cr0ss Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Hi guys, We are required to use PicoCrypt on our personal machines and all had been well on my ancient XP laptop. Since moving to Windows 7, all attempts to encrypt files result in a failure. Even 1kb .txt files. Has anyone had this issue and what did you do to resolve it? Thanks for any help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostdraconi Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 I haven't used that piece of software but it seems that the last update for it was in 2005, I think it just doesn't work with Windows 7. If using PicoCrypt is policy you could try suggesting an upgrade to something like AxCrypt it open source and seems to have the same features, plus it runs on XP as well as modern OS's. The Evil Overlord 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cr0ss Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 Thanks. I assumed that too. But when I googled it, I couldn't find any post anywhere regarding it. I'd have thought that if someone else has had the issue since Windows 7 was released that the question may have been asked before. But since I couldn't find anything, I assumed it was just me. I guess I could try it on another Windows 7 machine and see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cr0ss Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 I've just tried AxCrypt and while it will encrypt on the fly as I need to, it creates a new file in doing so, with the .axx extension and then leaves the original file unencrypted. This seems totally nonsensical to me. Is there a setting somewhere that I need to tick / untick? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostdraconi Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 It seems the portable version creates an encrypted copy while the installed version just encrypts the file. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arachno 1D Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Who is requiring you to use encryption if it is your employer then they should provide an up to date solution not expect you to find an alternative? Just out of interest what types of files are you encrypting if its office Im sure there are built in encryption solutions available? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cr0ss Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 It is my employer but unfortunately this isn't a large MNC so yes, they can ask us to do this. Unless we want to be hit with the compliance policy. They are primarily MS Office and text files. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BudMan MVC Posted April 11, 2015 MVC Share Posted April 11, 2015 On your personal machines?? Yeah I don't think so -- where do you live.. Sorry but a company can not make you do anything to your personal machine PERIOD!! If you have windows 7 why don't you just use efs or bitlocker? Let me guess your running windows 7 home, because its your personal machine.. So they are letting you put work on your personal machine if you "encrypt" it.. But they don't provide the encryption software.. Yeah that's some BS right there plain and simple -- why don't you just zip it up with aes 256? Or grab ma and pop encryption which I am sure is very secure Or just don't put the work on your personal machine.. Anibal P 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arachno 1D Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 What is the exact wording of the compliance they require? Some links that may help Data-encryption alternatives to TrueCrypt Legitimate app breaks popular encryption systems As I stated Im pretty sure Office 2013 has encryption built in if you have the correct certification installed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cr0ss Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 Thanks for those links. That second one is pretty frightening. Didn't know such a program existed. I'll check the exact wording on Monday morning. I tried AxCrypt but it comes with adware, which can be deselected at install as described on the program's site. Issue is, I got no such option to deselect upon install. I assumed it didn't install it. I ran Malware Bytes and Hitman Pro and it turns out it did install. Very disappointing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas the Tank Engine Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 I tried AxCrypt but it comes with adware, which can be deselected at install as described on the program's site. Why don't you try VeraCrypt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arachno 1D Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Thanks for those links. That second one is pretty frightening. Didn't know such a program existed. Encryption is like any door lock its only an inconvenience if you know how to bypass it, then it just a matter of how long the entry takes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cr0ss Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 Sadly that is very true. Think I figured it out and it looks like it was basically me being a dunce. I changed user account control settings to 'never notify' and now it appears to always run everything as an administrator (please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here). Would someone be kind enough to point me in the right direction with respect to 'unblocking' files etc? Weirdly, I'm new to Windows 7. Hate all the notifications and hand-holding at every attempt to open / click anything at all. Separately, thank you all for your help and alternative suggestions - much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anibal P Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Sadly that is very true. Think I figured it out and it looks like it was basically me being a dunce. I changed user account control settings to 'never notify' and now it appears to always run everything as an administrator (please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here). Would someone be kind enough to point me in the right direction with respect to 'unblocking' files etc? Weirdly, I'm new to Windows 7. Hate all the notifications and hand-holding at every attempt to open / click anything at all. Separately, thank you all for your help and alternative suggestions - much appreciated. I know BudMan will go into more detail, but you are making your machine LESS secure by turning UAC off, turn it back on or encrypting will really be pointless, and finding something your employer should be providing will be least of your real problems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BudMan MVC Posted April 12, 2015 MVC Share Posted April 12, 2015 So now you turned off UAC, so you can run encryption software that you don't understand and prob don't even need.. Really? Again what flavor of windows.. it has encryption built in!! You can set it so it doesn't notify you if you make change but still notify you if programs make changes, etc. One up from the bottom setting. I really don't understand how people are "new" to windows 7.. It been out almost 6 years, and on its way out to be honest.. 10 is right around the corner.. Before you go one step further trying to do encryption, and you lock yourself out of your own files.. Lets get the actual wording of this work compliance thing where you have to encrypt your own personal computer and use just what ever software you want to be compliant?? How is that a policy??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cr0ss Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 You must be psychic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinetheo Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 New To Windows 7? I know die hard still on XP who plan to find other Windows XP loyalists to find reversed engineered drivers to get XP to work on haswell-e systems. Windows 7 is too scary and looks funny. Then people on here whine at those who can't adapt to 8? Yikes 7 is a walk in the park for XP users in comparison. XP just won't die Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anibal P Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 New To Windows 7? I know die hard still on XP who plan to find other Windows XP loyalists to find reversed engineered drivers to get XP to work on haswell-e systems. Windows 7 is too scary and looks funny. Then people on here whine at those who can't adapt to 8? Yikes 7 is a walk in the park for XP users in comparison. XP just won't die If there was a way to do it, they should ALL be banned from the internet and using computers, sadly we are stuck with their ignorant ways Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinetheo Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 If there was a way to do it, they should ALL be banned from the internet and using computers, sadly we are stuck with their ignorant ways Well I plan to stick with Windows 7 so I am no different in alot of ways. But I looked forward to dumping XP back in the day by the time Windows 7 was around I was fully aware it was getting rather long in the tooth. Never would I imagine 5 freaking years later XP refuses to die. Especially for those processing credit cards and small businesses. They want us to take the liability and for them to stick around to save a few pennies for the wife of the owners spending habbits. In 2020 all those you see whining about the icons will fight tooth and nail not to upgrade will take 1/3 of the internet with them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arachno 1D Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Still not seeing any details on your "employers" requirements but the simplest way may be to use windows drive or folder encryption or even simpler the bios drive encryption if your system has it installed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cr0ss Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 Firstly, posting details of an internal company document on a public forum are grounds for termination. And there is no way to give you an overview without going into specifics. Some of you may have already guessed this. Secondly, we were using Windows 2000 as late as January 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intersect Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 While we are on the subject of encryption, can you recommend a good way to stop nosie repair techs from prying into whats not their business my laptop needs to go in for repair as one of the hinges has lifted out of its support foot from the base of the laptop. (last time i ever buy anything branded HP) so i want to encrypt the drive as I have been told I cannot remove it as "they might need to boot the system after" yeah I dont think that they will need the hdd to do the repair but this is how things go down when you use the "techguys" from pc world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arachno 1D Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 You could use the bios password or encrypt the drive or partition or folder of your choice. I guess they want to boot it after as s precaution to ensure they still have a working system.you could install another virgin drive with windows on just for the repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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