TrueCrypt problems decrypting the OS on another computer

Discussion in 'encryption problems' started by Marcis, Jan 2, 2014.

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  1. Marcis

    Marcis Registered Member

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    I am pretty much in the same situation as this guy over here: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=339925

    I have an Acer Aspire 5750G, Windows 7, 64Bit with full disk encryption

    I no longer have access to the truecrypt rescue disk.

    When I boot, the truecrypt screen comes up, and I can correctly enter the password.

    But it can't boot Windows, and so it takes me to the System restore utilities. It finds no OS, and no backups, and I can't check the disk.

    I have put my disk in a USB box to connect it to my other computer, and I have tried to open the disk by checking the "mount without preboot authentication" feature, but to no help. It wont let me open the truecrypt disk and keeps telling me that the password is wrong.

    My password is upper and lowecase chars, all normal chars, except for the last char. I guess my problem is also a bit like this guy here: http://forums.cnet.com/7723-7591_102-527903/determining-the-bios-keyboardlayout/

    It seems that trying to enter the same password exactly as I do when I boot it still wont let me open the encrypted system. What can I do? I am desperate to get this working and getting access to my files.

    Can I somehow load a rescue disk on the primary computer, before it loads windows, but after I enter the correct Truecrypt password? Hope someone can help me, it would be of GREAT help.
     
  2. Marcis

    Marcis Registered Member

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    I would like to add that I have access to a Ubuntu computer with Truecrypt installed as well as another Windows 7 computer. I have tried to recover the OS/Partition by entering the password on both, but both have failed.

    Everytime I put the harddrive back into "its own computer" and enter the password, it works fine and it boots to the broken Windows and sends me to the repair tool part again. Seems like I can open this only on its own computer and I am certain this has something to do on how the password is entered and the language/layout of the keyboard.

    Is there no tool that would allow me to boot something AFTER Truecrypt and before Windows? That way I can get access to my files and copy them off to a USB.
     
  3. dantz

    dantz Registered Member

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    I'm not aware of any tools that would work in the manner you are requesting, that is, allowing you boot to the TC bootloader on the hard disk and then inserting program "X" before Windows starts to load.

    You do have two options:
    1) (not entirely safe, but possible): Create a new TC rescue disk using another computer (hopefully with the same OS), boot to it, and use it to decrypt your encrypted partition. (It's in the menu options. I forget the exact location, but it's easy to find.) Once you're fully decrypted you can use whatever tools are at your disposal to copy off your data or fix your OS.

    However, if you do use a different rescue disk, be very careful NOT to "restore key data" with the new disk, as this would overwrite your one and only copy of the correct key with the wrong key, which would cause you to permanently lose access to your encrypted volume. Also, don't use the disk to restore the Windows bootloader, as this will also be the wrong one, plus it wouldn't help matters even if it was the correct one.

    It's possible to create a rescue disk [on another computer] without actually encrypting a system. Just begin the process, and back out/cancel right after you create the disk. This writes only the 512 byte header to Sector 62, which is usually not a problem at all, as practically nothing (except TrueCrypt) uses that space. Or, make a spare disk from an already encrypted system (via System: Create Rescue Disk) and use that. Just be careful. I normally don't recommend decrypting with the rescue disk until after copying off all vital data, because occasionally the process will hit an unrepairable bad block and get stuck partway through, which is basically fatal.

    2) I already suggested this for you on the TC forum. I take it that switching the Win7 PC to the US-Eng keyboard layout right before you enter the password doesn't help matters? Or just choosing the appropriate US-Eng equivalent characters by hand? It should be doable.

    Edit: added info in brackets, for clarity
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2014
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