Cannot Open Encrypted Files on a Computer with Multiple Windows 2000 Installations

If you have a Windows 2000-based computer with more than one installation of Windows 2000, you may receive the following error message when you try to open an encrypted file: This behavior can occur if you log on to the computer without a roaming profile and you have either a domain user account or a local computer account. When you restart your computer, log on to a second installation of Windows 2000, and then try to open the encrypted file, you receive the error message.

This issue can occur because when you log on to the second installation of Windows 2000, you do not have the appropriate certificate to open the encrypted file.

To resolve this issue, restart the computer and log on to the first installation of Windows 2000. Export the certificate and the related private key to a floppy disk, or to a non-encrypted folder on the hard disk. Restart the computer and log on to the second installation of Windows 2000 and import the certificate.

For additional information about private keys, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

For additional information about encryption, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: To download the "Encrypting File System for Windows 2000" white paper, visit the following Microsoft Web site: