Vista - Encryption - Disable or Enable

**Brink** · **METHOD ONE:**

How to Disable or Enabled EFS Encryption in Vista

Information

Encrypting folders and files is a way to protect them from unwanted access. Encrypting File System (EFS) is a feature of Windows that allows you to store information on your hard disk in an encrypted format. Encryption is enabled by default in Vista. If you disable encryption, no user account will be able to encrypt a file or folder.

NOTE

The EFS Encrypt feature is only available in the Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions. It will remain grayed out in the Vista Home Basic and Home Premium editions.

WARNING

Be sure to decrypt all files and folders before you disable encryption. Once encryption is disabled, all user accounts will lose access to encrypted files and folders until it is enabled again.

RELATED LINKS:

EXAMPLE: Encrypt Option grayed out after disabled
NOTE: For how to encrypt, see: How to Encrypt or Decrypt a Folder or File in Vista

METHOD ONE:
Through a Download

1. To Disable Encryption -
A) Click on the download button below to download the
Disable_Encryption.reg file.

B) Go to step 3.

2. To Enable Encryption -
A) Click on the download button below to download the
Enable_Encryption.reg file.

3. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the Desktop.

4. Right click on the .reg file (on Desktop) and click on Merge.

5. Click on the Run button in the Security Warning pop-up.

6. Click on Continue (UAC), Yes, and then OK when prompted.

7. Restart the computer to apply the changes.

8. You can delete the .reg file (on Desktop) when done if you like.

METHOD TWO:
Through the Manual Way

1. Open the Start Menu.

2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type regedit and press Enter.

3. If prompted by UAC, then click on Continue.

4. In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below step 5)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem

5. In the right pane, right click on NtfsDisableEncryption and click on Modify.

6. To Disable Encryption -
A) Type 1 and click on OK. (See screenshot below step 7)

B) Go to step 8.

7. To Enable Encryption -
A) Type 0 (number zero) and click on OK.

8. Close regedit.

9. Restart the computer to apply the changes.

That's it,
Shawn

dmaj · 06-21-2008

My encryption box is still greyed out.

grahamilton817 · 06-21-2008

Quote: Originally Posted by dmaj

My encryption box is still greyed out.

You have Home Premium if thats correct then you cant use Encrypting File System as it is only available in the Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate version of Vista.

dmaj · 07-12-2008

thank you

tetsujin210 · 09-19-2008

I encrypted several hundred pictures when I had Windows XP. I upgraded to Vista Home Premium and I found out that I can't decrypt them. Any ideas? I was thinking about taking the HDD to a friends house that has XP on it and trying to decrypt from his OS, since I don't want to downgrade to XP...

**Brink** · 09-19-2008

Hello Tetsujin210,

Unless you have the EFS certificate from your old XP to add to your friends XP so that you can decrypt them, you will not be able to access them. I'm not sure if this is the exact same method for XP, but this shows you how to add (restore) a EFS cetificate in Vista if you have a copy of it.

Encrypted File System (EFS) Certificate Restore

Hope this helps,
Shawn

stevenshaps · 06-28-2009

Please help: I read in PC Magazine that Vista Ultimate has a nice feature to prevent reading\theft of personal files (i.e. encryption tool) in case a notebook gets stolen.

So, I followed the PC Magazine recommendations and encrypted my personal documents, music, and pictures by right clinking each folder, Advanced, Properties, and Clicking Encrypt. The process took about 2 hrs. I thought all was well but then when I started my computer the next day, and when the desktop loads, there is a message indicating, "Encryption File System needs your Smart Card". When I click this message, a window pops up stating:

Encryption File System
You are encrypting a file or trying to access an encrypted file using a smart card
Enter your Smart Card PIN
Insert Smart Card or
Swipe Finger to Log On

Now, I cannot access my files that I encrypted

My guess is that once I encrypted the files, Vista needs to export the encryption certificate to a Smart Card. Without this, I cannot decrypt my files again. I went to Best Buy, Radio Shack etc and no one sells these cards or card readers. Found a few websites to purchase a Smart Card Reader and Smart Card.

My questions are:

1) Can I decrypt without a Smart Card/Smart Card Reader. I tried going to each folder, right clicking, properties, advanced, and checking decrypt but the above window pops ups.

2) If I do purchase a Smart Card Reader/Smart Card will the certificate be exported and can I then decrypt to make my files as they were prior to the encryption?

3) Is there anything else I can do?

Thank you for your assistance!

Steven

**Brink** · 06-28-2009

Hello Steven, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Could you post back the link for that article? That does not sound like it was the EFS feature in Vista.

In the mean time, you might be able to use the 30-day trial of the program Advanced EFS Data Recovery to decrypt the files.

06-21-2008
dmaj Vista Home Premium 32bit 2 posts	Re: Encryption - Disable or Enable My encryption box is still greyed out.
My System Specs

06-21-2008
grahamilton817 Vista Ultimate x64 4 posts	Re: Encryption - Disable or Enable Quote: Originally Posted by dmaj My encryption box is still greyed out. You have Home Premium if thats correct then you cant use Encrypting File System as it is only available in the Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate version of Vista.
My System Specs

07-12-2008
dmaj Vista Home Premium 32bit 2 posts	Re: Encryption - Disable or Enable thank you
My System Specs

09-19-2008
tetsujin210 Vista Home Premium 32bit 1 posts	Re: Encryption - Disable or Enable I encrypted several hundred pictures when I had Windows XP. I upgraded to Vista Home Premium and I found out that I can't decrypt them. Any ideas? I was thinking about taking the HDD to a friends house that has XP on it and trying to decrypt from his OS, since I don't want to downgrade to XP...
My System Specs

09-19-2008
Brink Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 Ultimate x64 25,919 posts	Re: Encryption - Disable or Enable Hello Tetsujin210, Unless you have the EFS certificate from your old XP to add to your friends XP so that you can decrypt them, you will not be able to access them. I'm not sure if this is the exact same method for XP, but this shows you how to add (restore) a EFS cetificate in Vista if you have a copy of it. Encrypted File System (EFS) Certificate Restore Hope this helps, Shawn
My System Specs

06-28-2009
stevenshaps Vista Ultimate x64 2 posts	Encryption File System needs your Smart Card Please help: I read in PC Magazine that Vista Ultimate has a nice feature to prevent reading\theft of personal files (i.e. encryption tool) in case a notebook gets stolen. So, I followed the PC Magazine recommendations and encrypted my personal documents, music, and pictures by right clinking each folder, Advanced, Properties, and Clicking Encrypt. The process took about 2 hrs. I thought all was well but then when I started my computer the next day, and when the desktop loads, there is a message indicating, "Encryption File System needs your Smart Card". When I click this message, a window pops up stating: Encryption File System You are encrypting a file or trying to access an encrypted file using a smart card Enter your Smart Card PIN Insert Smart Card or Swipe Finger to Log On Now, I cannot access my files that I encrypted My guess is that once I encrypted the files, Vista needs to export the encryption certificate to a Smart Card. Without this, I cannot decrypt my files again. I went to Best Buy, Radio Shack etc and no one sells these cards or card readers. Found a few websites to purchase a Smart Card Reader and Smart Card. My questions are: 1) Can I decrypt without a Smart Card/Smart Card Reader. I tried going to each folder, right clicking, properties, advanced, and checking decrypt but the above window pops ups. 2) If I do purchase a Smart Card Reader/Smart Card will the certificate be exported and can I then decrypt to make my files as they were prior to the encryption? 3) Is there anything else I can do? Thank you for your assistance! Steven
My System Specs

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