Axcrypt has stopped responding to encryption command

[Calisson]

Until July 2 I had been using Axcrypt (free version) successfully to encrypt single files. Suddenly it stopped responding to either right clicking on the file and choosing Axcrypt>Encrypt from the context menu, or adding a file via the user interface. I am signed in to my account, and my password was accepted. Tech support said uninstall to the software, reboot my computer, and reinstall, and I have done all that, to no avail. They have not replied to my follow up email with the information below.

What I have done so far:

I uninstalled Axcrypt, rebooted my PC, went to the Axcrypt website and downloaded a fresh new version of Axcrypt, reinstalled it, and the problem persists. I cannot encrypt a file. I even went to my Bitdefender interface and specifically whitelisted Axcrypt, meaning, I gave Axcrypt express permission to change files, although the file I want to encrypt is not in any of the protected folders, and those two programs had worked fine together until 7/2/18, when I last successfully encrypted a file. This is my error report.

———– Exception at 2018-07-17 16:55:40Z ———–

System.Net.WebException: Unable to connect to the remote server —> System.Net.Sockets. SocketException: No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it 127.0.0.1:53414
at System.Net.Sockets.Socket. DoConnect(EndPoint endPointSnapshot, SocketAddress socketAddress)
at System.Net.ServicePoint. ConnectSocketInternal(Boolean connectFailure, Socket s4, Socket s6, Socket& socket, IPAddress& address, ConnectSocketState state, IAsyncResult asyncResult, Exception& exception)
— End of inner exception stack trace —
at System.Net.HttpWebRequest. GetRequestStream( TransportContext& context)
at System.Net.HttpWebRequest. GetRequestStream()
at Axantum.AxCrypt.Mono. HttpRequestClient. DoRequestInternal(String method, String content, WebRequest request)
at Axantum.AxCrypt.Mono. HttpRequestClient.Dispatch( CommandServiceEventArgs command)
stClient.DoRequestInternal( String method, String content, WebRequest request)
at Axantum.AxCrypt.Mono. HttpRequestClient.Dispatch( CommandServiceEventArgs command)

 

Any suggestions?
Thank you.

[Calisson]

PS the version I downloaded is 2.1.1560.1

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Calisson,

AxCrypt works by having one instance of itself always running, that’s how it can stay signed in and keep track of files and events etc.

Some operations, notably those that are initiated from Windows Explorer, cause a secondary instance of itself to be launched. This secondary instance “talks” to the primary instance by connecting locally via TCP/IP (it’s a simple and fairly universal mechanism).

The error message indicates that it comes from a secondary instance trying to “talk” to the primary instance, but failing. AxCrypt uses port 53414 for this.

So, first of all – if you can start AxCrypt and sign in using it’s own window, not via Windows Explorer, that should still work fine. Do this by clicking the Windows or Start button, type “AxCrypt” and launch AxCrypt.

The actual problem is likely to be caused by a firewall blocking the use of TCP/IP, even internally in your computer. Please check any anti-virus software you have (many include a firewall) and the Windows built-in firewall.

[Calisson]

I actually had already tried launching Axcrypt directly, as I have a shortcut to the executable on my desktop. Doing that allowed me to sign in with my password but did not fix the issue. However I will try again when I am at work on Monday, where the PC in question resides.

[Calisson]

I retried what you suggested above–nothing. Meanwhile I sent a complete error report to Axcrypt tech support.

[Calisson]

I SOLVED THIS PROBLEM!

I noticed something particular: Axcrypt still would encrypt .docx and .pdf tiles, for example. What it would not encrypt is a particular kind of file that it was able to encrypt perfectly well until 7/2/18. This file contains sensitive data from a therapy billing program and is in *.bak format. It contains data from a therapy billing program called Office Therapy, and I have to back up my data daily, and encrypt it for HIPAA reasons. I don’t know why Axcrypt suddenly on 7/2/18 stopped being able to back up this particular file format.

