How to decrypt files encrypted with AxCrypt 1.x using a key?

[RP]

I have a large set of files encrypted with AxCrypt 1.x using a key generated by AxCrypt.

I downloaded and installed AxCrypt 2 FREE version. I can’t see any option to browse to the key and decrypt old files.

 

 

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello RP,

It’s behind the ‘More…’ button. We used to have the file key button available directly, but that caused massive confusion by many users, even though they’d been using AxCrypt 1 for a long time.

[RP]

So if the file is encrypted using a key then this MORE button is visible else it is not visible. Am I correct?

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello RP,

If a file is encrypted by AxCrypt 1, and with a different password than you use to sign to AxCrypt 2, yes the More… button will be displayed.

We don’t really know if a key file was used or not, there’s no way to know that, but if the file is encrypted with version 1, it could be so we need to offer that option.

[RP]

You mean in version 2 encrypt with key option is not there? Or it is available only for Premium users?

[SvanteSpectator]

Yes RP, The key files feature is discontinued in version 2. It may come back in a different form using hardware tokens as carrier of a full strength key, but for now we do not support it in version 2. It was seldom used, and the added security is very small compared to a good and strong password in the sense that you can’t reasonable break either. If it takes 100 years to crack a single strong password used with AxCrypt, there’s not much benefit in a full strength key – even if the time then is more like perhaps several 1000 years or a million years or whatever. A good strong password is strong enough for most situations, and the key file feature has confused more users than it has been used.

[Author]

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