If you wish to decrypt a file or folder encrypted with EFS, follow the instructions you used for the encryption process, but this time uncheck Encrypt contents to secure data. Encrypt your file or folder with EFS, using Command Prompt. Another way to encrypt your data with EFS is. To remove encryption from a file or folder, follow the first three steps in the encryption process above and deselect the box: Encrypt contents to secure data. How to Encrypt an Office Document. Want to encrypt a Microsoft Office document? It’s easy to do. We’ll use Microsoft Word 2019 to encrypt a document here, but the steps will be. Hi Was wondering if I could get some help with the Cannot encrypt contents to secure data which is grayed out. In a folder with my data. I'm running Windows 10 thank you.
The EFS option is very easy to get access to by just going to Properties of a particular folder and check a check-box that says “Encrypt Contents To Secure Data” in the Advanced tab. Sometimes, this option is grayed out and you cannot encrypt data in this scenario. Dec 26, 2019 To encrypt contents to secure data on windows 7/8/10 you need to right click on a folder choose Properties Advanced select Encrypt content to secure data click Ok. This step will encrypt your file or folder; however, if Encrypt content is greyed out in your computer, we will help you resolve this issue.
If you share a computer with other people, like family members or with colleagues from work then keeping your personal information safe and secure is critical. To do so you can use Windows' in-built Encrypting File System (EFS) to encrypt your info. However, for some reason, Microsoft decided to make EFS unavailable for Windows Home Edition users, which means that you need to upgrade to Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions to use this tool. You will not be able to use the Encrypting File System on Windows 10 Home Edition.
Normally, to encrypt any data in Windows 10 you have to right-click on the desired file or folder and then select Properties from the context menu. Click on the Advanced button under General tab located within the Properties window, then in the Advanced Attributes window put a checkmark next to 'Encrypt contents to secure data'. Press OK to save changes and your files or folders will be securely encrypted. However, what can you do if the 'Encrypt contents to secure data' option is grayed out or disabled? You'll be stuck and left unable to encrypt your data. Luckily, there is a solution to this problem, so let's take a look at our options.
How to fix Encrypt contents to secure data bring grayed out using Registry
- Press the Windows Key + R key combination then type 'Regedit' and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
- Go to the following registry location: 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlFileSystem'
- Choose 'FileSystem' then in right window pane select 'NtfsDisableEncryption DWORD.'
- Normally, the value of the NtfsDisableEncryption DWORD is set to 1 but we need to change its value to 0. Then click OK to confirm and proceed.
- Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer to save the changes.
- After the system has restarted you can right-click on the file or folder which you want to encrypt and select Properties.
- Under the General tab click on the Advanced button at the bottom.
- Now in the Advanced Attributes window, put a checkmark next to 'Encrypt contents to secure data'.
That should fix the problem. However, if this method didn't work for you there is a second option that could resolve the issue.
How to fix Encrypt contents to secure data bring grayed out using CMD
- Press the Windows Key + X key combination then select Command Prompt (Admin).
- Enter the following command into cmd and hit Enter: 'fsutil behavior set disableencryption 0'
- Restart your PC to save the changes.
After the system has been rebooted, the encryption option in the Advanced Attribute window should be available.
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Because most versions of Windows do not include a method of password protecting your files and folders, this page provides steps for encrypting files and folders instead. To password protect your files and folders in Windows, you need to use a third-party program.
TipBefore password protecting any document, you may want to create a backup of the non-password protected files and folder in case you forget the password in the future.
Microsoft Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10 users
Unfortunately, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 do not provide any features for password protecting files or folders. You need to use a third-party software program to accomplish this.
If you want to encrypt a file or folder, this can be done by following these steps:
- Select the file or folder you want to encrypt.
- Right-click the file or folder and select Properties.
- On the General tab, click the Advanced button.
- Check the box for the 'Encrypt contents to secure data' option, then click OK on both windows.
