Can't open existing Axcrypt files with latest version of Axcrypt

[Richard Long]

Svante,

So, you are telling me that when I installed AxCrypt 2 and told I needed an account I should have assigned a password equal to my passphrase of my V1 files? Then when I get to step 66 in your dialog to sign in I would simply give that password=passphrase and will never be asked again for a pass phrase while I am still in session. Correct? Did I miss an installation piece of documentation that described this, specifically, to make my ACCOUNT password = my V1 Passphrase? I am assuming since I had both a password for AxCrytpt signin and a different passphrase that is why I received two prompts for the first file opened in a new session? Because the second prompt never notified me that the file I was opening did not have a matching passphrase as the one I entered on the signin, I assumed naturally that the ACCOUNT signin was UNIQUE from the passphrase and I was now supposed to enter the FILE passphrase which could be unique itself from other files I have. For example, I could have one passphrase for spreadsheets and another for word documents and a third for stock confirmations, etc. Why would I do such a thing? I personally wouldn’t, but a secretive person, maybe one with different levels of security, say confidential versus top secret, might want this. In this case the account sigin password would NOT suffice s a file passphrase and an additional prompt would be required.

I guess I missed the instructional text that explained all this. Especially that normally I should make the ACCOUNT password equal to to V1 file passphrase. I hope you can now understand some of the confusion. But, personally, I do NOT want to put my local file passphrase out on the Internet.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hi Richard,

You may be right that we could try to be more clear during the sign up, and also when the file password dialog is displayed.

On the other hand, you should have noticed that as you opened old V1 files, and was prompted, that just happened the once – since they are automatically upgraded to V2, and with the new sign in password.

All of this is only an issue for existing users of V1, for new users of V2 it’s all very natural and easy to use. We’re continuously working in trying to ease the transition for existing users. Not quite there yet, it’s a work in progress. It turned out to be much harder than expected.

[Richard Long]

“On the other hand, you should have noticed that as you opened old V1 files, and was prompted, that just happened the once – since they are automatically upgraded to V2, and with the new sign in password.”

Unfortunately not true Svante. Here’s an example of how I set up V2:

1. V1 files use PassPhrase=XYZ

2. Installed AxCrypt2 and Created ACCOUNT password = ABC

3. Opened V1 file and prompted for ACCOUNT signin password = ABC. Then prompted again, this time for file PassPhrase=XYZ

4. Opened a second V1 file and it opened without any prompting assuming that the PassPhrase I had for V1, i.e., XYZ was satisfied by the 2nd prompt in step 3 above. And so on.

I have no clue where the ACCOUNT signin password fits in with the oping and encryption of files that depend on a PassPhrase.

Please explain how the signin ABC password is used in file decryption and encryption vs. the file PassPhrase. I took the signin step as just an additional security step to notify AxCrypt that I am the user and nobody else. Are you telling me the files are being encrypted/decrypted with the signin password and not the PassPhrase (which was different)?

[SvanteSpectator]

Hi Richard,

Your steps 1 – 4 are all correct. However… Continuing….

5. Sign out of AxCrypt and Windows.

6. Sign in to Windows.

7. Double-click one of the previously V1-encrypted files opened in step 3 or 4.

8. AxCrypt prompts you for the sign in password, i.e. “ABC” above.

9. The file opens without further prompting, because step 3 or 4 above caused the V1-encrypted file to be re-encrypted as a V2-file, using the sign in password “ABC” instead of the old V1 file passphrase”XYZ”.

[Richard Long]

Oh. So if I never had a V1 file and start new with only V2 files I would see ONLY the signin prompt which would be the online account signin and the file encryption/decryption code (ABC in example). So, now all my V2 files are accessible via the ABC signin password. If I have 10 files that way and now change my signin password to DEF and encrypt/decrypt 5 new files, would I now be able to access the first 10 also with just DEF signin? In other words, ABC is forgotten and never ever used again and never was attached to any specific file? So, for V2 the signin password is King and regardless of the number of times it is changed, all V2 files are accessible with current signin password. Am I getting there?

