QUESTION   File Protection Desktop is prompting me for a password! What should I do?

ANSWER  Follow the instructions below to resolve this issue.

NOTE  If you are experiencing this issue with File Protection Server, please refer to File Protection Server is prompting me for a password! What should I do?

  1. Go to:
    Windows taskbar > > About...
    or
    Mac menu bar > > Preferences... > About tab

  2. If the Run Mode field displays the word Unified, proceed to Step 3. If it displays System Service, continue to Step 4.
  3. Stop the File Protection service.
    Via Task Manager, select the Datto File Protection task and click End Task.
  4. Open your File Explorer, and navigate to:
    C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Datto\FileProtectionService.log
    (replace %username% with your username)

NOTE  If you don’t see the FileProtectionService file, please check in the file called Client. There may be multiple versions of these logs.

  1. Search (CTRL + F) for the Auth Key in the file, and locate an entry like this:
    2018-02-01 13:40:47.298 Trc 005ad0 Auth Key50495e79ca26b1505069f844232deb3
  2. Open a Run Command window (Windows key + R)
  3. Enter services.msc in the text box.
  4. Click the OK button.
  5. Double click the Datto Service entry and, on the Logon tab, verify the account which the File Protection service will run under.
  6. Open a Run Command window (Windows key + R).
  7. Enter regedit in the text box.
  8. Click the OK button. This will open the Registry Editor window.
  9. If you are running in Unified mode (as determined in Step 1), navigate to:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Datto > client.fileprotection.datto.com> *
    If you are running in Service mode, navigate to:
    Windows 64-bit:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > WOW6432Node > Datto > services > %username% > client.ileprotection.datto.com > *
    Windows 32-bit:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Datto >  > services > %username% > client.fileprotection.datto.com > *

    (the * represents a folder name with a number unique to your system)
  10. Rename ~Authorization to !Authorization
  11. Right click the registry folder and create a new STRING item called Authorization
  12. Right click on the new "Authorization" item created in step 13 and select Modify...
  13. Set the value to the key (numbers following "auth key") from step 3 and click OK.
  14. Return to the services.msc window, right click on the Datto Service and select Start.