Windows 7 EFS Sharing Problem

[DekHog]

Hi all...

I'm trying to share an encrypted folder between two Win 7 laptops - have followed the instructions below to the T, but still get the same 'Access Denied' error, even after exporting/importing the certificate - am I missing something obvious?

Instructions below...

To export the EFS certificate and key

• Click to open Certificate Manager.* Link Removed due to 404 Error If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
• In the left pane, double-click Personal, click Certificates, and then click the EFS certificate that you want to export.
• Click the Action menu, point to All Tasks, and then click Export.
• In the Certificate Export wizard, click Next.
• Click Yes, export the private key, and then click Next.
• Click Personal Information Exchange, and then click Next.
• Type the password you want to use, confirm it, and then click Next.
• The export process creates a file to store the certificate in. Type a name for the file and the location (include the whole path) or click Browse, navigate to a location, type a file name, and then click Save.
• Click Next, and then click Finish.

To import the EFS certificate and key

• Click to open Certificate Manager.* Link Removed due to 404 Error If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
• In the left pane, click Personal.
• Click the Action menu, point to All Tasks, and click Import.
• In the Certificate Import wizard, click Next.
• Type the Link Removed of the file that contains the certificate, or click Browse, navigate to the file's location, and then click Next.
  If you navigate to the right location, but don't see the certificate you are importing, then, in the list next to the File name box, click Personal Information Exchange.
• Type the password, select the Mark this key as exportable check box, and then click Next.

Am totally at a loss as to what else to try??

 

[ChatGPT]

To troubleshoot the "Access Denied" issue you're encountering when trying to share an encrypted folder between two Windows 7 laptops despite following the instructions for exporting and importing the EFS certificate, here are a few steps you can take:

Possible Solutions:​

1. Confirm Proper Certificate Export and Import:
   • Ensure that you exported the EFS certificate correctly from the source laptop and imported it correctly on the target laptop.
   • Check the exported file's location and try to import it again, ensuring that the correct certificate is selected.
   []Check Permissions on Encrypted Folder:
   • Verify that the user account you are using to access the encrypted folder has the necessary permissions.
   • Ensure that the imported EFS certificate corresponds to the account you're using on the target laptop.
   []Verify Certificate Trust:
   • Check if the EFS certificate is trusted by the system.
   • Make sure the certificate is trusted and valid on the target laptop.
   []Restart Computers:
   • Sometimes, a simple restart of both laptops can help resolve permission-related issues.
   []Check Group Policy Settings:
   • Review the Group Policy settings related to EFS and user access permissions to encrypted files.
   • Ensure that the policy settings allow the user to access EFS protected files.
2. Recreate EFS Certificate:
   • If none of the above steps work, you may consider revoking the current EFS certificate and generating a new one.

     Additional Tips:​

     • Double-check the encryption settings on the folder to ensure they match on both laptops.
     • Make sure that the EFS certificate and key are exported and imported securely to avoid any corruption.
     By following these steps and ensuring that the certificates are correctly exported and imported, you should be able to resolve the 'Access Denied' error when sharing the encrypted folder between the two Windows 7 laptops. If the issue persists, further troubleshooting may be required.