But for V1 files, I of course need the V1 PassPhrase the FIRST time I access them using V2. It’s only for V1 files that I receive an additional prompt for it. After that, it becomes V2 and once signed in via signin password I’m not asked again ever for the PassPhrase. It’s starting to sound comprehensible now.

Let’s consider all the above PART 1. Do I now have Part 1 correct?

Now begins Part 2 clarification re TimeStamps in V1 only with KeepTomeStamp=1 set:

FACT 1: After testing I discovered if I double-click to open OR first decrypt then open to application, the subsequent encryption date changes ONLY when the inside file is actually modified; plus, every time it is modified in this way, both the inside file timestamp and the encrypted timestamp become the new date modified. Neither the inside nor encryption date changes if not modified.

Conclusion: KeepTimeStamp=1 works as I expected and satisfies both my incremental backup scheme AND allows the dates to be used for my backward searching for file by specific date. I like V1 implementation.

FACT 1: As I think I now understand V2, The timestamp of the encrypted file, not necessarily the inside file unless modified, always changes to the date the encrypted file is double-clicked OPEN or decrypted. The inside file date will only change when modified.

Conslusion: I will no longer be able to backward search for an inside file date by using the encryption date. Plus, even though I might not change the inside file, it will always be backed up depending on the new Encryption date.

And you may have thought old dogs could not learn new tricks. Unfortunately, I opt for V1 unless I decide to go back over 15+ years of saved files and change the names to include a meaningful timestamp.  What do you say re Part 2 analysis?

Final Conclusion. If I were a new user of AxCrypt 2 I’d jump to use your product. I have always been satisfied with AxCrypt and certainly appreciated your excellent support. Except for those V1 users who manage files like I do for both back and searching backward in time, which I would say are slim at most, I would also jump onto V2. Unfortunately for those V1 users who have a file management scheme like me, a little more work overall must be considered. I could probably come up with a new file management scheme and employ it in days if desired. thanks for allowing me to understand what I have to do.

Please tell me I have it correct now :-)

 

[SvanteSpectator]

Hi,

You might actually want to *try* these things out with the software… After all, the truth is out there – in the form of how the software actually behaves. It might be easier to understand by actually doing and observering.

You’re almost there with “Part 1”. The tech behind password change has some more nuances, but essentially you’re correct. Once a file is encrypted with V2 it’ll be openeable with any password that you change to, with some caveats about offline mode of operation and moving to new PCs. (It’ll also be openable with the password that was in effect when it was last encrypted).

You’e still not there with “Part 2”. I don’t really know how I can say this any more clearly?

– V1 “Keep Time Stamp” only has effect when encrypting a file for the first time. Only. Not otherwise.
– V2 and V1 has the exact same behavior when opening already encrypted files, except…
– …for the special case where V2 opens a V1 file, and causes an automatic re-encryption to V2 thus updating the encrypted file time stamp.

I’m afraid this is where I’ll have to leave the time stamp discussion.

I maintain that the V1 “Keep Time Stamp” registry setting was a mistake from the start. My bad. It was originally default, then I took it away because I realized it was a mistake, but kept it as a “hidden” registry setting for backwards compatibility. That was perhaps also a mistake. I should have treated it as the bug it is and just fixed once and for all. But I have now in V2. Sorry for this.

Good luck!

[Richard Long]

Part 2 Fact 1: This is actual *trying* and this is what resulted. HOWEVER, what I apparently started with was a file that was created with V1 BEFORE KeepTimeStamp=1 was set. Then as I went through the procedures of opening, editing, closing, open editing, closing the report was as I stated and my conclusion was based on that.

However, before any more panties get ruffled, I now did an additional test where instead of operating on a previously encrypted file where KeepTimeStamp=0, I created a NEW file this time while KeepTimeStamp=1 set. And the results differ from the other test in that the Encryption date REMAINS as FIRST encrypted as you said regardless of the number of modifications (reflected in the inside file ONLY). I believe #2 is the scenario you are describing.

