How to Decrypt a Drive with Symantec Endpoint Encryption (2024)

Decryption can be done in three ways:

  1. Local Method: When logging into the encrypted machine using the Symantec Endpoint Encryption Client Admin and opening the Client Console the option to decrypt the machine can be done manually.
  2. Server Commands Method: Provides the ability for an administrator to right-click a machine from the SEE Management Console and decrypt specific machines remotely.
  3. Remote/Policy Method: Create a GPO policy or SEE Native policy, and apply it to all the machines which are in the location in the Symantec Endpoint Encryption Manager. The remote decryption policy is used by policy administrators to decrypt all encrypted disk partitions on computers protected by Symantec Endpoint Encryption-Full Disk without having to physically send a client administrator to the location(s) of the computers.

1. Local Method

TIP: Make sure the system is plugged into AC power in order to encrypt or decrypt systems.

1. First open the Symantec Endpoint Encryption Client Administrator from the Start menu:

How to Decrypt a Drive with Symantec Endpoint Encryption (1)

Confirm the User Account Control dialog to permit the SEE Client Administrator to open.

2. Enter the credentials for the SEE Client Administrator:

How to Decrypt a Drive with Symantec Endpoint Encryption (2)

3. Click the Internal Drives tab to see the disks available. On the right side, click the chevron expansion symbol How to Decrypt a Drive with Symantec Endpoint Encryption (3)to show all the disks.

Next, check the box next to the drive you wish to decrypt, and click "Decrypt":

How to Decrypt a Drive with Symantec Endpoint Encryption (4)

Important tip: If you have multiple disks, such as a C: (boot) drive and a D: (data) drive, decrypt the D drive first:

How to Decrypt a Drive with Symantec Endpoint Encryption (5)

4. The disk shows now be decrypting:

How to Decrypt a Drive with Symantec Endpoint Encryption (6)

2. Server Commands Method to Decrypt a machine

WARNING: This is a highly sensitive setting and could result in all your machines being decrypted unintentionally. Do NOT modify any existing policies with this setting. Symantec recommends instead to decrypt systems on an as-needed basis using the local method.

In order to decrypt a system via the server commands, login go the SEE Management Console, find the machine using the Computer Status Report, right click the machine and then select the option to decrypt:

How to Decrypt a Drive with Symantec Endpoint Encryption (7)

Once a machine is decrypting, it is not possible to reverse the process so proceed with extreme caution.

3. Using a Decryption Policy via GPO or SEE Native policy

WARNING: This is a highly sensitive setting and could result in all your machines being decrypted unintentionally. Do NOT modify any existing policies with this setting. It is always recommended to create separate SEE Native policy and assign designated machines to this policy for the sole purpose of decrypting. Symantec recommends instead to decrypt systems on an as-needed basis using the local method. If that is not possible, using the Server Commands and decrypting a single machine is then recommended. This option should be used only when using extreme caution.


Using the SEE Native policy, it is highly recommended to create a separate group to assign machines to for the sole purpose of decrypting.

How to Decrypt a Drive with Symantec Endpoint Encryption (8)

Using a Remote Decryption policy to decrypt machines

WARNING: This is a highly sensitive setting and could result in all your machines being decrypted unintentionally. Do NOT modify any existing policies with this setting. It is always recommended to create separate GPO and assign machines to this GPO for the sole purpose of decrypting. Symantec recommends instead to decrypt systems on an as-needed basis using the local method. If that is not possible, using the Server Commands and decrypting a single machine is then recommended. This option should be used only when using extreme caution.

  1. Right-click Group Policy Objects on the navigation tree.
  2. Click New. The New GPO (Group Policy Object Editor) window displays.
  3. Type the name of the Group Policy Object you wish to create.
  4. Click OK. The new Group Policy Object you created is displayed in the navigation tree.
  5. Right-click the new Group Policy Object on the navigation tree.
  6. Click Edit. The Group Policy Object Editor (GPOE) displays.
  7. Click Software Settings, Symantec Endpoint Encryption, Drive Encryption, Remote Decryption.
  8. Select the Change this Setting option.
  9. Select Decrypt all disk partitions.
  10. Click Save.
  11. Close the GPOE window.
  12. Drag and drop to linkthe policy to the target location containing the computers you wish to decrypt.
  13. Restart the computers receiving this computer policy to cause it to take effect.
  14. Monitor decryption progress using the Client Monitor.

    Warning: Although decryption of all disk partitions begins immediately after the remote decryption policy has been processed on the client computer, remote decryption is a computer policy which is only processed at boot time.

