Recovering files locked in a folder locker batch program

Hello All- thank you for any help you can provide.

I did something very smooth brained and password protected an external hard drive using commands through a txt and bat file. I used the following article as instructions: How to password protect a folder in Windows 10 | Laptop Mag

Problem is, I cannot access the files - they are locked as designed. The whole thing was setup to unlock files by running the bat file, but it won't work. I can see all folders/files, but they have a lock on them and any attempt to open or move the main files or bat file is blocked. I created this "security" on a different laptop that I no longer have access to (and I'm not sure what version of Windows it had) and I think this is the main problem. It was a loaner laptop I only had temporarily and as soon as I got my regular laptop back, I could not run the program to unlock the files. See the screen shots for some views of what I am seeing.

There has GOT to be a way to recover these files. What can I do? Any ideas or suggestions?

It's about 80 GB of data, but if it matters, the only thing I'm hoping to recover are the JPG files. I have hundreds of photos on there . I will buy you dinner if you can solve this for me!

OS: Windows 10 Pro
I also have a laptop with Windows 10 Enterprise I can use.

Thank you,
Andy

It looks like you have encrypted files using EFS method.

How to use EFS encryption to encrypt individual files and folders on Windows 10 | Windows Central

wizzard said:

Hello All- thank you for any help you can provide.

I did something very smooth brained and password protected an external hard drive using commands through a txt and bat file. I used the following article as instructions: How to password protect a folder in Windows 10 | Laptop Mag

Problem is, I cannot access the files - they are locked as designed. The whole thing was setup to unlock files by running the bat file, but it won't work. I can see all folders/files, but they have a lock on them and any attempt to open or move the main files or bat file is blocked. I created this "security" on a different laptop that I no longer have access to (and I'm not sure what version of Windows it had) and I think this is the main problem. It was a loaner laptop I only had temporarily and as soon as I got my regular laptop back, I could not run the program to unlock the files. See the screen shots for some views of what I am seeing.

There has GOT to be a way to recover these files. What can I do? Any ideas or suggestions?

It's about 80 GB of data, but if it matters, the only thing I'm hoping to recover are the JPG files. I have hundreds of photos on there . I will buy you dinner if you can solve this for me!

OS: Windows 10 Pro
I also have a laptop with Windows 10 Enterprise I can use.

Thank you,
Andy

Have you tried to run the Bat file as administrator?? .... Just asking as the error is a permission error

Edit
as you did create that on another laptop.. then that was another user-account.
So right click on a file, and security and check who is the owner.. it can be that you need to change the ownership of the files.
But try running the bat file as administrator first.

FreeBooter said:

It looks like you have encrypted files using EFS method.

How to use EFS encryption to encrypt individual files and folders on Windows 10 | Windows Central

Do you think there is no way to recover the files since it was setup under a different user/computer?

That batch file is unrelated to the EFS locking. All it does is hide the Locker folder from "prying eyes" as written in the article.

The current folder was locked by EFS encryption. Normally you could export the EFS certificate from the original PC, but that was a loaner. This leaves a commercial decryption tool or professional recovery ($$-$$$) as the only options.

It's just an unfortunate learning experience.

Marie SWE said:

Have you tried to run the Bat file as administrator?? .... Just asking as the error is a permission error

Edit
as you did create that on another laptop.. then that was another user-account.
So right click on a file, and security and check who is the owner.. it can be that you need to change the ownership of the files.
But try running the bat file as administrator first.

Yup tried to run the Bat as Admin. It very quickly opens a command window and then closes (in a micro second). Nothin else happens.

Owner is listed as "Everyone". When I click "Change" it gives me some options that don't seem very intuitive. I have attached a screen shot of what I see when I click Change ("onwer.png")

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garlin said:

That batch file is unrelated to the EFS locking. All it does is hide the Locker folder from "prying eyes" as written in the article.

The current folder was locked by EFS encryption. Normally you could export the EFS certificate from the original PC, but that was a loaner. This leaves a commercial decryption tool or professional recovery ($$-$$$) as the only options.

It's just an unfortunate learning experience.

What is the pad lock icon on files and i coded many batch scripts i know how script works.

garlin said:

That batch file is unrelated to the EFS locking. All it does is hide the Locker folder from "prying eyes" as written in the article.

The current folder was locked by EFS encryption. Normally you could export the EFS certificate from the original PC, but that was a loaner. This leaves a commercial decryption tool or professional recovery ($$-$$$) as the only options.

It's just an unfortunate learning experience.

I have never used that.. I using veracrypt for only a few files and multiple copies as bit-rot or disk-fail can be a worse bitch.. most files i just keep offline in case someone would "manage" to hack my system.
Sadly encryption is as bad as it is good as it keeps everyone out, even the owner if the key is lost etc.

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wizzard said:

Yup tried to run the Bat as Admin. It very quickly opens a command window and then closes (in a micro second). Nothin else happens.

Owner is listed as "Everyone". When I click "Change" it gives me some options that don't seem very intuitive. I have attached a screen shot of what I see when I click Change ("onwer.png")

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It should be someone in here with encryption knowledge.
I never worked with hacking disk/file encryption, the others in the team i worked with did that kind of pentesting.. and that was 7years ago, so i can not just call and ask sadly.

In the article it did say

Also, yes, the FolderLocker file can be reverse-engineered by someone who understands the process, but this isn't meant to keep tech-savvy folks out, just nosy family members who you don't trust.

but if its tied to the other computer install EFS certificate. Then it is a bit darker.

1rule of hacking/recovering
Never hack the original without a image copy.

So make a copy of them if you can do a simple copy.. if not, clone the whole drive and then you can try different hacks to decrypt it.... if the hack attempts destroys the files, its only a copy you did destroy and can do a new copy to try again on.