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Issue Opening .PFILE Files with Microsoft RMS Sharing Application

Faeka Ansari 0 Reputation points
2024-08-30T22:51:35.87+00:00

Hello Microsoft Support Team,

I am experiencing difficulties opening .PFILE files using the Microsoft Rights Management Sharing Application. Here are the details of the issue:

  1. Operating System: MacOS
  2. RMS Sharing Application Version: Latest
  3. Account Type: Individual
  4. Steps Taken:
    • I have successfully installed the RMS Sharing Application from the official Microsoft download page.
    • I have ensured that my account is correctly set up and that I have the necessary permissions to access the .PFILE files.
    • I attempted to open the .PFILE files by double-clicking them, but the application does not respond or displays an error message.
  5. Error Messages: There was an unexpected error when connecting to the Rights Management service. Contact the application support for further assistance.
  6. Troubleshooting Steps Taken:
    • I have reinstalled the RMS Sharing Application.
    • I have checked for updates to the application and my operating system.
    • I have verified that the .PFILE files are not corrupted by attempting to open them on another device with the same application.
  7. Additional Information: I do not have much knowledge about RMS and Protected Files. I have been using Windows 11 and recently transferred my very important documents to MacOS. But now these files are not accessible on MacOs, I do not know why, since I have never intentionally protected these files and I do not know where did the .pfile extension came from.

I would appreciate your assistance in resolving this issue, as I need to access important files that are currently locked.

Thank you for your help

Azure Information Protection
Azure Information Protection
An Azure service that is used to control and help secure email, documents, and sensitive data that are shared outside the company.
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  1. Smaran Thoomu 17,360 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor
    2024-09-02T12:04:59.7666667+00:00

    Hi @Faeka Ansari
    Thanks for the question and using MS Q&A platform.
    I understand your concern about not being able to open .PFILE files using the Microsoft Rights Management (RMS) Sharing Application on your MacOS device.

    It's great that you've taken some troubleshooting steps already, such as reinstalling the RMS Sharing Application, checking for updates, and verifying that the .PFILE files are not corrupted.

    To help you further, I'd like to clarify a few things:

    1. RMS and Protected Files: RMS is a service that helps protect sensitive files by encrypting them and controlling access to them. The .PFILE extension is likely a protected file that was encrypted using RMS. It's possible that the files were protected unintentionally, or someone else may have protected them.
    2. MacOS Compatibility: The RMS Sharing Application is designed to work on Windows, but it's also available for MacOS. However, there might be some compatibility issues or specific requirements for MacOS that need to be addressed.

    To resolve the issue, I'd like to suggest the following steps:

    1. Check RMS Account Settings: Ensure that your RMS account is set up correctly, and you have the necessary permissions to access the protected files. You can check your RMS account settings and permissions by logging into the RMS portal.
    2. Verify RMS Sharing Application Configuration: Check the RMS Sharing Application configuration on your MacOS device to ensure that it's set up correctly. You can try resetting the application settings or reinstalling the application to start from scratch.
    3. Use the RMS Web Portal: Instead of using the RMS Sharing Application, try accessing the protected files through the RMS web portal. You can upload the .PFILE files to the portal and then download them in an unprotected format.
    4. Contact RMS Support: If none of the above step's work, you can contact RMS support directly for further assistance. They may be able to help you resolve the issue or provide more information about the protected files.

    I hope these suggestions help you resolve the issue and access your important files.

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