How to encrypt files and folders in Windows 10 [EASY GUIDE]

• Encrypting your most important files is not only extremely useful but also easier than you’d think.
• You have several methods to password-protect your documents, including an inbuilt Windows tool.
• For more guides on the same topic, see our dedicated File Encryption section on the website.
• Looking for a particular step-by-step guide? We’ve probably got it covered, so do a quick search in our How-To Hub.

• Unzip all major file formats: ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TGZ, TAR, etc.
• Encrypts the files you zip for maximum protection
• Manage your files easily (PC, Cloud, network)

Open archived files
with ease on your PC

Encrypting a certain file or folder is probably the best way to keep it safe, so only you can access that file or folder.

Microsoft’s developers decided to keep the built-in encryption method in Windows 10 similar to the previous method.

Still, it’s good from time to time to go through the file encryption methods available in Windows, but not exclusively.

How can I encrypt files or folders in Windows 10?

1. Use a dedicated encryption tool (recommended)

If you think that Windows’ own encryption tool isn’t good enough for your files, you can try with some third-party encryption software.

Actually, a right third-party tool is an even better choice than EFS, because it offers more options, so you’ll be able to keep your files as safe as possible.

There are a lot of free encrypting tools out there, but the best way is to get a premium software. It has many more features and it is a priority when it needs support from developers.

A first recommendation would be WinZip. You’ve probably heard of it since it’s currently the most popular file encryption and compression tool.

As a matter of fact, the program offers more file management options, including sharing, compressing, and backing up files.

The encryption option allows you to zip your files with certified 128 or 256-bit AES encryption, keeping your files safe from unwanted eyes.

Plus, with WinZip, you can create read-only PDFs and add watermarks to deter copying.

Other notable features of WinZip include finding, opening, editing, moving, and sharing the files stored on PCs, networks, or cloud services.

The tool can be fully integrated with Dropbox, G-Suite, or OneDrive.

WinZip

2. Use the built-in Encrypted File System

1. Right-click on the file/folder you want to encrypt and go to Properties.
2. On the General tab, click Advanced.
3. Under the Compress and encrypt attributes section, click on Encrypt content to secure data.
4. Click OK and close Properties.
5. Choose Apply changes to the folder, subfolders, and files.

That’s that, your folder is now encrypted and its text is shown in green color.

All subfolders and files of the encrypted folder are encrypted as well, but if you want to change that, repeat the process above, and choose to Apply changes to this folder only instead of Apply changes to this folder, subfolders, and files.

The EFS (Encrypted File System) is probably the fastest way to encrypt your files and folders in Windows 10 (and any other version of Windows since XP).

This is a very simple encryption tool, and you’ll make your files protected in a couple of minutes, with just a couple of clicks.

But before we show you how to encrypt your files with EFS, we have to warn you that you’ll be able to access the encrypted file only with the login of the account you encrypted the file with.

Other user accounts (if with administrative permissions) won’t be able to access it. Thus, make sure to remember or write down the password somewhere, or your file will stay locked forever.

You may also choose to protect your files before they can be accessed with a good VPN tool. We strongly recommend Private Internet Access VPN to secure your data.

It protects your PC from attacks while browsing, masks your IP address, and blocks all unwanted access to your computer.

Private Internet Access

How to back up your encryption key

1. Click on Back up your encryption key popup.
2. Choose Back up now.
3. Follow the instructions from the wizard.
4. Enter and re-enter your password.
5. Choose a place to which you’ll save your certificate and give a name to your encryption backup file.
6. Click Next, and Finish.

Usually, Windows will offer you an option to back up your encryption key right after you create it.

If you’re looking to encrypt a USB flash, we’ve got a list of the 12 best software solutions that will help you secure your files in no time.

3. Use Microsoft Office

1. Open the Office file you want to encrypt, and go to File.
2. Under Info, click on Protect document.
3. Choose Encrypt with password.
4. Enter your password and press Enter.
5. Re-enter your password, and click OK.

Your Office document is now encrypted, and you’ll have to enter a password you set before to access it.

As you can see, there are a couple of methods to keep your files safe, so it’s completely up to you which one you’ll use. If you have some questions or comments, just reach for the comments section below.