How to Decrypt a Drive with Symantec Endpoint Encryption (2024)

FAQs

How do I decrypt my Symantec Endpoint encryption hard drive? ›

In order to decrypt a system via the server commands, login go the SEE Management Console, find the machine using the Computer Status Report, right click the machine and then select the option to decrypt: Once a machine is decrypting, it is not possible to reverse the process so proceed with extreme caution.

How do I get past Symantec encryption Desktop? ›

At the command prompt, type pgpwde --add-bypass --admin-authorization --disk 0 and press Enter. This command adds only one bypass to Bootguard. --admin-authorization (Windows only) specifies that the command is being performed by a member of the WDE-ADMIN Active Directory group.

What is needed to decrypt your encrypted hard drive or encrypted files? ›

You simply need a password to decrypt it and software to recover the data. However, in case, if you have forgotten the password, don?t panic, there are options to unlock it. And, once you have unlocked it, you can easily restore the data using a secure data recovery software: Stellar Data Recovery- Standard.

Can an encrypted hard drive be decrypted? ›

Can you decrypt a hard drive? Yes, the hard drive can be decrypted as long as you have the correct password. In addition, you need to ensure that the hard drive must not be corrupt for you to decrypt it.

Can full disk encryption be broken? ›

So an encrypted hard disk could be cracked only if: the user has a weak enough password to brute force, or. the encryption uses a weak algorithm. the attacker is willing to wait billions of years.

Can police decrypt hard drive? ›

They can only decrypt it if they have or guess your password. . try to figure out your encryption key (which is just a series of 0 and 1 bits). It's possible that they eventually figure out your encryption key, in this case, they don't have your password but they can decrypt your data.

Can you decrypt 256 bit encryption? ›

It indicates that if a hacker wants to decrypt data encrypted with 256-bit encryption, they need 256 different amalgamations to crack the data. This is practically impossible to crack, and even the world's supercomputers may require many years to get the combination by trying the trial-error method.

What software is used to decrypt hard drives? ›

DiskCryptor is a free encryption and decryption software program for disks and partitions on Microsoft Windows PC devices. You can encrypt and decrypt ISO images, system partitions, and external and internal drives on Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows Vista, and Windows XP operating systems.

How do I remove password protection from Symantec Endpoint? ›

Resolution
  1. Open the console manager.
  2. Click Clients.
  3. Select Policies tab.
  4. Click on General Settings.
  5. Select Security Settings tab.
  6. Select Require a password to uninstall the client.
  7. Type the <password> in the box.
  8. Click OK.
Mar 30, 2022

How to force uninstall Symantec Endpoint Protection without password? ›

2. RE: How to uninstall symantec endpoint protection 12.1 client version without password
  1. Open the registry.
  2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\SMC.
  3. Change the value for SmcGuiHasPassword from 1 to 0.
  4. Restart the SMC service.

How do I recover my encryption key? ›

Go to Control Panel > BitLocker Drive Encryption > Backup your recovery key. Saving to your Microsoft account is the most straightforward option. Backing up your recovery key to your Microsoft account should be a top priority for Windows 11 Pro users if it isn't already saved there.

Can encrypted data be decrypted without key? ›

Data encryption is a method of converting data from a readable format (plaintext) into an unreadable, encoded format (ciphertext). Encrypted data can only be read or processed after it has been decrypted, using a decryption key or password.

What is the secret key used to encrypt and decrypt? ›

Symmetric—symmetric encryption or secret key encryption is one key crypto. You use one key to encrypt the information and the same key to decrypt the information. The benefits is that it is very fast but since both parties use the same key, there needs to be a secure channel for key exchange.

Which encryption Cannot be decrypted? ›

Since encryption is two-way, the data can be decrypted so it is readable again. Hashing, on the other hand, is one-way, meaning the plaintext is scrambled into a unique digest, through the use of a salt, that cannot be decrypted.

Can data be recovered from encrypted drive? ›

There is even a common belief that encrypted data cannot be restored. But in fact, though encryption adds complexity to the recovery process, in most cases, it doesn't prevent it entirely.

How long does it take to decrypt a hard drive? ›

How Long Does It Take to Decrypt a Whole Drive? The time it takes to decrypt the entire drive is proportional to the size of the volume and how large the files are. This could be just a few hours to several days.

What is the weakness of full disk encryption? ›

The main drawback with full disk encryption is that it can ensure data security only when the device is at rest. This means that the data is encrypted only when the device is locked. When the device is unlocked, anyone can open and access any files in the device.

