Android 4.3 - "Exchange" administrator issue help!

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Batman

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#146944 3-Jun-2014 17:35

Hi I get work email on the default email app.
Today it said click ok for new permission update and it has sent my phone into Alcatraz lock down mode!

- all screen lock options are disabled except for pin
- it wants to encrypt my SD card and it won't read now

I deleted the exchange account but the phone is in lockdown saying "a device administrator has disabled" all other screen lock options. and I can't get the SD card thing to not encrypt to work.

Now -
1) what is the downside of encrypting the SD card?
2) how to reverse all these
3) should I just follow the giant corp and enable all these security things or are they trying to control me?

freitasm

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#1058718 3-Jun-2014 17:53

If you want to use it to access your company's emails, then you will have to follow their policies. Otherwise don't use it.

Encrypting the SD won't do any harm. And the lock screen is a policy (good one) that will most likely prevent whoever finds the device to access your company's information.

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Batman

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#1058719 3-Jun-2014 17:54

Will I be able to read the sd card on a computer once encrypted?

freitasm

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#1058720 3-Jun-2014 17:56

It depends. From my experience only files added AFTER the encryption is turned on are secure. You can still access files copied there BEFORE.

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PeebZ

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#1058724 3-Jun-2014 18:04

Are you rooted?

What phone and rom are you running?
Most Roms have a mod available which provides email with exchange security disabled.

Batman

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#1058747 3-Jun-2014 18:14

rooted stock kernel stock rom not custom rom.

android is driving me insane. my galaxy s4 is so laggy. i did compare it to colleague's htc one (m7) and his was instantaneous everything, mine you have to wait.

freitasm

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#1058786 3-Jun-2014 19:50

I've got a HTC One M8 and a samsung S5 here. I am using the M8. The Samsung is pretty slow...

As for not using the encryption or Exchange security: you would be intentionally bypassing your employer policies. If anything happens it's your job on the line.

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Batman

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#1058832 3-Jun-2014 20:18

i don't plan to do anymore customing on the phone - i don't think it will make it any less laggy. looks like i won't be using any SD card either - i'll just upload very rare photos and videos to box and be done with it.

seems like nothing will undo Alcatraz mode short of factory reset.

Also, i thought the pattern draw is a lot faster and in my ignorance, no less secure than a pin.

PPS - the only thing on the device is emails sync, i save nothing work related on the SD card (although i cannot speak for other employees).

freitasm

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#1058836 3-Jun-2014 20:26

What if you remove the exchange account and go to Settings | Security | Device Administrators and uncheck the "Exchange Security Policies"?

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nathan

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#1058841 3-Jun-2014 20:41

Buy Touchdown

http://www.nitrodesk.com/androidplatform.html

Will encrypt just the app not the whole phone

Batman

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#1058912 3-Jun-2014 21:33

freitasm: What if you remove the exchange account and go to Settings | Security | Device Administrators and uncheck the "Exchange Security Policies"?

ah after an evening of wasted time I've succeed! thanks to google anyway

well the thing was every thing was greyed out. can't touch any thing.

tried to undo Alcatraz from the corporate. no luck.
removed my account from the phone. no luck. still greyed out.
then unticked EVERY certificate (gosh there are like a hundred - where did they all come from?). no luck.

i had to encrypt the SD card. then decrypt the SD card. then i was allowed to use any lock screen security!
what the?!!!

at least i didn't have to clean install. maybe i'll use email forwarding to gmail or something. no policy to stop that as far as i know.