Hello, I encrypted the folder (includes subfolders and files) using EFS and I was not aware of the importance of backing up the certificate and the private key. Anyway, I re-installed the windows xp home edition and obviously I can't access to the files in the folder. I searched for many hours and could not find answers. I am still hoping that somehow I can get these files back. Can anyone help me on this issue? I am pretty sure many people had the same problem. Thanks in advance. 1 person needs an answerI do too

You can contact Elcomsoft to see if their software will help you but in all probability the data is inaccessible forever. There is no backdoor to EFS encryption. http://www.elcomsoft.com/aefsdr.html Using Encrypting File System http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457116.aspxMS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!