Does turning off BitLocker decrypt the drive? ›

No, BitLocker doesn't encrypt and decrypt the entire drive when reading and writing data. The encrypted sectors in the BitLocker-protected drive are decrypted only as they're requested from system read operations. Blocks that are written to the drive are encrypted before the system writes them to the physical disk.

Is full disk encryption overkill? ›

In fact, it only hurts: if a user's security procedures are too onerous, that user will eventually cut corners. Simply put, full-disk encryption is overkill for the use case you most likely have.

Can an encrypted drive be examined? ›

In most cases, the only option for collecting possible encrypted evidence is live analysis, before the machine is turned off. In many cases, if the machine remains powered up, encrypted files continue to be readable [4]. Once the machine is powered down, the keys to the encrypted data are discarded from memory.

How do I access an unreadable hard drive? ›

Here are some methods you can try to recover a corrupted folder from external disk:
  1. Use data recovery software or retrieve data from backups.
  2. Run CHKDSK in command prompt to check and repair errors in file system.
  3. Scan for virus and malware.

Can police crack encryption? ›

Forensic tools exploiting the right vulnerability can grab even more decryption keys, and ultimately access even more data, on an Android phone.

Is there 512 bit encryption? ›

The efficient hardware that implements the algorithm is also proposed. The new algorithm (AES-512) uses input block size and key size of 512-bits which makes it more resistant to cryptanalysis with tolerated area increase.

Who can crack 256-bit encryption? ›

256-bit encryption is refers to the length of the encryption key used to encrypt a data stream or file. A hacker or cracker will require 2256 different combinations to break a 256-bit encrypted message, which is virtually impossible to be broken by even the fastest computers.

Can hackers decrypt encrypted data? ›

Can hackers see encrypted data? No, hackers cannot see encrypted data, as it is scrambled and unreadable until the encryption key (or passphrase) is used to decrypt it. However, if a hacker manages to obtain the encryption key or crack the encryption algorithm, then they can gain access to the data.

What is Symantec drive encryption? ›

Symantec Drive Encryption provides organizations with comprehensive, high performance full disk encryption for all data (user files, swap files, system files, hidden files, etc.) on desktops, laptops, and removable media.

Which encryption can be decrypted? ›

Public key encryption uses a pair of complementary keys (a public key and a private key) to encrypt and decrypt messages, as shown in the following figure. The two keys are mathematically related such that a message encoded with one key can only be decoded with the other key.

What is the fastest full disk encryption? ›

XCrypt Full Disk utilizes Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256-bit encryption, the highest level attainable. AES has been adopted by the U.S. government and is now used worldwide.

How do I unlock Symantec Endpoint Protection admin? ›

RE: SEPM Console Admin account locked out

Open Windows Explorer on the computer that runs Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager. Locate the <Drive>:\Program Files\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager\Tools folder. Double-click the resetpass.

What is the default password for Symantec Endpoint Protection Client? ›

bat. The user name and password are reset to admin. Log on to Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager using admin for both the user name and the password, and change the password.

Can you remove Symantec Endpoint Protection? ›

It is possible to remove specific components from a Symantec Endpoint Protection client without the need to fully uninstall and reinstall. You can modify the installation for managed or unmanaged clients using Add or Remove Programs, or Programs and Features.

How to clear out corrupted definitions for a Symantec Endpoint Protection client manually? ›

  1. Start command prompt as administrator.
  2. Run the following command "sc config bhdrvx64 start= system"
  3. Expected result should be "ChangeServicesConfig SUCCESS"
  4. Restart the system.
Nov 30, 2022

How to uninstall Symantec Cloud Endpoint Protection manually? ›

In the dialog box, click Properties. Select Symantec Endpoint Protection Firewall, and click Uninstall. Repeat these steps for each network connection. Restart the computer.

What is the command to disable Symantec? ›

To stop the Symantec Endpoint Protection service manually from the Windows follow the below steps:
  1. Click Start.
  2. Click Run.
  3. Type smc -stop.

How to unlock BitLocker encrypted drive from command prompt without recovery key? ›

# 2. Get out of the BitLocker Recovery Screen
  1. On the initial BitLocker recovery screen, don't enter the recovery key instead, press Esc for more recovery options and select Skip this drive at the right bottom of the corner.
  2. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt in order.
7 days ago

What happens when encryption key is lost? ›

If you lose the decryption key, you cannot decrypt the associated ciphertext. The data that is contained in the ciphertext is considered cryptographically erased. If the only copies of data are cryptographically erased ciphertext, access to that data is permanently lost.

