.axx cannot be opened
– from 2.1 error: “file.axx is not an AxCrypt-file”
– from 1.7 (same axx-file in other computer) : “File not created in AxCrypt. Wrong GUID”

The file.axx may have been open in 1.7 when installing 2.1.

[Steve]

Another message that may be seen will refer to the GUID being incorrect. This indicates a severe error in the file to the extent that it’s not even recognized as an AxCrypt file. In most cases this is because the file is simply not a file secured by AxCrypt.

AxCrypt has some features for recovery of damaged files, but there are some limitations. You must also be careful, and start by marking the original (damaged) file as read-only, and then make a copy of it – and always only work on the copy!

Please contact support for further instructions on how to proceed.

Your protection against data loss is regular backups. Please backup all your important files – secured as well as files without security. AxCrypt is not intended to provide any protection against data loss – only against disclosure and undetected manipulation.

https://forum.axcrypt.net/support/faq/#damaged-file

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Dan,

I can assure you that upgrades / downgrades between versions is *not* the issue here. The file was damaged (or was never an AxCrypt file) before the upgrade scenario.

Under certain circumstances, this can happen with version 1.7.x – namely if the file is on a USB stick, and you remove the USB stick too quickly without using the Windows function to “remove safely”.

[Bob]

I am having a problem with AxCrypt files being opened with my password.  The PW I wrote down will open some, but not all, which to me is strange as I would think the AxCrypt PW would be the same for all.  IE, if I received an email from AxCrypt to make my PW stronger for encryption and I followed the directions to add more characters or numbers, then the PW should have changed for all my files.  Again, I can open some files, but not all.  Any help would be appreciated.

 

Bob

[Dan]

Hej Svante,

I have used ver 1.x for many years and never had problems with corrupted axx-files. Cred to that.

I’m convinced the corruption of an open file in v1.7 had to do with installation of v2.1. Maybe an enforcement to close open axx-files could be in place.

I´ll move back to 1.7 anyway, don´t need the confusement of an extra internet login.

Thanks for a good product.

[Arno]

Hoi Svante,

 

Looking at my problem with the corrupted file after an update from 1.7 to 2.1 I notice this is more common than I understand from your reply

Therefore I think its important to warn all and everybody

Please everybody, be aware that your file is in danger when updating from Axcrypt 1.7 to Axcrypt 2.1!!

Remove the encryption first on all your files, store it on a safe place, and preferably store it on several places, and than you can do the upgrade and encrypt again

Don’t upgrade before you did all the precousions, or you may loose your valuable data like I did ;-(

Axcrypt is a very nice encryption tool, especcially now a days with cloud computing, but there is no support after failures, there is a chance your data is lost forever after this update, I found out the hard way!

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Arno,

Thank you!

It is not common. To our knowledge, we have 3-4 situations where damage *may* have been caused by having a file *open* using AxCrypt 1.7 during an upgrade to AxCrypt 2.1. We’ve spent considerable time trying to reproduce the issue, but so far without success.

*If* this is an accurate description of a very infrequent event, the root cause in this case lies in AxCrypt 1.7 which then apparently under conditions we do not know, may damage a file if it is uninstalled while a file is open.

Nevertheless, you are quite right that you should exit the old program before starting an installation of the new. We will look into this and see if we can block the installation if AxCrypt is already running.

Once again, thank you.

[Author]

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