Here click on the “Next” button to continue. Select the option “Backup Now.”Īs soon as you click on the option, the Certificate Wizard will open. This action will open the EFS Backup Dialog box. Find the backup icon in the taskbar and double-click on it. Once you are done encrypting, Windows will prompt you to back up the encryption key so that you can decrypt the files and folders if you ever lose access to your user account. Simply select the “Apply changes to this folder, subfolders, and files” radio button, and click on the “OK” button.Īs a visual indicator that you have successfuly encrypted the select files and folders with EFS, you will see a lock icon over all the encrypted files and folders. You need to confirm the attribute changes. Select the “Encrypt contents to secure data” checkbox and click on the “OK” button. This action opens the Advanced Properties window. Once the Folder Properties window has been opened, click on the “Advanced” button on the General tab. To start, select the folder you want to encrypt with EFS, right-click on it and select the option “Properties.” All you have to do is select a checkbox and back up the security certificate. Encrypt Files and Folders in Windows Using EFSĮncrypting files and folders using EFS is very easy. Note: you cannot encrypt entire drives or partitions using the EFS. This is because anyone with access to your user account can easily access the files and folders without the need for any extra password or authentication. EFS is completely different from BitLocker it is not as secure as BitLocker or other encryption software.

Windows encrypt folder