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ERROR_WRONG_EFS
The encrypted file and the active EFS provider are incompatible
This condition is not the same as a missing private key. The file is recognized as encrypted, but the encryption driver or provider currently loaded by Windows does not match the implementation or metadata used when the file was created.
Preserve the original operating-system version, storage image, EFS metadata, and any third-party file-system or encryption software involved in the file's history. Migration tools should not truncate, regenerate, or strip the encrypted metadata. A compatible system may still be able to decrypt the original copy.
When moving data between systems, prefer an authorized decrypt-and-reencrypt workflow or a raw EFS export/import that preserves the complete opaque stream. Validate recovery from a copy before retiring the source environment.
What to inspect
- The system and provider that originally encrypted the file.
- Windows upgrades, third-party filter drivers, image conversion, and cross-platform NTFS access in the migration path.
- Whether the raw EFS stream and all related NTFS metadata were preserved byte for byte.
References
- Microsoft: Encrypted-file backup and restore
- Microsoft Open Specifications: EFS overview
- libfsntfs: NTFS format documentation
- NTFS-3G: ntfsdecrypt
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