Can't open files after upgrade

[Dennis]

I just upgraded to the new version and cannot open my existing AxCrypt files. What can I do??

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Dennis,

The new version can open all previous files. Can you perhaps explain what message you are getting? The best is if you can provide a screen shot.

How to take a screen shot is explained here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13776/windows-use-snipping-tool-to-capture-screenshots .

[Dennis]

I upgraded to AxCrypt2 and cannot open the program. I get the following message: “AxCrypt File Encryption has stopped working” “A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available.”

The worst part about this is that after first downloading this newer version, I tried to open an encrypted (by the older AxCrypt) text file containing all my passwords- it would not open. Is it possible to go back and down load the older version of AxCrypt which worked just fine? I urgently need to open my password file.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Dennis,

This is probably due to you having a broken third party software called “Lavasoft Web Companion” installed.

 

 

Please check the FAQ at http://www.axcrypt.net/support/faq/ for more information.

[Dennis]

Thank you for your prompt response to my problem. However; I do not have
Lavasoft installed on my computer.

I am fortunate to have a second computer with the prior version of Axcrypt
installed and although that computer had an older text file containing my
passwords, I am able to get by with that.

But this was a very very disconcerting experience. I am now decrypting all
other files on my alternate computer. My next step will be uninstalling all
versions of Axcrypt and finding another way to secure files in the future
unless I solve my problem with Axcrypt2 very soon.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Dennis,

You probably have Lavasoft Web Companion installed, even if you don’t know it. One way to check is to look for the file C:\Windows\System32\LavasoftTcpService64.dll . Even if you don’t find it there, it may be installed elsewhere.

If you’d like further help, please send us more info to support att axcrypt dott net.

In order to provide us with detailed information to help us help you, for this situation we’d like a full error report. Please follow the detailed instructions here: http://www.axcrypt.net/blog/send-complete-error-report/ .

[Dennis]

You were correct. I found Lavasoft under Web Companion  and uninstalled. Axcrypt2 now works. Only problem is that my important password file must have been damaged when I tried to open it after the first installation of Axcrypt2, and it is now useless. Other files open OK, but I am shaken by what happened and reluctantly am looking for an alternative to Axcrypt. Thank you for your prompt responses and efforts to help.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Dennis,

What message are you getting when you try to open your password file?

[Jonathan]

I’ve used AxCrypt for years, it’s been great.  I just installed the latest AxCrypt 2, and I cannot open my AxCrypt 1.x -encrypted files.  The file (a text file) opens but appears empty.  There are no error messages. You also modified the file…  I removed AxCrypt 2 and re-installed my old version, and it works fine, but only with an unmodified saved copy of the file from before AxCrypt 2.x trashed it.

Any suggestions? (I do not have Lavasoft-anything installed).

Thanks,

Jonathan

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Jonathan,

AxCrypt 2 opens all AxCrypt 1-encrypted files. However, we’ve seen a similar issue with some custom text file associations, specifically when .txt is associated with another program, whose only purpose is to launch a second program and then exit. This confuses AxCrypt who thinks the first program is the real program, notes that it has exited and thus concludes you’re done with the file and then remove it.

We’ll be doing something to fix this, but we’re also trying to avoid getting into the AxCrypt 1-trap of trying to ad-hoc second guess various applications weird behavior. In the end, we may simply never automatically remove files, but always use the clean up (the red broom) function.

[Jonathan]

That sounds like my situation: I have .txt files associated with runemacs.exe, which starts Emacs and probably then just exits. AxCrypt 1 mostly got it right on the launch side, but yes, I saw cleanup was sometimes problematic.  Most of the time, tho, AxCrypt 1 did the cleanup properly, too.

As soon as AxCrypt 2 is fixed I can give it a try again.

Thanks for getting back to me quickly–

[Lawrence]

As soon as AxCrypt 2 is fixed I can give it a try again.

It’s not AxCrypt that’s broken; it’s your setup.

What Svante was trying to explain to you is that AxCrypt 1 made accommodations for broken setups. AxCrypt 2 tries to load the native application instead of the forwarded application.

You can always use the decrypt feature of AxCrypt 2 instead of double-clicking on the file as this will fix your broken setup. Or you can continue using AxCrypt 1.7. The problem is your setup and the way Windows handles files.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Jonathan,

Lawrence summed it up fairly correctly (thank you).

The point is that it’s the strategy in AxCrypt 1 that *is* broken. Since it can’t determine the correct situation in every case every time, it just doesn’t work. This was a learning experience over several years in AxCrypt 1.

We’re trying to make AxCrypt 2 more robust in many ways. In this case we tried to use the very simple rule: If the launch starts a new process, we assume that when that process exits – the file is no longer in use. The relaying launcher like you have breaks that strategy.

So, the end result is we’ll probably have to give up trying to be smart. Because if we try to patch this case by being smart (like, oh the launched process launched another process as a child, then we’ll wait for the child or something like that) we’ll just be outsmarted again by some other app’s weird behavior.

You can follow the issue here: https://bitbucket.org/axantum/axcrypt-net/issues/211/file-association-with-launcher-instead-of .

[Author]

Posts