Unable To Open Encrypted Folder

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Unable To Open Encrypted Folder

Forum: Technical Topics

Creator: erik hayner

Created: 2020-09-07

Updated: 2020-09-13

erik hayner - 2020-09-07

Hi,

I have an encrypted drive that I've been using for a while, I tried to decrypt it today but have had some issues. The error I get is:

"Auto-mount failed due to one or more of the following:"

I did a bit of googling and found a recommendation to mounting using the option of embedded header backup which does allow me to decrypt the file. However once I decrypt the drive I can't open the folder at all, Windows wants me to format the drive to open it.

Any suggestions? I really do need these files.

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Enigma2Illusion - 2020-09-08

When the volume is dismounted, are you seeing a drive letter assigned to the RAW partition in Windows Disk Management? If yes, remove the Windows assigned drive letter.

Something has damaged the volume since the primary header is written at the beginning of the volume and the embedded backup header is written at the end of the volume.

You will need to try using data recovery software on the mounted volume. Recommended that you clone the disk to another drive so you can try various data recovery software such as EaseUS Data Recovery, R-Studio, GetDataBack, File Scavenger, Photorec, TestDisk etc against the cloned mounted volume.

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- erik hayner - 2020-09-08
  
  When the volume is dismounted, are you seeing a drive letter assigned to the RAW partition in Windows Disk Management?
  
  Yes
  
  You will need to try using data recovery software on the mounted volume.
  
  I have tried using File Scavenger but it doesn't return a single file.
  
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Enigma2Illusion - 2020-09-08

Did you remove the Windows assigned drive letter from the dismounted volume?

Try the another data recovery software. I believe users on the forum have had good results with EaseUS Data Recovery and R-Studio.

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- erik hayner - 2020-09-08
  
  Did you remove the Windows assigned drive letter from the dismounted volume?
  
  Yes. It still doesn't allow me to open the drive or recover the files (I have tried both software mentioned above with no success).
  
  Untitled.png
  
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erik hayner - 2020-09-12

Anything else I can do to revover these files?

So far I've tried removing the drive letter of the raw driver, opening the folder using the embedded header and multiple recovery software on the decrepted folder (opened using embedded headers, the drive is still unaccessible and asks me to format when opening).

I really do need these files so want to exhasust all recovery options.

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Enigma2Illusion - 2020-09-12

Again, I recommend cloning the volume to another HDD and experimenting on the clone.

In case it makes a difference to the recovery software, with the volume unmounted in VeraCrypt, use the VeraCrypt Restore Volume Header from the embedded backup header by clicking on Volume Tools.

Then retry the various data recovery software.

If you are still unable to recovery data, with the volume mounted in VeraCrypt, right click on the mounted volume and select Check Filesystem. Check Filesystem is a read-only and will not alter anything. Post the Check Filesystem results.

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- erik hayner - 2020-09-12
  
  Again, I recommend cloning the volume to another HDD and experimenting on the clone.
  
  doing that :)
  
  trying the data recovery again.
  
  If you are still unable to recovery data, with the volume mounted in VeraCrypt, right click on the mounted volume and select Check Filesystem. Check Filesystem is a read-only and will not alter anything. Post the Check Filesystem results.
  
  This is the results:
  
  *Checking the file system on the VeraCrypt volume mounted as E:...
  The type of the file system is RAW.
  CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives.
  
  Press any key to continue . . .
  
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Enigma2Illusion - 2020-09-13

Once you have the clone created and remove any Windows assigned drive letter when the clone is unmounted in VeraCrypt, I would mount clone volume using VeraCrypt and using Windows Disk Management create the filesystem without formatting and without assigned drive letter.

Then attempt to use data recovery software to see if any of them can find the files once the filesystem is known to the software.

I assume you had created the volume using NTFS filesystem. Do you remember if you selected NTFS when you originally created the filesystem?

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