How to delete encrypted files from hard drive?

[RichardJansen]

Hi Forum,

The other day I installed the Best Folder Encryptor program which hides and encrypts selected folders, but I managed to lose my password. No problem, the files aren't that important. However, they do take up valuable space on my 80GB laptop drive.

Is there a way of deleting the encrypted and hidden files altogether? Their Help Desk recommended a full repartitioning, but that's impossible since I haven't partitioned my drive (which I definitely will do next time around).

Thanks for any tips you can give me!

Richard

[rchadwick]

Maybe I'm missing something, but can't you just delete the files? I imagine you might have to uninstall the program first. Then, you may have to to find the folder, which might be marked hidden. To find hidden files and folders, click on My Computer, then Tools, then Folder Options, then click on the View tab. Make sure you have checked 'Show hidden files and folders'.

[RichardJansen]

Thanks for your answer, but the problem is that the encryption tool fully hides the files. I had already tried your suggestion, but the program is smarter than that

So the problem is how to delete files that are hidden in a way that WindowsXP doesn't show them?

[rchadwick]

Well, either they are hidden files, or the software made a special partition. With a partition, simply format it for an extra drive letter, or use commercial partition software to 'add' it back to your existing partition. If that doesn't work, you can delete the partition. That might be best anyway. Just be sure you're deleting the right one


Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Computer Management -> Disk Management

[TerraNova]

delete all registry associated with the Best Folder Encryptor then delete the files.

[rchadwick]

You also may have to stop a service related to Best Folder Encryptor as well. Will it let you uninstall the program?

[BlackST]

Maybe it uses rootkit and ads to store data, so all of you are wandering in the dark. Think!

[RichardJansen]

Thanks for all the help. Uninstall went smooth and afterwards I made sure to delete any registry entries. But still no sign of the encrypted files. I checked with Partition Manager but nothing shows. Obviously, I am using the 'show hidden' and 'show system' options of Windows XP.

So the question remains: how to find and then delete the files that Best Encryptor has hidden in order to free up space?

Thanks

[BlackST]

TO FIND is not important : simply delete (ZERO) the unused space. What is occupied by the filesystem is OK, the rest could be "deleted" (erased)... unless that sw used ADS. In that case you need to reveal the ADS used.

[BlackST]

TO FIND is not important : simply delete (ZERO) the unused space. What is occupied by the filesystem is OK, the rest could be "deleted" (erased)... unless that sw used ADS. In that case you need to reveal the ADS used.