Decrypting Fixed disks Encrypted with Symantec Drive Encryption

Products

• Symantec Products

Issue/Introduction

Symantec Drive Encryption has the ability to encrypt hard drives, both Internal Fixed Disks, or External, or Removable Disks.  

Decrypting Primary Fixed Disk before decrypting Secondary Fixed Disk can result in data not being accessible.

Fixed Disks are disks that are connected directly to the system itself, inside the computer case.

External Disks, are those that are connected outside the computer case, via USB, Firewire, etc.

 

Environment

Consider the following scenario:

A system has two Internal, Fixed Disks, a Primary Fixed Disk, and a Secondary Fixed Disk. The Primary, Fixed disk is where the operating system would be installed, and the Secondary Fixed Disk is where additional data could be stored. Both of these Fixed Disks have been encrypted with Symantec Drive Encryption.

Resolution

Decrypting Fixed Disks should be done with special consideration.  Although these disks are separate fixed disks, they are grouped together with Symantec Drive Encryption for Disk management, such that if decrypting the Primary Fixed Disk is necessary, decrypting the Secondary Fixed Disk, first, is necessary.

Before decrypting the Primary Fixed Disk, please first decrypt the Secondary Fixed Disk and confirm accessing the data is possible, then move on to the Primary Fixed Disk for decryption.

If both Primary and Secondary Fixed disks are encrypted, and the Primary Fixed Disk is decrypted first, then accessing data on the Secondary Fixed Disks may not be possible and restoring that data from backups would be necessary.

If the Primary Fixed Disk has been decrypted and the data is critical and no backups are available, please contact Symantec Support to troubleshoot further.