What is actually locked
You can sign in, so the account password is not the problem. What is missing is the encryption material that opens data created before the reset. That distinction matters: fixing sign-in does not open old files, and repeatedly resetting the password again will not supply the missing key material.
After a Proton account password reset, earlier encrypted Drive data may be inaccessible until its encryption access is restored. Source
So treat this as two separate jobs. Job one, signing in, is already done. Job two is restoring encryption access to the older data. If you conflate them, you may keep resetting a working password while the real gap stays untouched.
Choose your path before you click anything
There are three realistic outcomes, and they are not reversible in the same way. Decide which one you are in before using any option in the app.
| Your situation | Sensible path | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You remember the previous password, or you stored a recovery phrase or recovery file | Try Unlock with that material | Restores access to the old encrypted data without destroying it |
| You do not have the material to hand but might find it later | Postpone; keep the locked data in place | The data is only gone once it is deleted |
| You are certain the material is lost and you do not need the old files | Deletion is available, but treat it as final | Deletion is irreversible |
Proton supports unlocking with a previous password, recovery phrase or recovery file. Source
That list is the order to try things in. The precise placement of these controls inside the Proton interface is not established by the reviewed material, so follow the unlock prompt the app shows you rather than a menu path copied from an article.
Unlock: what to have ready
Before you start, gather the material you intend to use. Do not send it to anyone, including this publication, and do not paste it into a chat, email or support message.
Checklist:
- Write down which of the three unlock methods you actually still have: previous password, recovery phrase, or recovery file.
- Confirm the recovery file or phrase is complete and legible before you begin; a partial phrase will simply fail.
- Try the method you are most confident about first, and note the exact result you see.
- If one method fails, stop and check that you typed it correctly before trying the next method.
- Keep the successful material somewhere you control until you have confirmed the old files open.
If none of the three methods is available to you, the honest position is that the reviewed material does not describe a way to open the old encrypted data. Do not assume a workaround exists just because sign-in works.
Postpone: the underrated option
If you are unsure, do nothing to the locked data yet. Postponing keeps the door open while you search old notes, a password manager, a printed recovery kit or a device where the previous password may be saved.
Postponing is not a fix, and it does not restore access. It simply avoids converting an uncertain situation into a permanent one. Set yourself a review date and a concrete search plan — for example, the places you stored account material when the account was created — rather than leaving it open indefinitely.
Deletion: what it actually means
Deletion is not a cleanup step and not a way to “reset” the encryption. It removes the locked data.
Delete locked drive permanently deletes the locked data; photos uploaded after reset can require an additional photo-restoration step after recovery. Source
The same claim carries a second point worth planning for: photos uploaded after the reset can need a separate photo-restoration step even after recovery succeeds. So if you recover access, do not assume every file is back the moment the unlock works. Check your photos specifically.
After a successful unlock
Work through these in order:
- Confirm the old files open, not just that the unlock screen cleared.
- Check photos uploaded after the reset and complete any additional photo-restoration step the app presents.
- Export or back up anything important to a location you control, so a future reset does not repeat this situation.
- Record where your recovery phrase or recovery file is stored, and confirm you can find it.
- Only then consider whether any locked leftovers should be deleted.
Common ways this goes wrong
- Resetting the password again. It addresses sign-in, which already works, and does not restore encryption access.
- Deleting to “start fresh.” The locked data is permanently deleted; there is no undo.
- Sending recovery material to a helper. No legitimate recovery step requires handing your phrase or file to a third party.
- Assuming a clean unlock means everything is back. Photos uploaded after the reset may still need their own restoration step.
- Trusting a username match as proof. If you are also trying to identify who owns an account elsewhere, a matching handle is a lead, not confirmation.
When the account itself is the question
This guide assumes you still control the account and only the old encrypted data is locked. If your actual problem is locating accounts you no longer remember, that is a different task; see the guide to finding forgotten online accounts before working through recovery options here.
Where TraceSeek fits, and where it does not
TraceSeek is a username search app covering 3,000+ platforms, with a free first scan that takes 20-30 seconds and needs no registration or login. It can help you find public profiles tied to a username. It does not unlock Proton Drive data, recover encryption keys or restore deleted files, and a public profile match is not proof of identity.
Recap
Separate sign-in from data recovery. Try Unlock with a previous password, recovery phrase or recovery file; postpone if you might still find that material; treat deletion as permanent. After a successful unlock, verify the files and handle the separate photo-restoration step. Exact demand for this particular question is an editorial assumption, not a measured figure, so use the decision table rather than a fixed procedure if your situation differs.