HOWEVER I found that if I copy this file from its original SQL database folder onto my desktop, or into Dropbox, Axcrypt encrypts it without difficulty! Somehow in its native location there was some new restriction, but by moving the file I found a workaround which will be adequate.

In the future if anyone who uses Office Therapy writes saying they cannot encrypt their *.bak backup files, they can copy the file to their desktop (or somewhere else) and encrypt it in that location.

Calisson

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Calisson,

Thank you very much for that information! We’ve logged a bug for that here https://bitbucket.org/axantum/axcrypt-net/issues/427/cant-encrypt-sql-server-backups-in .

Some follow-up question. Just exactly how does not work in the original location? I know you write at the top about connection refused etc, but I really don’t think that’s what’s happening.

Can you describe just what happens when you try to encrypt the file in it’s original location?

 

 

[Calisson]

I am responding to an email I received today, but this answer now might appear out of sequence.

 

Hello, what happens when I try to encrypt the file in its native folder is literally *nothing,* unless I have not logged in, and then I am asked for my password. So I enter my password, and it is accepted. Normally I then right click on the file, choose Axcrypt>encrypt. For a few seconds the file gets an extra suffix, *.tmp, and then that changes to *.axx.  When the file is in the native location, neither of these last two steps happens. Nothing changes. I receive no error messages of any kind. When I move the file to my desktop, it all proceeds as it should, as I just described.

On Jul 31, 2018, at 5:04 PM, AxCrypt – File Security Made Easy <noreply@axcrypt.net> wrote:

 

Svante wrote:

Hello Calisson,

Thank you very much for that information! We’ve logged a bug for that here https://bitbucket.org/axantum/axcrypt-net/issues/427/cant-encrypt-sql-server-backups-in .

Some follow-up question. Just exactly how does not work in the original location? I know you write at the top about connection refused etc, but I really don’t think that’s what’s happening.

Can you describe just what happens when you try to encrypt the file in it’s original location?

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Post Link: https://forum.axcrypt.net/forums/topic/axcrypt-has-stopped-responding-to-encryption-command/#post-10960

———–

 

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Calisson,

Final (?) question… When you say ‘move’, is that literally moving the file? (there’s a difference…) Or do you copy it? And, most importantly, do you change the extension from .bak?

[Calisson]

Svante wrote:

Hello Calisson,

Final (?) question… When you say ‘move’, is that literally moving the file? (there’s a difference…) Or do you copy it? And, most importantly, do you change the extension from .bak?

When I say I moved the file, I copied and pasted it to the desktop and later to Dropbox (again, from the original location); it worked both ways. I did not simply drag it to the new location (or at least I don’t think I did, and I am at home now where I do not have this software to test it out).  Before I discovered that relocating the file was a fix I had previously tried changing the extension to .txt, thinking maybe it was the extension itself that was the issue, and that did not work.  I also gave myself all the permissions in the original folder/file location, but that did not solve the problem either. Only relocating the file worked. I did not change the .bak extension in the end.

I want to call the company that makes the software (DocuTrac) and see if they have any idea what changed at their end after July 2, because as I said, until then I had no trouble encrypting the .bak  files in their native location. Or maybe some Windows update did something to SQL folders?

Calisson

[Calisson]

Dragging the file from the native folder to the desktop worked just as well as copying and pasting. I called the Office Therapy Tech support and the person I spoke to could find no reason why within its native folder I could not encrypt it. She logged onto my PC and reviewed all the permissions, etc., and said nothing had changed at their end recently.

One more thing of note: when I thought Axcrypt would not work at all, I downloaded 7-zip, and that software actually is able to zip and encrypt the .bak files without my having to move them from their home folder. I prefer the UI of Axcrypt, however.

Calisson

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Calisson,

Once again, thank you for your efforts to give us this detailed information. We’ll see if we can figure it out ;-)

Could you give us the full path to the file in question (I don’t think there’s anything sensitive there)?

[Calisson]

[Calisson]

Here is a screenshot. I thought I had posted one an hour ago, but I don’t see it.

[Calisson]

Oh! There it is! So now you have two!

[Author]

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