Using Espionage with an External Hard Drive

[whiteandy]

I made a data encryption file (.sparsebundle file) in an external hard drive by using Espionage.
And I reset my mac with clean-installing OS X and installed same version of Espionage.
But I don't know how to restore the encrypted file in the external hard drive in this new system. Could anyone give an advice?

PLZ..

[zsolt]

Hello, if you did deleted the application data i.e. if you did not migrate your original Library/Application Support folder over to the new installation, then we cannot retrieve the data any more.
If you did, then just create one folder to be used for mount point and drag the disk image over to Espionage, Espionage should recongize that it was present in database (unless you renamed it) and it will add it.

Pls give it a try and let me know how it went.

Rgds
Zsolt

[whiteandy]

I tried this. But it did not work.
Would you tell me which step was wrong or another way I can try.

Step 1.
I opened the folder which has Espionage image files in Finder of my external hard drive.
A file name "51 ahepf.sparsebundle" was an Espionage Image file.
And a folder name "51 ahepf" was an original mountpoint folder.


Step 2.
I dragged and dropped the image file on Espionage.


Step 3.
Then it was showed up.


Step 4.
I typed in my original password(password I used when I made this Espionage image file).
Actually I am using same password now and then.


Step 5.
I designated the location of the mountpoint folder.


Step 6.
And now I clicked Import button.


Step 7.
It did not work. "Invalid Password" message was showed up.
The password I typed in was surely right password.


What can I do more? Please help me.

[zsolt]

Hello, the password you are using is the password you use to unlock espionage, it is not the disk image password.
THe disk image password is known only to Espionage, unless you copy it out by clicking on "i" near the folder name and select copy password.
This is why I told you that we cannot access the image unless you have the original Library/Application Support/com.taoeffect.espionage3 folder as it contains the database in which the password is stored.
The only way to make this work is to bring up Espionage with the old database so that when you launch it, it lists the folder already. Then you can re-add the folder, or copy out the password and then do what you did.

All we need is the old database3 files from the folder I mentioned above. If you have any backup of it then we are good to go. Quit espionage, replace the current database3 file with the one from backup, copy out the password and then try either to simply re-add the image, or put back the current database3 and then import the image into empty database.

Let me know how it went.
If needed I'm available for a remote session for next 1 hour.

Rgds
Zsolt

[whiteandy]

OMG!!

I did not backup the old database files.
I tried to find "Library/Application Support/Espionage" folder before I reset my mac, but I could not find it.
Because I am also using "Concealer" program, it stores its encrypted files in "Library/Application Support/Concealer" folder.
I never imagined the name of the folder would be "com.taoeffect.Espionage3"

So I do not have the old database files.
Then is it impossible to restore my encrypted Espionage files?

[zsolt]

Yes, it does not look good....

The database is in Library/Application Support/com.taoeffect.espionage3 not Library/Application Support/Espionage, the latter was used by Version 2 and Version 3.0.0 since 3.0.1 it is com.taoeffect.espionage3.

We are looking for a file named database3. If you can find it anywhere then we can do something, if not then....OMG

Espionage backups itself so you will have multiple database3 files, all but one having timestamp in front of the name, any of those will do...

The alternative is to try to crack the disk image, but this is pure cracking, has nothing to do with Espionage and I cannot help you with that, it is like cracking any other OS X encrypted disk image.

Zsolt

[whiteandy]

OMG!!

That's such a sad news.
I don't know what to do with this file. I am not an IT expert who can crack it and I do not have time to learn it.
I just want to suggest one thing for some other users like me.
You'd better make a post about backing up the folder in Application Support when they want reset their computer.
Making a guide movie may be the best. There might have a post about it somewhere, it is hard for non English speaker like me to find and read it.

Thanks anyway for your quick replies and your willingness to help me with it.

[zsolt]

San news indeed. Having a backup is a general advise not Espionage specific. Backup in general is an annoyance and waste of time and disk space until you need it, then it is veeery good to have it. Not to mention that if you plan to migrate with a fresh install then it is surely worth to make at least that one time a copy.
I'm sorry that you learned it in this way.

Zsolt