typing password in OS /AddEncryptedPartition; build 1.2.114847.152

Hello. I've installed CDE, encrypted one partition (took a few hours). The process seemed to complete successfully, but when I typed the password into the boot prompt, encrypted partition is not readable by the OS.
Now, I have Czech localization of Windows XPSP2 and Czech language is set as default input; therefore I suppose I may have entered boot-prompt password differing from the one I entered in the system.
If I understand other reports correctly, it is possible to mount such a partition (and enter it's password) even in booted-up OS by using the tools>Add encrypted partition and selecting the already existing one; am I right about that?
If yes, I remember password I've selected for the partition, but i no longer remember neither encryption nor hash algorithm. Can I recover the partition that way, or is it doomed and I am destined to "guess" my password in english boot-prompt?

EDIT: problem solved, questions remain.: I managed to enter "englishized" variant of my password and therefore gain full access to the encrypted volume, but I am still interested i the AddEncryptedPartition, namely if I can use it without knowing algorithms I used to encrypt it.

Furthemore, I'd like to know if it's 100% safe to decrypt the whole partition now or if data loss after decrypting is probable - I'd much rather use only "encrypted virtual file" after this experience and all that bug reports.