V2 odd behaviour

[Paul]

Have been using Version 1 for years without any problems but switched to Boxcryptor (Classic) because of V1’s limitations.
Just installed Version 2 and, as prompted, logged in with my existing credentials.

I created a text file as a test which showed up immediately in the list but to my surprise was already encrypted even though I did not ask it to!
What password/key was used for this encryption!? and why was the file already encrypted in the first place???

I right clicked the file and selected Stop securing and remove from list, which unsecured it but it stayed on the list.
Right clicked again and the options still were Open, Remove from list but keep file secured (which it is NOT), Stop securing and remove from list (which it does not as the file stubbornly remains on the list) and Share Keys, which is a paid version feature.

Seems to me that the purpose is to get people to get the paid version but if the free version does not work as expected, there seems to be little reason to expect that the paid version does. V2 appears far from ready for Prime time and, unless there is a logical explanation for this odd behaviour, I will stick with Boxcryptor for the time being.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for posting. I’m not really sure what has happened, but obviously there’s a misunderstanding somewhere.

AxCrypt will *never* fully automatically encrypt a file, so there’s more to the story here. If you create a file in a ‘Secured Folder’ of which there’s a default ‘My AxCrypt’, it will be encrypted when you click the broom icon, exit AxCrypt or sign out (manually or automatically). Otherwise, you’ll have to ask for the file to be encrypted.

The password used for all encryption is your sign in password. (There’s more to this story as well, but that’s the simple answer).

What I think happened thereafter is actually a bug, thank you for that! You probably used the “Remove from list but keep file secured” when the file was in fact opened by an application in it’s decrypted state. That option should be disabled in this situation.

Something like this:

We’ll fix this asap. I’ve opened an issue for this bug here: https://bitbucket.org/axantum/axcrypt-net/issues/226/remove-from-recent-files-list-options-are .

If you send me your email to support@axcrypt.net, I’ll be happy to give you an addition month of Premium Trial – we do that when users report new significant bugs to us as a small token of our appreciation.

 

[Paul]

Hate to disagree but I did not ask for this file to be encrypted and yet it encrypted it.

When I saw the file in the list I tried to open it with Notepad and couldn’t read it anymore, the extension had been changed to .axx

I also did not click “Remove from list but keep file secured” but, as I indicated in my original post, clicked “Stop securing and remove from list”.  It stopped securing but did not remove it from the list, at least I interpret that to mean from the list in Axcrypt under “Recent Files”.  I also did not use the “Secured Folders” option.

Where does it get the recent file information from?

Could it be that it looks in the Windows recent file list, found the test .txt file I just created and auto encrypted it?

Very curious

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Paul,

Well… Since I wrote the code, I know what it can and can’t do and AxCrypt cannot encrypt a file just becuase it’s there. It may encrypt it as a result of several conditions beeing met. In your case, if it was created in the ‘My AxCrypt’, it’ll be encrypted with AxCrypt exists, the screen saver goes active, or you click the red broom icon for example.

Yes “Stop securing and remove from list”, it’s a bug. It should not be available as an option when the file is open.

The Secured Folders option is enabled automatically for the “My AxCrypt” folder, if you did not place your file there then it was encrypted by a manual action by you.

The recent files information is simply just that – files that you have recently opened (or dragged and dropped to AxCrypt). The actual storage is a text file in %localappdata%\AxCrypt – FileSystemState.txt . You can open it up with Notepad and see exactly what it contains.

No, we do not look in Windows recent files list. There is no auto encryption, except as mentioned above for Secured Folders.

If you can try to reproduce the chain of events it would be great, since there’s obviously something we can make more clear here to avoid misunderstandings in the future.

[Author]

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