Decrypt failed Code = 17

Stephen's Avatar

Stephen

26 Jun, 2012 02:51 PM

Environment:

  • Software name and version: (e.g. GPGMail 2.0a4 or GPG Keychain Access 1.0b3)
  • OS X version: (e.g. 10.7.2)
  • GPGTools Installer date:

What steps will reproduce the problem? Please be as specific as possible.

  1. Imported sender's shared key (successful)
  2. Tried to open .gpg file (failed)
  3. Deleted and re-imported sender's shared key (successful)
  4. Failed to open file again.

What do you expect to see? What do you see instead?

  • I want to open sender's encrypted files.
  • Instead, I receive the error Decrypt failed! (No secret key) Code = 17

Provide any additional information, link a screenshot and debug output if possible.

  • Screenshot: see attachment
  • Debug output from /Applications/Utilities/Console.app: ...

First aid

  1. 1 Posted by Stephen on 26 Jun, 2012 03:49 PM

    Stephen's Avatar

    Any thoughts on why I receive this error? I must be missing something... Thanks in advance!

  2. Support Staff 2 Posted by Luke Le on 26 Jun, 2012 03:54 PM

    Luke Le's Avatar

    Hi Stephen,

    the problem seems to be that you don't have the secret key to decrypt this message.

    Basically GPG works like this: you create a key for yourself which consists of a public key part and a secret key part. In order for someone to send you an encrypted file, you'll need to give them the public key portion of your created key. You NEVER share the secret key part, but that's the one used to decrypt the file.

    In your case it looks like the sender of the .gpg file didn't use a public key you have the secret key for.

    Please consider reading our Getting Started guide which will help you to correctly setup your keys and how you work with them -> http://support.gpgtools.org/kb/how-to/first-steps-where-do-i-start-...

    Hope that helps.

  3. 3 Posted by Stephen on 26 Jun, 2012 04:19 PM

    Stephen's Avatar

    I understand now and see my error. Thanks!

  4. Support Staff 4 Posted by Luke Le on 26 Jun, 2012 04:21 PM

    Luke Le's Avatar

    Perfect!
    I'll close this discussion. Feel free to open a new one should you run into problems again or have any further questions :)

  5. Luke Le closed this discussion on 26 Jun, 2012 04:21 PM.

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