Lost disk image

[Strandwolf]

Hi there, I'm not quite familiar with Espionage, but used a trial version and was very happy so far. Since I suddenly lost the disk image and all my files! Following happened: I guess the folder was unlocked that moment, when my Macbook ran out of battery. After restarting the machine, I tried to unlock my personal Espionage folder but got the message, that the disk image cannot be found. There was no possibility to remove the encryption though. Only the alias was left. When I opened the Program again, it said "Critical Alert! - Can't find "Espionage-Private".

I didn't use the back-up option, but have Time machine back-up from that time before. Meanwhile, the Trial is unvalid  and I cannot even try to access the Esp. program nor am I able to see if the disk image had been backed-up? Does anyone think I will have a chance on it? I'm so unsure by this that I really hesitate to buy the software if it is so unreliable...

Thanks a thousand time for helpful words
Strandwolf

[greg]

Hi Strandwolf,

We'll do our best to assist you! You can reset the trial by following these reset instructions:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=99#p229

After that, you might want to read up what Espionage does when it encrypts a folder to get a better understanding of where the disk image might be (you'd know better than us as to its location):

http://www.taoeffect.com/espionage/Espi ... kings.html

Then, you can use the iVisible tool to show invisible files:

http://www.mikes-software.de/downloads/ ... index.html

And if you find the disk image, you can simply drag it back into Espionage to add it back in, and then remove it from Espionage to restore the folder, or follow the manual restore instructions:

http://www.taoeffect.com/espionage/Espi ... oring.html

Hope that helps, let me know if you need any clarification!

[Strandwolf]

Hi Greg,
thanks so much for help. I'm not sure, if I deleted the trialversion completely and installed a new trial as I thought, that could be the way to re-enter the program (it's already a bit time ago, as you can see: my disk image is from 22 July...) But anyway, I could reset and enter now, found the disk image folder with ivisible, as you can see, but then got the message "bad folder". No disk image is shown on the desktop, only the .ds_store-file....

What to do now? Could I access the TimeMachine Backup for using the disk-image there? How do I get there?

Lot's regards from Strandwolf...
If that all works to get back my files, I would be really willing to purchase a full version!!

[greg]

Hi Greg,
thanks so much for help. I'm not sure, if I deleted the trialversion completely and installed a new trial as I thought, that could be the way to re-enter the program (it's already a bit time ago, as you can see: my disk image is from 22 July...) But anyway, I could reset and enter now, found the disk image folder with ivisible, as you can see, but then got the message "bad folder". No disk image is shown on the desktop, only the .ds_store-file....

What to do now? Could I access the TimeMachine Backup for using the disk-image there? How do I get there?

So, the screenshot actually shows the Volumes folder, and that's not the disk image. This is explained a bit in the espionage internals faq, but I'll attempt to elaborate a bit here. There are 3 entities one may want to be aware of:

• The folder
• The disk image
• The mountpoint

What you show in that screenshot, inside of the Volumes folder, is the mountpoint, not the disk image. The mountpoint can be thought of as a kind of portal through which the encrypted data of the disk image is accessed. It's only relevant when the folder is unlocked, and you really don't need to worry about it, it's part of the internals of how Espionage works under the hood. The disk image is located either inside of the folder, or in the folder that contains that folder (the "parent folder"). The folder is located wherever it was, it's what you double-click on to bring up the password prompt.

Instructions for restoring from Time Machine are in the backups documentation.

[Strandwolf]

Greg, a big kiss! I'm sooo delighted to get my files back!!! Puhh...
The option 1 was fitting.
I just want to mention in regards of restoring the disk image from Time Machine, that you have to restore the original folder (not the alias), but after restoring, you need to open or add the alias (which was all time there) of it to Espionage. That's what I didn't realise at first as it is not described for real stupids like me   :oops:

Thanks for all your help and effort! I now feel much more encouraged to buy a full version!
Regards from Namibia
Strandwolf

[greg]

Hey Strandwolf -- so very happy to hear I was able to help! :)