If the 'Encrypt contents to secure data' option is not selectable or available, you likely have a Home edition of Windows, which does not support this feature. It is also possible that the hard drive where the files are located is not formatted as NTFS, which is required.
Microsoft Windows XP Professional users
The steps below for encrypting the files on Windows XP Professional apply to users who are using a computer that has two or more accounts. If you are using a single account, see the other security solutions section.
- Select the file or folder you want to encrypt.
- Right-click the file or folder and click Properties.
- On the General tab, click the Advanced button.
- Check 'Encrypt contents to secure data' option.
- Click Apply and then OK.
You won't be prompted to enter a password when encrypting a folder in Windows XP Professional. However, other user accounts on your computer will not have access to files contained in the encrypted folder.
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If you are using the Home edition of Microsoft Windows XP, see the Windows XP Home steps.
Show 'Encrypt' on the context menu
The newest version of TweakUI also enables you to show the Encrypt option in the context menu. To do this, follow the steps below.
- Open TweakUI.
- In the TweakUI window, select Explorer.
- In the right side of the window under Settings, locate Show 'Encrypt' on the context menu and check the box. This option should be below Prefix 'shortcut to' on new shortcuts and above Show 'View workgroup computers' in NetPlaces.
Microsoft Windows XP Home users
- Select the file or folder you want to encrypt.
- Right-click the file or folder and click Properties.
- Click the Sharing tab.
- Check the box Make this folder private.
- Click Apply and then OK.
Make this folder private is grayed out
For this option to work on Microsoft Windows XP Home edition, you must meet the below requirements.
- The hard drive must be formatted in NTFS and not FAT32 file system.
- The folder you are attempting to encrypt is your folder. For example, if your name is Bob, you must encrypt the following folder, or a folder within it:
C:Documents and SettingsBob
You cannot encrypt any folders outside of this folder. If you want to encrypt folders outside of this folder, see the other security solutions section below.
Other security solutions for protecting your files and folders in Windows
File and folders not frequently used - An easy way to password protect files is to create an archive of the files using a compression tool. When the archive is created, you can encrypt the contents by specifying a password.
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Windows ME and Windows XP users - Windows ME and Windows XP comes with a compression utility. This utility can also be used to compress and password protect files.
Windows Vista and Windows 7 users - Windows Vista and Windows 7 also include a compression utility. However, password protection for the compressed files is not possible without the use of a third-party software program.
TipHow To Fix Encrypt Contents To Secure Data Greyed Out
Users can still view a list of the files within a compressed file. If you want both your file names and contents to be hidden, move all the files into a single folder and password protect that folder.
File and folders frequently used or accessed
If you need to password protect or encrypt data you frequently use, you need to install a third-party program that allows you to protect your files and folders. Below are some free and commercial solutions.
- 7-Zip - A free file and folder zipping utility, which also includes the ability to password protect zipped files and folders.
- AxCrypt - An excellent free encryption utility that enables users to encrypt all files within a folder and not allow those files to be viewed unless a passphrase (password) is known.
- Folder Guard - A commercial version of a password protection software that enables you to password protect files, folders, and other Windows resources.
- Protected Folder - For a small fee, it's an excellent software program that enables you to password protect folders.
Things to remember when encrypting or password protecting files and folders
- There is no such thing as a 100% protected file. There are many tools, utilities, and instructions for how to break encryption and passwords on files. However, the protection methods listed above will protect your files from the majority of users who may encounter them. If you are working with really sensitive data, we suggest a commercial product for protecting your files and data.
- Even though a file or folder may be password protected, it still can be deleted (unless the program supports the ability to protect files from being deleted). Always remember to backup all your files, even those protected by passwords.
- If you forget the password, unless you're willing to spend the time attempting to break it or pay someone, all the protected data is lost. Thus, it's important to back up a copy of the non-password protected files or folders, just in case.
Additional information
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- See the encrypt and password definitions for further information and related links.