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Hi folks,
Thank you for addressing my issue here. I have a win8.1 pro installation and I purchased a third party software package last year installed remotely. The third party built the software and activated Bitlocker encryption. This year I needed to decrypt for maintenance. The problem is that Bitlocker starts decrypting and then quickly starts re-encrypting. Basically I cannot decrypt from the control panel. My guess is that there is a hidden process that is keeping the drive encrypted. Any help or suggestion would be appreciated.
ps. I can use kernel monitoring tools under guidance.
Thank you.
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Alright, what third-party product did you use, and also enabled it to encrypt your drives? Ever heard of ransomware?
Secondly, would you be able to decrypt that drive and read the content from within the software application they provided you? If, there is a system service that keeps blocking you from reading the content, contact their team, or sales department and ask them to guide you on this one.
Also, please in future make sure you only buy such services from vendors you can trust.
The sh*t I complain about
It's like there ain't a cloud in the sky and it's raining out - Eminem
~! Firewall !~
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>...what third-party product did you use...
This is a fellow who installs automotive diagnostic software (for a specific German brand)
>...Ever heard of ransomware?
Yes I have, I've been working with this fellow for about 3 years and never had a problem.
>...Secondly, would you be able to decrypt that drive and read the > content from within the software application they provided you?
The software is a copy of what a dealership would have and thus does not need encryption. The encryption on my drive is probably to keep me from collecting all files and build the system on someone else's machine.
What I really need is someone to guide me through using something like process explorer or gmer.
edit: My machine in question here has not been attacked with ransomware, it is and has been functioning normally as any user of a drive encrypted with Bitlocker. The problem is when I needed to turn off Bitlocker did the abnormal functionality show up.
modified 30-Apr-17 17:56pm.
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Member 13161686 wrote: This is a fellow who installs automotive diagnostic software (for a specific German brand)
Then you should be talking to him.
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It's better for me to be a couple of steps ahead of this fellow. If and when I figure how to kill the process responsible for this inconvenience, I plan on restarting it up when I'm done with my disk maintenance.
Do you, however, know how to write an executable that listens for a user's decrypt command to Bitlocker (from the control panel) and prevent decrypting? Or would you know how to track down a process like this? This is why I came to this forum.
Thank you
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How could we? We know nothing about the programs that this person has installed. As I said before, you need to talk to him for assistance.
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Quote: As I said before, you need to talk to him for assistance.
I'm aware of what you said but I would like to stay a couple of steps ahead of this person I'm also not sure if you have considered the fact that if this person has installed this hidden process without my knowledge, that would that person help me to remove it. Just take the example of the Sony DRM rootkit episode some years back. This is a similar scenario.
Quote: We know nothing about the programs that this person has installed
Actually you should not have to know anything about the installer. He has installed a hidden process that listens for certain Bitlocker commands (decrypting, for example) and blocks the command at the kernel level. The Sysinternals tools as well as gmer are out there and I'm familiar with their use. All I need is guidance on what to look for on how this hidden process hooks into calls I make to Bitlocker to decrypt my drive.
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Member 13161686 wrote: All I need is guidance on what to look for
You know what to look for, something that is using Bitlocker commands. As I already said, we know nothing about this software or how it works, so there is really nothing to suggest.
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Zeeshan,
After conversing back and forth with a couple of other folks on this form I see they don't understand what I'm looking for.
I'm looking for someone who has knowledge on using Sysinternals tools and other similar tools to just give me some tips on what to look for. What I'm looking for is this hidden process that intercepts my Bitlocker command (to decrypt) I make from the control panel and prevents Bitlocker from decrypting.
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Member 13161686 wrote: I have a win8.1 pro installation and I purchased a third party software package last year installed remotely.
Too idiotic to be true.
You'd go trough the trouble to lock something locally (meaning you don't trust your employees), just to trust some random company?
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
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>...You'd go trough the trouble to lock something locally (meaning you don't trust your employees), just to trust some random company?
I'm a one-man company diagnosing vehicles at the customer site. I've used this guy for the last three years he is trustworthy with my data. The software is his build and he likely wants to keep his customers from selling the native installation he provides.
There is no problem using the encrypted drive since its a regular Bitlocker use case. I can access my data and programs as a user/admin should. The problem is with possibly a hidden service that keeps Bitlocker encrypted and I know I can find that service given time, tools and some guidance (ergo my coming to this forum).
edit: Bitlocker has not kept me from a windows login and accessing my account, there is no abnormal functionality here. The problem here is turning off Bitlocker because I needed to do some maintenance work and noticed that Bitlocker turns off then quickly re-encrypts.
modified 30-Apr-17 18:15pm.
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Member 13161686 wrote: I've used this guy for the last three years he is trustworthy with my data.
