File Share Encryption

Hello. My name is Richard Clare. I recently installed a trialware version of PGP Desktop 10 for use on my work computer. I also used WDE yesterday. Today, when I turned on my computer, Symantec PGP Desktop came up immediately, during boot up. On the page it states, "This disk is secured by PGP Whole Disk Encryption. Type your Windows password or PGP passphrase and press ENTER." I do not use a Windows password and I have input the passphrase I created when I installed PGP Desktop - I have never made another passphrase - but when I do, it says incorrect authentication. I've tried many times with no change. When I attempt to use the 'forgot passphrase' option it says 'self recovery questions have not been configured'. I never set any self recovery questions. Is there any way around this boot up page? I cannot access any of the usual Windows interface past this page. I contacted technical support and they directed me to this forum.

I am running Windows XP Home Edition.

My case number is 00608796.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Once you encrypt your disk to a passphrase, you have no way to use your operating system without having the correct passphrase to use for its access (unless you are in a PGP Universal managed system where there may be a WDRT saved to the server).  If it were otherwise, the Whole Disk Encryption would not be secure.  If you are confident that the problem is not your failing to recall the correct password, you might be successful if you try using a different type of keyboard (such as going from wireless to USB), or changing what port your keyboard connects to.  If you are using a laptop in a docking station, try taking it out of the docking station and using the internal keyboard.  There are recovery options if the problem is not the passphrase; including attaching the disk to another computer with PGP installed and decrypting it from that machine. If you  use the WDE Recovery CD, be aware that you must not stop it once it starts the decryption until it completes, it still has 1% to decrypt when it reports 0% left to decrypt, it will tell you when decryption is complete, and depending on your hardware, it might take several days to complete.

Well, the passphrase you set when you encrypted the drive, is the correct passphrase. That wasn´t changed, remains the same. Perhpas keyboard layout at boot time is different as in Windows, So please check that you are not missing any CAPS, symbol, letter or number.

Thank you for the timely response. I tried using a recovery disk, but as it asks for the passphrase, which I don't have, that method won't work. I've also tried using a different keyboard, adjusting which keyboard I use under the keyboard menu on the PGP boot up page (between UK and US and back), typing in the passphrase slightly differently, but haven't had any luck. Would it not be possible for Symantec to provide me with some sort of override? I understand that you cannot provide such overrides to anyone, so is there anyone I can contact or anyway I can prove my identity as the legitimate user of the software?

Thank you again.

Richard Clare.

Before to use WDE (to encrypt disk), PGP asked you a passphrase (no key or passphrase to generate the key after PGP installation, no windows logon). Do you remember this step? 

This passphrase is PGP asking you at boot. Yes, depends of keyboard to get the correct characters (case sensitive). BTW, nobody can override the encryption process to decrypt, only you with correct passphrase.

You should be patient and keep trying.

As I stated previously, PGP is secure encryption - there is no such backdoor that will allow what you are asking. 

Unfortunately, there is no way to recover the disk if you lost the passphrase.

In case you haven't tried, press TAB at the passphrase page to have it show you exactly what you type?

(That is how one of our users discovered repeated keys, due to his wireless Logitech keyboard.)

Thank you for all your responses. Sadly, i'm still not having any luck with finding the right passphrase. I was wondering that, if I were to upgrade to the full version rather than just trialware, would Symantec be able to do any more to help me resolve my issue? This sounds like a longshot based on your responses so far, but I thought I should ask just to be sure. 

Thank you again.

R Clare.

This would not make a difference.  The PGP trialware is fully functioning for the trial period - it only differs from the professional product by the use of a time limited license.

Ok. As it's no longer fully functional after the trial period, would anything change to my computer's situation if I wait for the trial period to end? Or would the WDE remain in effect?

Thank you.

R Clare

After the free trial period expires, PGP will automatically decrypt the hard disk, but this can only occur after the passphrase is entered.  I understand your frustration, but PGP does not store the needed symmetric encryption key (it would not be secure encryption if it did) - it is produced by hashing your entered passphrase - there is no other way to obtain the needed symmetric encryption key.