What key is needed to decrypt? ›

The private key is used to decrypt, as well as to encrypt, so using it for symmetric encryption requires a key exchange to share that key securely with trusted parties authorized to exchange secured data. Cryptographic software is usually used to automate this process.

Do you need public key to decrypt? ›

Anyone can encrypt a message by using your public key, but only you can read it. When you receive the message, you decrypt it by using your private key. Similarly, you can encrypt a message for anyone else by using their public key, and they decrypt it by using their private key.

Do you need private key to decrypt? ›

Information encrypted using the private key can be decrypted only with the public key. Only the holder of the private key can encrypt information that can be decrypted with the public key.

How do I manually decrypt files? ›

To decrypt a file or folder:
  1. From the Start menu, select Programs or All Programs, then Accessories, and then Windows Explorer.
  2. Right-click the file or folder you want to decrypt, and then click Properties.
  3. On the General tab, click Advanced.
  4. Clear the Encrypt contents to secure data checkbox, and then click OK.
Jan 18, 2018

Is it possible to decrypt a encrypted password? ›

Encrypted password cannot be decrypted. But we can able to validate the password. with plain text(entered password) and return Boolean value.

How to decrypt encrypted data using private key? ›

How to Decrypt an RSA Private Key Using OpenSSL
  1. Open terminal.
  2. Run the open ssl command to decrypt the file $ openssl rsa -in <encrypted_private.key> -out <decrypted_private.key> Enter pass phrase for encrypted_private.key: <enter the password> writing RSA key.
Feb 22, 2021

What is the key that unlocks encrypted data known as? ›

A cryptographic key is a string of data that is used to lock or unlock cryptographic functions, including authentication, authorization and encryption. Cryptographic keys are grouped into cryptographic key types according to the functions they perform.

What are the 3 types of encryption keys? ›

  • Symmetric. The symmetric encryption method uses a single key both to encrypt and decrypt the data. ...
  • Asymmetric. The second major encryption method is asymmetric encryption, also sometimes known as public key encryption. ...
  • Hashing.

How do I decrypt end to end encryption? ›

The message can only be decrypted using the corresponding private key, also called the decryption key. In online communications, there is almost always an intermediary handing off messages between two parties involved in an exchange.

How do I decrypt encrypted data? ›

Decryption is performed using the best decryption software, unique keys, codes, or passwords. The original file can be in the form of text files, images, e-mail messages, user data, and directories. The original format is called plaintext while the unreadable format is referred to as ciphertext.

Can an encrypted disk be recovered? ›

There is even a common belief that encrypted data cannot be restored. But in fact, though encryption adds complexity to the recovery process, in most cases, it doesn't prevent it entirely.

Can you decrypt a encrypted memory card? ›

3.1 How to Decrypt An SD Card on Android Phone

Navigate to Settings > Biometrics & security. Scroll down, choose the option of "Decrypt SD card".

Which key is used for end-to-end encryption? ›

End-to-end encryption uses asymmetric public key encryption, where both parties have two keys. When we say key, we mean the mathematical algorithm used to decrypt or encrypt a message. One of the keys is the public key that anyone can access, while the other is the private key that is not shared with anyone else.

Which key can be used to decrypt encrypted data? ›

When an asymmetric key pair is generated, the public key is typically used to encrypt, and the private key is typically used to decrypt.

How long does it take to unencrypt a hard drive? ›

The process itself may take anywhere from a couple of seconds to minutes or longer. It depends on the amount of data you're encrypting and if you're encrypting free space as well. If you have chosen to encrypt your system drive, you'll need to run a BitLocker system check and reboot your PC.

Does formatting a drive remove encryption? ›

Once again, formatting removes the BitLocker encryption and also clears all the data on it. You can't recover data from a formatted BitLocker drive!

How do I decrypt an encrypted memory card on another device? ›

How to Decrypt an Encrypted SD Card
  1. Step 1: Insert the SD card to the source Samsung phone, restart the phone.
  2. Step 2: Go to "Settings" and tap on "Lock screen and security".
  3. Step 3: Scroll to the bottom and tap on "Decrypt SD Card".
  4. Step 4: Tap on "DECRYPT SD CARD" and enter your password.
Feb 22, 2023

How do I recover deleted data from an encrypted SD card? ›

Steps to Recover Data from an Encrypted SD Card after Android Factory Reset
  1. Step 1: Connect your microSD card via Android phone or card reader. ...
  2. Step 2: Choose a scan mode to scan SD card. ...
  3. Step 3: Preview and Restore Data from your SD Card Selectively.
Jan 17, 2022

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