Learn how to open an encrypted file securely with the right tools and software. Follow these steps to decrypt and access encrypted files with ease.In this guide I tell you how to open an encrypted file, what are the possibilities you have and how encryption works.
In this guide I will explain what options you have to open an encrypted file . But here you will not only find the different procedures to access protected information, but I will also show you how encryption works and why sometimes you will find it impossible to access data that has been previously encoded. Everything you need to know about this issue can be found here.
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Opening an encrypted file is not always possible
Before we dive into this, it’s important to make one thing clear: you won’t always be able to decrypt a file . At least not without knowing the method that was used for encryption or the key that unlocks access to the file.
In this sense, three possibilities are contemplated to decrypt a file:
- Using the same program that was encrypted . For example, imagine that you have used a tool that uses its own encryption system. In that case, the only way to access the data is to enter the key into the program that originally encrypted the information.
- If a standard has been used . There are encryption standards, such as AES, that are supported by various programs. So you won’t have many problems, as long as you know the password.
- If it is a password-protected file . In this case, the content also remains hidden until the user provides the key. In some cases, it is not necessary to use specific programs. This happens, for example, with ZIP files: any program that is compatible with this type of file will be able to unlock a compressed folder that is password-protected.
Given these explanations, it is clear that talking about an encrypted file is too generic . There are multiple methods for encrypting a storage unit or for a file to remain protected by a password.
But I have to be very clear with you: in almost all cases, decrypting information is really difficult if you don’t have the password . Let’s look at some specific situations and the main methods to try to bypass encryption.
How to open an encrypted file: methods that might work
As we have seen, depending on the type of encryption or the tool that was used , you will have to implement one method or another to decrypt the file in question.
RAR file with password
If you have a password-locked RAR file, the data inside it remains encrypted. Obviously, the quickest way to decrypt it is by entering the password into a program that supports this format. Actually, you can use any alternative to WinRAR .
If this is not a possibility, you always have the option of using a service like LostMyPass , which allows you to locate the key for a file of at most 100 MB using a classic method: brute force.
Bitlocker protected drive
Bitlocker -protected drives remain encrypted as long as the password is not entered. To recover your data without the password, you will likely need a team of specialists.
If you only need to recover the drive and access to the computer, but do not need the data on the disk , simply reinstall Windows 11 (or any other system) by formatting the drive.
Files encrypted by ransomware
What if your computer has been infected with ransomware ? In that case, the quickest solution is not to try to decrypt the file, but to recover it from a backup . If, for example, you have all your files in the cloud, you can download them again and, in some cases, restore them to a previous version. It is also highly recommended to have a backup of your documents on an external hard drive that is not connected to the Internet.
Another option is to visit Kaspersky’s No Ransom page . It provides tools that decrypt files locked by various known ransomware. Go to this site and use the search engine to try to locate the right tool for your case. However, before using any of them, read the user manual.
Miscellaneous password protected files
If the problem is that you have a common file that is password protected and you don’t know what the key is to unlock it, there are some tools that can help you.
One of them is ASPOSE , an online tool that will allow you to locate the password of a file, as long as it is easy to guess. On the other hand, there is the possibility that you want to unlock a PDF, and in that case you can take advantage of the potential of tools such as Small PDF . Although in these cases we may not be dealing with a truly encrypted file, this is a fairly common situation that, as you can see, can be solved with various tools.