If that was the case you would not be posting here.
If the only problem is that the third-party app starts encrypting after decrypt, then you should contact that vendor. None of us would know any details on the software.
Member 13161686 wrote: The software is his build and he likely wants to keep his customers from selling the native installation he provides.
Very unlikely. There's easier ways to prevent idiots from selling your application.
Bastard Programmer from Hell
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
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Alright, then how would you write something that behaves similarly to what I have on my machine? Then please let me know how would I track it down using the different tools freely available.
Just to be clear, your executable must be listening for a user to issue a "Turn Bitlocker off" command from the control panel, and prevent the drive from being decrypted.
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Member 13161686 wrote: Alright, then how would you write something that behaves similarly to what I have on my machine?
I wouldn't. If you were paying my expenses, I might entertain you with arguments for that position.
Member 13161686 wrote: Then please let me know how would I track it down using the different tools freely available.
The taskmanager shows the executables location.
Member 13161686 wrote: Just to be clear, your executable must be listening for a user to issue a "Turn Bitlocker off" command from the control panel, and prevent the drive from being decrypted.
If you are the owner of the machine than it will be easy to turn off or halt.
Which third party-software? What company?
Bastard Programmer from Hell
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
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Quote: I wouldn't. If you were paying my expenses, I might entertain you with arguments for that position
Just to be clear, I'm not interested in you coding anything for me. I'm just asking you how would you code something like that eg. write some code that creates a hidden process and intercepts calls to the Bitlocker "Turn Bitlocker off" command issued from the user control panel.
Quote: The taskmanager shows the executables location.
I'm already aware of the Sysinternals suite of tools that give a lot more information regarding system processes. It's just now I need to know what to look for when tracking down what is intercepting the Bitlocker command I issue from the control panel.
Quote: If you are the owner of the machine than it will be easy to turn off or halt.
I am the owner of the machine and if were easy to find the hidden process I suspect is on my machine, I would not need to find someone for whom it is easy.
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I see that some of our users can be difficult, let me put in my two cents.
All 64-bit versions of Windows from Vista onward include a technology that prevents kernel hooks. If a kernel hook is somehow successfully installed, the machine will blue screen. It's called Kernel Patch Protection - Wikipedia[^]
Therefore, I don't think the scenario that you suspect is what's actually going on.
The difficult we do right away...
...the impossible takes slightly longer.
modified 2-May-17 18:37pm.
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Hopefully this is the correct forum for this.
Is the order of precedence/evaluation in the Local Security Policy such that a blanket Deny can be overridden by an explicit Allow?
Specifically, if (for instance) the policy is Deny logon of "Group A" will Allowing specific users members of that group override that policy, letting them log on?
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Marco said: even though I'm late to the party
You're the only one who turned up! 
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Thanks.
The hard part now will be convincing the Powers That Be to fix things so I can do my job. 
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I have a Vista computer that I wish to upgrade at least to Windows 7. I have a lot of email, apps and data on this computer. It is reasonable in power and I don't wish to change hardware. Yes, I want to upgrade, not clean install.
All the info that Google wants to give me has outdated links, and info that now seems to be expired and useless. Microsoft is not helpful. I think I can see the upgrade path from Win 7 to 10 if/when I desire, but can't find how to go beyond Vista without a reinstall. All of the Windows 7 repair/installers that I can find seem to require that I have Win 7 installed already (catch 22). I think I need an installer and product key to go from Vista... can't find anything useful from Microsoft or even ebay. I don't currently have a Win 7 or Win 10 product key. I'm not looking for anything illegal and/or free. I have money to do it properly and legally...
Does anyone have the secret code for this besides use of a time machine?
I'm retired. There's a nap for that...
- Harvey
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You have to buy a legal copy of Windows 7. I am not sure whether you can go direct from Vista to Windows 10, but the Windows 10 website should have the details.
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There are still a lot of resources in the net when searching for "upgrade vista to windows 7".
Vista must have SP1 or SP2 installed and you need a Windows 7 DVD (full version) matching the Vista type (32 / 64 bit). Possible upgrade paths are Basic/Premium -> Home or Ultimate, Business -> Professional or Ultimate, and Ultimate -> Ultimate.
When booting from the installation DVD, Vista should be detected and you should be offered an upgrade option. When installation is finished you have to enter the license key.
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Your approach is flawed. Copy the things that you need to backup and do a clean install. Vista has a bloated registry out of the box, let alone how bad it must be after years of use.
I get that you don't want to spend the time re-installing your needed software, but ultimately I think you'll spend more time trying to do an upgrade, which may well result in a corrupted OS that needs to be re-imaged anyway.
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
- Benjamin Disraeli
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