A system and method for retrieval and transfer of encrypted content from a failed set-top box. When content is recorded to the storage device of a set-top box, the content is encrypted with a content instance key. This content instance key is encrypted with the public key of the set-top box and a duplicate of the content instance key is encrypted by another public key other than the public key of the set-top. In the event the set-top fails, the encrypted content on the storage device may be retrieved from the storage device by decrypting the duplicate content instance key with the private key that corresponds with the public key that encrypted the duplicate of the content instance key.