Wrong Password?

[Janvier]

Hello,

I’m having a problem with some encrypted files. I saved them on my portable hard drive (encrypted). I forgot the password I was using at that time when I reset my password, it wouldn’t work on those files, the error is ” You are already signed in with this password, Provide the original password for this file. What can I do to get them back ?

 

Thank you

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Janvier,

If the error is from AxCrypt and states “Wrong Password”, then you need to remember or know the original password used to encrypt the files.

That is the whole, and really only, point of AxCrypt. No one can open them without the correct password. No backdoors, no administrator access. No one.

Encryption is not about access permissions that can be overridden by an administrator. There’s a longer discussion about the distinction here: https://forum.axcrypt.net/blog/encryption-vs-authentication/ .

[Clint]

I am having password problems today also.  I keep my encrypted files on a computer not connected to the internet so it has not changed versions since I connected to the internet long enough to install version 2.1.1404.0.

I got an unusual axcrypt message today  “The first time you start AxCrypt a real email address is required.  Click help for mor information” then another “Internet access is required the first time AxCrypt is started.  Please check your connection, and try again.”  This is not the first time I have used axcrypt.  I use it almost every day for years and always the same password.  I temporarily connected the internet to that computer so it would let me advance past that screen, but every time I select a file (I have many files, all protected with the same password), I get “wrong password please try again” error.  My wife independently has tried several files, and she remembers the same password, which no longer works with any of the files.

I tried taking one of my files onto another computer that I have AxCrypt installed on, and it does not recognize the password either.   There is also no way we are using an incorrect password. We both know it independently and use it daily, but now we cannot access any of our critical files.  It appears something has happened where AxCrypt no longer recognizes our account.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Clint]

Cancel that desperate cry for help.  It was user error. Just found out my son had got in and changed the default email account.  When we got the right email address back in there the password magically worked.  Sorry for bothering ya’ll with this.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Clint,

No problem, but a suggestion: Create a separate account on your PC for your son and any other users of the computer, and set a password on your account and enable a password protected screen saver.

[Toni]

Hi Svante,

I was about to forget to clarify my first post here…

I don’t think most of the users that posted a message here forgot about the passwords that they use to protect their files and that they use for years (like I do)…

The main problem is that the change between AxCrypt v.1 to v.2 is pretty confusing:

• AxCrypt v.1 was used with a single password per file : people encrypt – decrypt their files with a password and that worked perfectly fine.
• AxCrypt v.2, without really informing its users (or maybe not efficiently enough?), just changed the way to use AxCrypt:
  • 1) by obliging people to log into their AxCrypt.net account before they can decrypt their files -> this is the main reason why people get the message “Wrong password“: at this step, AxCrypt is not asking for the file password as it used to. It’s asking for the AxCrypt.net account password you created / have to create… to, then, enter the file password (that is why on the first “password” request it is written on the window “AxCrypt ID” even if it’s not easy to notice on first sight…)
  • 2) when we are logged in our AxCrypt account and we want to encrypt a file, the software doesn’t ask us anymore any file password: it’s setting automatically as a file password the AxCrypt.net account password the person choosed when creating this account… and therefore all your new encrypted files with the new AxCrypt v.2 are encrypted with the same password: the one used to log into your AxCrypt account.

Because of 2), I almost lost the access to some files! Because I first set up my AxCrypt.net account without really paying attention to the password I choosed (as I thought I was required to create an account for some lambda reason like receiving the newsletter to push me to pay for the AxCrypt paying version)…

So when I encrypted some files and these were being encrypted without the software asking me which password I wanna use, I was quite confused and I didn’t understand right away how this was now working… :S

It’s only when I tried to decrypt these recent files that I understood and I was super lucky to find back (by testing like 30 possible passwords) the password I used when I created the AxCrypt account (which was not the same password that I usually used to encrypt the files…) !

Hope this helps and nobody get critical files lost!

Toni

[SvanteSpectator]

Hi Toni,

Thanks for your feedback!

You are right, there is some confusion about the transition from AxCrypt version 1 to version 2. We’ve tried really hard both to significantly improve how AxCrypt 2 works, and at the same time maintain compatibility and get a reasonably smooth transition for old users. We can always get better at this, and we’ll continue with this.

The scenario you describe of setting up an account, and not paying attention to the password used which is subsequenly used for encryption does happen. One of the challenges we have is that the only way we can communicate with our users is through messages, popups, web pages and other written media. The thing is… Most users (myself included) will simly not read what’s written.

But we’ll be adding some additional dialogs both to inform users why files suddenly “just open”, and also when the first encryption happens we’ll popup a verification dialog asking for the password, or something like this.

[Nadir]

I have always used the same password and it worked just fine. Now it’s asking to enter the original password for some of the files while decrypting other files without a hitch. ALSO password management requires payment first?

Not Cool

 

 

 

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Nadir,

Have you been using AxCrypt for some time perhaps Nadir? My guess is that the files you can’t open are time stamped at some certain time where you might have mistyped your password using AxCrypt 1 – or before a password reset if you’re using AxCrypt 2. Please contact support for more detailed help, since we can’t tell just what your AxCrypt ID is (if you have one) from the forum post.

Also, what is not cool about charging a small amount of payment for providing software and services? In this case password management. You’re free to try it for a month without any cost. If you don’t like it, don’t use it. If you do like it,  you’ll have to subscribe.

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