I’ve been using Cryptomator on Windows 10 without issues until two days ago. Suddenly, my vault won’t open anymore – even though I’m entering the correct password. The green circle spins next to the vault, but nothing happens. No error message, no unlock.
Here’s what I’ve tried so far:
Restarted app and system multiple times
Disabled VPN
Entered password manually (no copy-paste)
Used the repair function → no effect
Uninstalled and reinstalled Cryptomator (on a different drive)
Started as administrator
Removed vault from list and re-added it
Checked logs → saw error 0x80070643 during uninstall attempt
The encrypted files and masterkey.cryptomator are still present. I also tried opening the vault on another device – same issue. I don’t want to buy the mobile app just to test this, since I’ve only used the desktop version.
I’m really frustrated and need access to important data. Is there any way to recover the vault or fix this password issue?
Some ideas.
What is the Volume Type (WinFS, WebDav). If WinFS have you uninstalled and re-installed WinFSP?
Is it mounted to a drive letter automatically or manually. If manually assigned is there a drive letter conflict?
If mounted to a custom mount point is there a folder conflict?
Is the vault.cryptomator file still present?
Have you tried using the backup files of the masterkey.cryptomator and/or vault.cryptomator? (make copies before trying the backup files)
How I Recovered My Cryptomator Vault (After Many Failed Attempts)
I spent hours trying to recover my Cryptomator vault after losing access. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what I tried, what failed, and what finally worked.
What Didn’t Work
Renaming backup folders
I renamed older vault folders and added them to Cryptomator, hoping it would recognize them and allow access.
Result: Cryptomator loaded them normally and said “No recovery necessary” – but I couldn’t open them.
Using the original vault directly
I tried opening the original vault (“Tresor_2025”) using the Recovery Key.
Result: Cryptomator refused to trigger recovery, claiming the vault was intact – even though I couldn’t access it.
Copying the vault to a new path on the external drive
I created a copy of the vault on my external drive and tried to open it from there.
Result: Same issue – Cryptomator didn’t offer recovery and access was blocked.
Using the stable version of Cryptomator
The stable release didn’t offer the “Recover existing vault” option.
Result: I couldn’t trigger the recovery process at all.
What Finally Worked
Installed the Beta version of Cryptomator (1.18.0)
Only the Beta version included the “Recover existing vault” feature, which was essential.
Deleted all vault config files except the encrypted data (dfolder)
I created a new folder on my internal drive (e.g. D:\Tresor-Test).
I copied only thedfolder from the original vault into this new location.
This removed all config files (masterkey.cryptomator, vault.cryptomator, etc.), forcing Cryptomator to treat it as a broken vault.
Triggered forced recovery
In Cryptomator Beta, I clicked “+” → Recover Vault Config.
Selected the new folder (D:\Tresor-Test) containing only the d folder.
Cryptomator finally recognized the need for recovery.
Entered the original Recovery Key
I typed in the Recovery Key from my printed copy.
Cryptomator generated new config files and prompted me to set a new password.
Vault successfully unlocked
I was able to open the vault and access all my encrypted files.
I renamed the recovered vault folder to “Tresor_2025” and added it to Cryptomator.
Lessons Learned
Cryptomator won’t trigger recovery unless config files are missing or corrupted.
The Recovery Key only works if you isolate the encrypted data (d folder) and remove the rest.
Only the Beta version of Cryptomator (1.18.0) includes the recovery feature.
Always keep a printed or offline copy of your Recovery Key.
Consider creating a second encrypted backup vault with a separate password.
Don’t rely solely on encrypted vaults – keep unencrypted backups of current files somewhere safe.
I hope this helps someone else avoid the stress I went through. Feel free to ask if you need help replicating the process. Thanks to everyone who contributes to this community!
How I Recovered My Cryptomator Vault (After Many Failed Attempts)
What Didn’t Work
Lessons Learned