Cannot remove protection–Axcrypt says file is open in another program

[Chuck]

When I right click on a file in the Axcrypt list and select stop protecting and remove from list, a dialog box opens and says that the file is open in another application.  It is not. It was opened in Windows 10 Microsoft “Photos” app, but it was closed, and task manager does not show Photos as running. File is a .JPG.  How do I remove Axcrypt protection?  I can open it and create a copy, but Axcrypt is not allowing me to remove the protection.

 

Thanks very much.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Chuck,

This typically means that the file is locked by some application or another. This utility: http://www.dr-hoiby.com/WhoLockMe/ can help find out just which one. The home page is ugly, the software is old – but has worked really well in the past. I have no relation to the developer, but I have used it personally.

(It’s also possible to do the same using the resource monitor, but it takes a little more skill, but it is built-in. The following description is for Windows 7, but should work in a similar way for Windows 10: https://www.winhelponline.com/blog/resource-monitor-find-process-locked-file-windows-7/ .)

[Chuck]

Hello Svante

Thank you so much for your reply.  I will look at the resources you suggested.  Is this a common issue?  Something locking a file, preventing Axcrypt from removing protection?  I am new to Axcrypt and exploring the features/use.  Unfortunately, I could not find a “user manual”.  It appears to me that the only difference between the standalone version (which I am using) and installer version is the right-click functionality–and perhaps installation on the start menu? Is that correct?  And in if installed with the installer, I presume there will be an uninstall routine available in control panel?

I also want to better understand what added functionality the subscription model brings.  The FAQs mention that it is because there is server access.  Is that just for storing passwords and sharing files? And is there a limit to server storage?   Or, are any of my files uploaded routinely too the server or do they remain local at all time?   If I do not need sharing or password storage, perhaps the standalone is sufficient.  Trying to get an understanding of just what added functionality comes with (1) installer free version and (2) subscription version.

Thanks so much for your assistance.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Chuck,

You have understood the difference between standalone and installer version perfectly.

The problem with other software locking a file is that the file is locked. It’s not so much that AxCrypt is stopped from decrypting it, it’s that any other software than the one doing the locking is prohibited from modifying or deleting the file – which of course includes AxCrypt. Most softwares will let go of a file once they are done, but some are not so easy to understand when they really are done…

The subscription version offers quite a few additional features. Please check out https://forum.axcrypt.net/pricing/ for a comparison chart.

[Chuck]

The locked file message was coming from the Axcrypt window,not a system message.  Now I have a major problem—-Axcrypt was hanging, so I tried to kill Axcrypt with Task Manager.  It would not kill.  Tried to restart my Windows 10 system—hung on restart.  So I hard rebooted.  Tried to start Axcrypt and it is hung/non-responding.  Cannot kill it in task manager.  Now none of my Office 365 programs will start/run and Axcrypt will not run.  If I try, it “non responds”, cannot be killed in task manager and I must hard reboot the system.

I had the standalone version of Axcrypt so I presume there is no uninstall routine in control panel.  The Axcrypt executable is just sitting on my desktop.  If I try to start, it crashes again, “non responding” and I cannot kill it in Task Manager.  Does the freestanding executable install any entries in the registry?  How do I fix this?  Delete the executable from my desktop and download again?  Any ideas what Axcrypt may have done to Office 365?

Thanks for any help.

Chuck

Any ideas as to what is happening with task manager, why it stops responding and cannot be killed and what it may have done to the Microsoft Office 365 suite?

 

 

 

 

 

[Chuck]

Have a major problem Axcrypt seems to have caused—no Window 10 apps or features will run now.  If I right click on Windows logo and try to open any of the utility apps, none  run.  Office 365 won’t run.

Hope someone has a suggestion short of a re-install of windows.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Chuck,

Yes, the locked file message should come from AxCrypt. It’s AxCrypt who tries to open the file – and finds that it’s locked for sharing, and then displays the message in question.

I sincerely doubt that the cause of these issues is the standalone AxCrypt software as such. It’s just a single .NET executable, running without any special permissions, and doing nothing special. No, it does not write the registry.

If you kill the software with Task Manager (it should really just be easy to kill) or for that matter reboot and don’t start it, it does not and cannot affect your system in anyway. It’s just a passive file sitting in your file system. It can’t do anything unless you click it to run. No matter how problematic it could be – if it’s not running it can’t do anything to your system.

Do ensure that the software you’re getting comes directly from https://forum.axcrypt.net/ and no-where else, and that the digital signature by AxCrypt AB is correct.

[Chuck]

I wound up having to do a safe mode system restore to a date prior to running Axcrypt which was downloaded yesterday.  Here was the chain of events:  (1) Axcrypt ran fine yesterday from the Windows 10 desktop. I encrypted a test file also on the desktop.  Could not click the file to open as no open with file association was present.  (2) I could open the encrypted test file (.JPG) directly from the list  in Axcrypt.  (3) Today, I tried to open Axcrypt by double clicking–it hung, an icon appeared in the task bar but nothing was in it.  Gve it time.  Still “not responding”.  (4) I tried to kill Axcrypt in task  manager by selecting and clicking “end task”.  It would  not close after several attempts.  (5) I could  not restart Windows as it hung on “restarting” presumably because the Axcrypt process was still running and Windows could not kill it. (6) I did a hard reboot/power down.  (7) Same condition and at that point, many Windows apps were broken and would not start.  (8) Tried to do a system restore using restore point from time prior to using Axcrypt.  It failed. (9)  Did a system restore from a safe boot an it succeeded.  I have deleted Axcrypt .exe file.

