
But someone, probably IT, needs to know where the special, generated encryption key is kept-elsewhere in the office-in case Windows has to be reinstalled or the data transferred elsewhere.

When the user is logged on, the files appear to be unencrypted otherwise, they can’t be read. Only you-or at least, only someone logged on as you-can open these files.ĮFS’s way of handling encryption makes a lot of sense in an office environment, where you can assume you’ve got an organized and knowledgeable IT department, but you can’t assume that employees understand the word encryption. Other people will be able to see the files and the file names, but they won’t be able to open the files. Have a look at this complete guide with causes and solutions to fix a greyed out Encrypt folder option. New files created or dragged here will also get encrypted. Why is Encrypt contents to secure data greyed out Windows 10 There are many potential culprits from incorrect registry values all the way to the version of Windows 10 you’re on. This will encrypt every file in this folder and its subfolders. When you close out the Properties dialog box, keep Apply changes to this folder, subfolders, and files.

To encrypt a folder with EFS, select Properties, click the Advanced button, and check Encrypt contents to secure data.
