When I first got my Surface Pro, I excitedly tried out some of the apps available in the store, including one called ‘File Vault’.

Into the ‘Vault I placed a few family pictures and poems and stuff and proceeded to let my free trial lapse.

Just now (a number of months after the fact), I went to pay to get the full programme and unlock the Vault only to find that the app is no longer in the Store, and nowhere to be found online either.

Does this mean my files are lost forever? 🙁

Who made it? First way to check, do they have a website?

Unfortunately, when I click the icon to launch the app, it automatically opens a window saying that my trial period has expired and that I should go to the store to purchase it, except of course, that it no longer exists in the store.

Consequently, I don’t know who published it in the first place, and the name ‘File Vault’ just brings up a bunch of stuff related to a Mac programme of the same name.

Does right click properties still work? If not try you app store history and a help request in there

Just been into windows App store and it has a list of updates and downloads there so check that for more info.

Thanks for even trying, Mike, but alas, the Store seems to have no record of ever having had the app available. My account is there, and all my settings in the Store are intact, but there is no sign that File Vault ever existed.

There is a different app – also called File Vault – that I once used on a different device, but the one I had downloaded to the Surface Pro has just vanished!

I have to ask. Why do you need to encrypt photos and poems? Seems an utterly ridiculous use of encryption software to me.

Back in the days of lame software you could just disconnect your computer from the internet and temporarily change the date to get by this. If you were only just over the time limit you could also do a system restore back to a date inside the time limit

Doesn’t always work these days but might be worth a bash

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ke/store/p/file-vault/9wzdncrdk6xc

^^ That one. The one with the big warning that says :

NOTE 1: DO NOT UNINSTALL THE APP OR FORMAT OS DRIVE WITHOUT EXPORTING THE FILES. Doing so may delete all the app data and the data already imported into file vault.

I think you are, as they say, stuffed.

EDIT: I have had issues in the past with non EN-US languages settings and the MS Store. The app above says supported English (United States) – if you set your language to EN-US (not EN-UK) – can you see it in the store?

@orangespyderman: No, that’s not the one.

I have finally located the app elsewhere on the web.

The question I now have is:

Now that I have sourced the app elsewhere, is there a way of upgrading what I have to a ‘full’ version and so unlock what’s inside?

It’s this one, btw.

Jusarg, the app developer, was set up by a Justin Sargen. Anyone tech is likely to be on LinkedIn – I’m not so can only see a bit, but there’s a Justin Sargent games developer on LinkedIn. Perhaps check there?

Be careful with third party app stores. They sometimes will download an app, inject malicious code, then reupload to their app store.

There was also no doubt a very good reason why it was removed from the Microsoft store in the first place.

This is a good lesson in backup, if it’s not backed up in three physical locations, it’s not backed up at all.

In future, use Dropbox or something from a reputable company, or your own external storeage. I’ve no idea what file vault is.

I have to ask. Why do you need to encrypt photos and poems? Seems an utterly ridiculous use of encryption software to me.

Proper helpful that. I use a photo locker to put photos of all the potential christmas and birthday presents I see for the kids/mrs. However the makers of said apps appear to target them at storing pictures of ladies for some bizarre reason. Of course I could lock the phone but then how would I entertain the kids when we’re out at a restaurant 😉

Surely whatever files were put into File Vault are merely copies of files that still exist elsewhere? Normally when you drag a file across the original is left behind, unless the OP deliberately deleted the originals to prove a point?