Hello Rich,
Here’s how it works.
– If AxCrypt can connect to the Internet, it’ll validate the password against the server, and if required synchronize keys and things after successful sign in. This, among other things, allows things to work on serveral PCs and devices. If you’re offline, we’ll just validate your password locally. This helps reduce situations where typing mistakes when encrypting leads to data loss.
– Once signed in to AxCrypt (offline or online, AxCrypt does *not* require Internet to operate), AxCrypt will use that password for encryption and decryption when possible. If you attempt to open a file where the sign in password does not work, you’ll be prompted. If the file is an AxCrypt version 1 file, it’ll be converted to version 2 *and* use the new sign in password.
We’ve tried to make it very clear that you need to remember your AxCrypt password, and also when you start for the first time you are required to enter it no less than three times before any data can be encrypted using this password. All to minimize the risk of mistakes and not remembering it.
If you request a password reset, you’ll be able to sign in to AxCrypt gain – but of course you will not regain access to any files that were encrypted using the previous password.
In your case then, this should mean that old files that you opened when signed in with AxCrypt 2 now uses the password you can’t find. You can check the modification dates of your encrypted files and see if they have been updated recently.