Thus:

1. If the file was originally encrypted with KeepTimeStamp=0, and then the test operations are done, the results are as I stated. *try* it.

2. If a NEW file created while KeepTimeStamp=1, then the same operations are done against this file the result as you stated.

Since a lot of my old files are like #1 and some are like #2, I now have a mixture which now render my file management using KeepTimeStamp=1 use bogus. It took a while to discover this despite actually *trying* them using the software. I hope you can see the confusion since I was always testing #1 files above (15+ years worth at least) and just now did #2.

We can now end the discussion. I now understand enough nuances and have to rethink what to do with the files and timestamps I have. Thanks for the direction that got me to these last *results* and conclusions.

 

[SvanteSpectator]

Hi Richard,

Thanks for a long and interesting discussion. As a summary, for future viewers, I’d like to summarize and insist on the following, which fully explains all behavior:

– V1 “Keep Time Stamp” only has effect when encrypting a file for the first time. Only. Not otherwise.
– V2 and V1 has the exact same behavior when opening already encrypted files regardless of V1 “Keep Time Stamp” setting, except…
– …for the special case where V2 opens a V1 file, and causes an automatic re-encryption to V2 thus updating the encrypted file time stamp.

[gm]

HI to all,

 

Yesterday I try to open as usual some file crpyted with Axcrypt version  1…… and it did not work, it seemed that the pwd was not correct, I have never changed the pwd , neither created a  Key-file. Nobody have access to my pc.

The only modification that I did is that I put all these crypeted files in a zip file, created a password protected zipped file with WINrar and the crypted this rar file with Axcrypt.

In any case I was not able to open this file.

So I downloaded the latest Axcrypt version and Installed it, created an ID account, receive the code via emails and son on but I am not able to open crypeted file, I double click on it and nothing happens, there is a green GUI screen with various options, menu, crypted, decrypted but nothing happens when I click anywhere, neither if I click on crypted file stored in my folder…

What’s happening?

 

thank you

regards

[Perry]

gm, the only possible explanation is your password is incorrect because AxCrypt 1 cannot suddenly change passwords. The ZIP file makes no difference to the .AXX file.

Open Notepad, type down all possibilities of your password and then copy and paste them into AxCrypt to attempt to decrypt your file.

Also make sure CAPS LOCK is turned off.

If you’ve forgotten your password it’ll be impossible to decrypt your file unless you know 99% of the characters in your password. If you do then you could attempt to brute force it – that means try every single possibility; this could take an exceptionally long time!

That’s why it’s so important not to forget your password when using encryption.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hi gm,

Could you perhaps provide a screen shot of the situation? It’s not clear just exactly what your situation is.

[gm]

Hi,

 

thanks to all for the replies, I remove AXcrypt and then reinstalled and now when I click on a file it asks for a password, I put the same pwd that was set for the old version of AxCrypt but it does not recognize it.

It’s not a big damage because in any case I can got the files again from other drives where they are not encrypted..but I cannot understand why I cannot open the files with the unique pwd that was set. for sure everything was fine before putting all these in file in a rar file…

Just for fun I will try to find a bruteforce attack password cracker and try to retreive the pwd that for sure should be the one the I set months ago, I usually set password with specific part of word and number so I can limit the research to a specific range of characters.

 

thanks again

 

gm

–

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello gm,

Not sure, but from what it sounds like you’re trying to sign in to AxCrypt using an email adress and your old file password.

Perhaps you can describe in more detail what you’re doing? Please be aware that AxCrypt 2 works a little differently than AxCrypt 1 – but it does allow you to open all AxCrypt 1 files as long as you know the password that was originally used to encrypt them.

[abe]

the app on my pc will not accept my password the website will but the app won’t can some one help?

[Bert]

abe –

• Have you changed your password? If you have then try your old password.
• Were the files encrypted with v1? If they were then use your v1 password.

[Author]

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