How do I access files on my encrypted sd card?

OrangeBerry02

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Aug 28, 2014
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Just had the Android 9 Update. Have a Galaxy S8 (which has worked impeccably until now) with an encrypted 256GB sd card.

Now unable to access any of my files on my encrypted sd card.

Eg for photos these just show as an icon with the details of size etc. When viewed on Gallery these show as a greyed out square with an exclamation mark in the middle.

Try to access a video and it says ... an unknown error has occurred.

PDF's wont open.

Went to decrypt the card (its on the phone where it was encrypted) to find only the option to encrypt.

Grateful for any help ...
 

Rukbat

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Feb 12, 2012
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You'll probably have to flash Oreo back, decrypt the card, then flash Pie. (And back up everything in the phone, because flashing ROMs wipes data.)

This is also why anything important should be backed up.

(You could try: remove the card, switch to None for the lock screen, restart, switch to your PIN or password for the lock screen, turn the phone off, insert the card and turn the phone on. If that doesn't work, try the backup, flash 8, restart, decrypt, flash 9, restart path.)

And, in the future, with any phone, if anything is encrypted, decrypt it before updating, then restart and encrypt it, if any apps are moved to the card, move them back, update, restart, move them to the card.)
 

OrangeBerry02

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Aug 28, 2014
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I have found the answer ... thought I would post it in case anyone has the same experience.

I went to Settings >
Biometrics and security >
Encrypt SD card >
and again, at the bottom of the page Encrypt SD card.

The phone checked the card for about thirty seconds then declared the card was already encrypted and threw me back into the above menu where the option then changed to:

Decrypt SD card.

I exited and tried the Gallery as well as My Files and found that everything on the sd card could be accessed. Phewww!
 

OrangeBerry02

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Aug 28, 2014
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Thanks so much Rukbat. You'll see I seem to have got myself out of trouble on this occasion but I agree with your advice, " in the future, with any phone, if anything is encrypted, decrypt it before updating." That's got to be good advice.
 

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