Something caused Axcrypt to break and then not be able to be killed  in task  manager.  The file came from the Axcrypt site.  One thing I wondered was whether something with Norton Utility Suite might b e involved.

 

 

 

 

 

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Chuck,

Event 1) and 2) in your description are as expected and normal.

That AxCrypt might hang is of course possible – we’re not perfect, and AxCrypt like any other software has bugs.

What I find less likely is that AxCrypt single-handedly would affect your system post-reboot. It does not start automatically. You’re running the stand-alone version, so it does not even add itself to Windows Explorer.

I do not know anything about Norton except that as opposed to stand-alone AxCrypt it belongs to a class of software that actually does run automatically and injects itself into critical processes of Windows.

The point here is that while AxCrypt of course has bugs, they can’t really impact you when it’s not running. You can *use* AxCrypt to cause problems, for example by encrypting system files with AxCrypt (although we do try to detect and stop it from happening too easily).

Anyway, I am sorry you’re having problems but glad you seem to have them resolved for now.

[Chuck]

Hi Svante

Thanks for that input.  Yes, the situation was puzzling.  I am not a  coder/programmer, so I don’t know the implications of a corrupted axcrypt.exe executable.   After the first crash, every time the executable was started, even after reboot, it would hang AND could not be killed in task manager and because of that Windows would not re-start or shutdown, requiring a hard reboot.  So I have deleted that axcrypt.exe file and will download a new one and give it a try.  But I will create a restore point before doing so.

Indeed, it is puzzling as to why some Windows 10 apps/Office Apps would not execute.  I don’t know if this ties in with something in the corrupted axcrypt executable that was preventing task manager from killing it and it in some manner changed task manager.  My understanding is that axcrypt standalone does not write to the registry, but perhaps there is a .DLL or other file that was causing the issue?  Why issues would remain after reboot is certainly a  mystery.

Re the subscription version which I am looking at, can you clarify how much file storage is provided on the server?  I could not find that anywhere.  And although marketed as a  “sharing” feature, is it not basically cloud storage?  Or  is s there a time limit that the  files may remain on the server?  Thanks for any clarification on this.

Chuck

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Chuck,

Don’t think the AxCrypt.exe as such was “corrupted” – in that case it would not start at all.

When we talk about sharing in the subscription plan, it’s about key sharing embedded in the files. We are not a cloud storage provider, so no files are stored on our servers. What we do store are encrypted passwords in the password manager, and keys used to facilitate the key sharing function.

[Chuck]

Hello Svante

Thanks for that info.  I should try out the subscription plan so I can better understand the features.  The “Secured Folders” feature listed in the email I received was what was unclear to me.  I presume it is a file structure  on the server  in which you have folders with predefined fields into which password are entered?  And is the subscription software different than the freestanding free version in that is allows folder encryption?

As for my use of the term “corrupted” as to the axcrypt file I had the problem with, as I noted,  I am not a coder or programmer so perhaps that was not the correct term, but it would not open and run properly,  It started, it put an icon in the task tray but the window that would open was white with a bar at the  top and there was no functionality and it could not be killed in task manager.  Perhaps there is some other term for a program that start to fully open/run and hangs without fully opening/running.

Another question I have is as to the encryption key.  I presume nothing is stored in the acrypt file, so that if I used axcrypt to encrypt files, those files could  be decrypted on any computer running axcrypt.  For example if the system OS used to initially encrypt the files crashed and had to be reinstalled.

Thanks.

Chuck

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Chuck,

Yes, do try the Premium plan – it’s free for a month. Then you can decide.

Yes, you can decrypt an encrypted file on any computer where you have AxCrypt in some form available – as long as you know an appropriate password. There is nothing necessary stored on the local device where the encryption is made, or on our servers.

[Chuck]

Thanks Svante.  So can you help me understand how the password for decryption is set into the executable?  Is it self-contained in the executable and hence can be changed from within?   What if I download the executable to another computer?  Is the password that was set up embedded into it when I download? And how does the email address used to download the standalone executable factor into this?  Presumably, downloading an executable using the registered email address embeds the password set up into the executable? Or is the email address  just for Axcrypt contact purposes and for logging onto the server?

Thanks!

Chuck

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Chuck,

The password is encrypted using your password, and your AxCrypt ID public key and key sharing recipients public keys if relevant. The downloaded executable is entirely generic and does not contain anything else such as your email or password in any form.

The email is used to sign in, to tie the license to the user and most importantly – to lookup other recipients AxCrypt ID public keys when key sharing.

[Author]

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