Working with computers is not without its pitfalls. One of the most dreaded problems faced while working on computers is the recovery of data lost due to a virus or a technical failure.

Microsoft Windows XP is one program where a lot has been done to enhance data protection and in encryption of file systems (EFS). It uses data recovery agents (DRA) to correct files that get affected. Data recovery is possible through a private key or by a second user decrypting required data. A recovery policy is essential for the administrator to give inputs on the use of EFS. This usually comes built in. It allows one or more user accounts for data recovery agents.

Windows 2000 and XP have the facility of group usage on files and folders but XP has file sharing between many users on a single file. Working with encrypted files is one way of ensuring that recovery is possible. Any attempt to encrypt an existing file system will not be allowed.

An administrator would use the recovery agent policy indicating multiple agents, or the empty recovery policy indicating no agents exist or the no recovery policy wherein there are no private keys to use recovery agents. By not creating a default DRA, there is no threat of offline attacks to the administrator account. Policy procedures include revoking and changing existing policies for a particular domain.

File encryption and data recovery follow similar patterns. All files have one user and one DRA so only selection and opening a file is required. The import and export of DRA keys is done through the *.PFX format for export and the use of the certificate import wizard to import keys.

Some of the best available methods for data recovery are: establishing a central recovery workstation, providing EFS and authorities for certificates, deletion of plain text data where EFS creates a backup copy, offline files encryption, clearing of the page when shutting down, resetting local passwords, usage of different keys with EFS, etc.

Other aspects that can be considered are server-containing encrypted files, remote-server sharing of files, disaster recovery, the use of WEBDAV folders, system restore with EFS, etc.

There are pros and cons to data recovery and key recovery. Both have solutions and the user must decide which one is applicable to him for the given problem.