I encrypted a file with Vista, then moved the file into a shared folder on the same laptop (Public) with the intention of uploading it to a web server. After trying to use WSFTP to upload the file, Vista started notifying me I needed to insert a Smart Card, and now I can do nothing with the file. I can't open it, view properties, nothing. A notification window pops up stating, "You are encrypting a file or trying to access an encrypted file using a smart card. Enter your smart card pin" Beneath that is "Insert a Smart Card". Any idea why Vista has suddenly decided I can't do anything with the file with out a 'Smart Card'?

UPDATE: Ok I logged into the laptop from another administrator account. Opening the Public folder, I could still neither open the encrypted file (this is just a test file btw) nor decrypt it, but it allowed me to delete it. The funny part is, that wasn't the administrator account that created and encrypted the file! Also the admin account that created, encrypted and moved the file to the Public folder is the owner of the Public folder. Strange. This was an Excel file created on Office 2010 on Vista Business SP 2. The experiment that caused all this was trying to encrypt a file, upload it to the web, have it remain encrypted, and be able to download it later, and only be able to open it if the encryption key is present with the file. Is this possible in Vista? This is not an easy or cut and dried experiment, for sure. Thanks.

Hi, Can you decrypt it on the local hard drive? Are you in a domain environment? If it is within domain enviruonment, then Enterprise CAs is involved, Enterprise CAs can also be configured in the domain to create certificates for users. Certificates that are issued by enterprise certification authorities (CA) are based on certificate templates. Certificate templates are stored in Active Directory and define the attributes of certificate types to be issued to users and computers. Enterprise CAs use Access Control Lists (ACLs) for certificate templates in Active Directory to determine whether to approve certificate requests. If a user has the Enroll permission for a certificate template, the CA will issue a certificate of the type defined by the template to the user. Please refer to Using Enterprise Certification Authorities to Issue Certificates. Regards,Please remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.