I installed espionage a few weeks ago...and have forgotten my password! Is there a way to either retrieve my password or delete espionage completely from my system without a password? With thanks!
Hi aurora,
Did your forget your master password or a password to a specific folder? I'm going to assume you forgot your master password for this post.
If you chose to use the login keychain during setup, your master password is simply your user account password, otherwise you set a custom master password, and here are the instructions on how to reset it:
Master Password reset instructions for Espionage 2.8.3 and Later- In the Finder, select Go to Folder... from the Go menu (top of the screen in the menubar) and paste the following in, then click Go:
~/Library/Application Support - In there you should see a folder called Espionage. Rename this folder to EspionageOld or move it to the Desktop.
- Open the Espionage application, it will run you through the setup procedure again
Sidenote: Do you need to re-download Espionage?If for whatever reason you need to re-download Espionage, first take note of what Mac OS X version you have. If you are running a version prior to Lion (Mac OS X 10.7), download version 2.8.10 (http://www.taoeffect.com/espionage/releases/Espionage2.8.10.dmg). Otherwise, download the latest (http://www.taoeffect.com/espionage/download/Espionage.dmg).
Re-import foldersAt this point Espionage will not have any folders in it, so the ones that you've previously encrypted need to be re-added to it.
- If you previously encrypted any applications using the application templates, re-do this using the *same exact* password and encryption settings as you chose last time. Espionage will not re-encrypted the data as it will notice that it's already encrypted.
- If you had previously encrypted any folders using Espionage, re-add these folders to Espionage using the *same exact* password and encryption settings as you chose last time. (Note: These folders will appear empty with 3 folders inside of them stating: "This folder contains encrypted data. It is controlled by Espionage. Do not modify it in this state.")
Registering Espionage againIf you lost your license file and need to re-register, use the "Lost Your License?" FAQ item on our support page (http://www.taoeffect.com/espionage/support/). Alternatively, you can copy the file "license" from the "EspionageOld" folder into the new "Espionage" folder and relaunch Espionage.
Let me know if these instructions don't help, but it may be better to contact us via email (http://www.taoeffect.com/espionage/support/contact) as that way you'll be able to send us screenshots and other information more easily.
Best regards,
Greg, Tao Effect
A couple of concerns:
1. If I understand this correctly, anyone who can access my Library folder could reset the master password?
2. Having reset the password, what does "*same exact* password and encryption settings as you chose last time" mean? I guess it must mean "the settings for password and encryption", because I've forgottent the password, right ;) But anyway, what specifically has to be exactly the same as last time?
My underlying issue is: are there any circumstances in which I wouldn't be able to recover the data?
Hi mcolgan,
Quote from: "mcolgan"1. If I understand this correctly, anyone who can access my Library folder could reset the master password?
Yes.
Quote2. Having reset the password, ? I guess it must mean "the settings for password and encryption", because I've forgottent the password, right ;) But anyway, what specifically has to be exactly the same as last time?
The password that you set for the folder when you first encrypted it. Or, if you used an application template, re-run the application template and use the same password as you provided last time.
QuoteMy underlying issue is: are there any circumstances in which I wouldn't be able to recover the data?
Yes, this would be the case where you've forgotten both Espionage's master password, and the password(s) to any encrypted folders.
Thank you for your great support; I'm almost there with this inquiry! So:
1. Forgotten master password: no problem, as explained in your first answer
2. Forgotten folder or application password: data can't ever be accessed by anyone, including the owner.
Correct?
Quote from: "mcolgan"Correct?
Almost. :)
Quote2. Forgotten folder or application password: data can't ever be accessed by anyone, including the owner.
If you remember the master password, you can unlock Espionage using it, and then all of the folders are unlockable via the "Locked" checkbox.
So it's only the scenario where you've forgotten both the master password + folder password that the data is permanently unretrievable.
Quote from: "greg"So it's only the scenario where you've forgotten both the master password + folder password that the data is permanently unretrievable.
Which is reassuring.
That leaves just the converse risk - whether someone could unlock the folders if they had access to the user account. If someone has the user account password, and is thereby able to login to the account, they will be able to reset the master password; I presume in that case they will not be able to use this checkbox route to unlock folders set when the previous master password applied?
Quote from: "mcolgan"I presume in that case they will not be able to use this checkbox route to unlock folders set when the previous master password applied?
Correct, they won't be able to access any of the folders.
So when anyone can basically reset the master password as he likes isn't the whole encryption senseless?
Are my folders still save?
Quote from: "typewriter"So when anyone can basically reset the master password as he likes isn't the whole encryption senseless?
No.
Your folders can't be unlocked without their respective passwords if the master password is reset.
Please help.
I have recently forgot both the master password for Espionage as well as the password for sub-folders it protects. I have read the post on how to reset the master password, but I am still unable to gain access to the folders which were protected previously. Now as I try to gain access to those folders, I do not get a message stating to type in a password, instead I am able to open up those folders but nothing is inside. Also, the sub-folders to the original protected folder is now labeled 'controlled by espionage', 'encrypted data enclosed' etc.
Is the data to those folders lost forever? Do I need to be some kind of renowned hacker to gain access to them?
Please help. Thanks in advance
As mentioned earlier in this thread:
Quote from: "greg"QuoteMy underlying issue is: are there any circumstances in which I wouldn't be able to recover the data?
Yes, this would be the case where you've forgotten both Espionage's master password, and the password(s) to any encrypted folders.
If that was not the case Espionage would not be doing its job.
Quote from: "blink180tone"Now as I try to gain access to those folders, I do not get a message stating to type in a password, instead I am able to open up those folders but nothing is inside. Also, the sub-folders to the original protected folder is now labeled 'controlled by espionage', 'encrypted data enclosed' etc.
If you're seeing that the folder is either disabled or not in Espionage. The folder needs to be in Espionage for it to work (http://www.taoeffect.com/espionage/EspionageHelp/pages/usg-restore_other.html), and you'll need to know its password.
This is the only forum post/thread I find for password reset. I'm using version 3.0.2 under OSX 10.8.2. This procedure does not work. After renaming or moving the Application Support/Espionage folder and launching the app, I am just asked for password as before. I have forgotten master password and need to access encrypted folders. Please help.
Considering this is an espionage 3 question it will be handled in the other post user made in Espionage3 forum.
Thanks for the info. Sadly, your proposed method
goto folder ->
paste "Code: Select all
~/Library/Application Support"
only brought me a "folder not found" message.
I tried pasting "as is", as well as without the spaces etc.
I would be grateful for any hint on the matter.
Thanks in advance!
Hello, sorry not sure what you are trying to achieve.
Pls clarify.
Rgds
Zsolt
Hey Zsolt,
Sorry if I wasn't clear. I'm having the same problem as described by the starter of this thread : Forgot Master PW, but do remember folder PWs.
So I followed Greg's instructions:
Chose "Go to Folder..."
and pasted his
QuoteCode: Select all
~/Library/Application Support
But this only returned a message: "Folder not found"
As I wasn't sure about the copying of the double liner, I tried different ways, erasing the spaces between "Select all" and the following tilde. To no avail.
Any hints?
(OS X 10.8.2., Espionage 2.8.13)
Thanks in advance,
Exup
Hello, Espionage keeps it's metadata stuff in the folder home folder/Library/Application Support/Espionage.
In Mountain Lion the Library subfolder in your home folder is hidden, so to access it, hold down the option (alt) key and select in Finders "Go" menu the "Library". Once you are in the Library you can navigate further into Application Support subfolder.
Rename the Espionage into Espionage.orig and log out and log back in. Launch Espionage and it should start with a default setup steps.
Here you can set the Master Password again.
But this will not bring you back the folders you protected before, if there are any.
So if you need to restore some data too, then let me know and I will write you further steps.
Rgds
Zsolt