FIX: Encrypt folder is greyed out in Windows 10

• Encryption is a great means to protect confidential information, but what if the encrypt folder is greyed out in Windows 10?
• Several users reported different, yet similar issues including that they can’t encrypt folders, the Encrypt folder is not working, the Encrypt with a password is greyed out, and so on.
• Problems with file encryption can occur but worry not! We have all the right fixes listed below.
• Start by checking your Windows 10 version and continue the troubleshooting at your own pace.

1. Download Restoro PC Repair Tool that comes with Patented Technologies (patent available here).
2. Click Start Scan to find Windows issues that could be causing PC problems.
3. Click Repair All to fix issues affecting your computer’s security and performance

• Restoro has been downloaded by 0 readers this month.

File encryption is the best method to protect your files and that is no secret.

However, many users reported that the encrypt folder option is grayed out.

While we’re at it, we can include similar problematic situations that Windows users encountered such as the inability to encrypt folders at all, the Encrypt folder not working, the Encrypt with a password greyed out, and so on.

Does any of these sound familiar? The case being, you have reached to right place.

If you can’t encrypt folders on your PC, perhaps you can fix this problem using one of our solutions.

How do I enable grayed out Encrypt contents button?

1. Make sure that you’re using the Pro version of Windows 10

To check which version of Windows you’re using, you just need to do the following:

1. Press Windows Key + S and enter system information. Select System Information from the menu.
   
2. When the System Information window opens, in the right lane look for OS Name value. In there you should see the current version of Windows you’re using.
   

Windows 10 offers a built-in feature to encrypt files and folders. This is a simple and useful feature, especially if you want to protect your files from unauthorized access.

Despite the usability of file encryption, this feature isn’t available on all editions of Windows.

File encryption isn’t available on the Home versions of Windows, for instance.

If you’re not using the Pro version, then you won’t be able to use the built-in file encryption feature.

Bear in mind that you can’t upgrade from Home to Pro version of Windows, so if you want to use the Pro version, you’ll need to purchase a license and reinstall your system.

If you still want to use file encryption feature on the Home version of Windows, you’ll have to rely on third-party solutions.

2. Make sure that you’re using an NTFS drive

Built-in file encryption is available only for NTFS drives, so if you’re using Windows 10 Pro version, be sure to check if you’re using the NTFS drive.

In case you’re not familiar, NTFS is the newer file type, and it has numerous advantages over FAT32, so there’s no reason to use the FAT32 file type for your partitions.

If you’re using a FAT32 file system, you might be able to convert it.

To convert your FAT32 drive to NTFS, do the following:

• 1. Start Command Prompt as administrator. To do that, right-click the Start button and choose Command Prompt (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin).
  
• 2. When Command Prompt starts, run this command: convert X:/ fs:ntfs
• 3. Be sure to replace X with the actual letter that represents your drive.

After the command is executed, your drive should be converted to NTFS file type and you’ll be able to use built-in file encryption.

If this method seems a bit complicated, you can always use a third-party tool such as Acronis Disk Director.

This tool offers a simple and friendly user interface, so you should be able to convert your drive with just a few clicks.

So, one way to do that is to format your partition and choose the NTFS file type. This is the simplest method, but by using it you’ll remove all your files from that partition.

If you decide to use this method, be sure to back up all your important files beforehand.

As shown above, you can also convert FAT32 drive into NTFS drive without file loss by using Command Prompt.

Run a System Scan to discover potential errors

Although this method shouldn’t remove your files, we advise you to create a backup just in case.

This procedure comes with certain risks, and we’re not responsible for potential file loss that might occur.

3. Use third-party applications

If other solutions didn’t fix your problem, or if you’re using a Home version of Windows, perhaps you might be able to solve this problem by using third-party applications.

There are many great encryption applications available, but if you’re looking for a simple, yet highly effective tool that has AES 256-bit encryption, we recommend you try Folder Lock software.

These third-party applications don’t have any special requirements, and they should be able to work on any version of Windows without problems.

4. Modify the registry

If you can’t encrypt files on your PC, the issue might be related to your registry. To fix this problem, it’s advised to make a couple of changes to your registry.

You can do that by following these simple steps:

• 1. Open Registry Editor. To do that, press Windows Key + R and enter regedit. Now press Enter or click OK.
  
• 2. When Registry Editor opens, navigate to this key in the left pane: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlFileSystem
• 3. In the right pane, double-click the NtfsDisableEncryption DWORD to open its properties.
  
• 4. Set the Value data to 1 and click OK to save changes. If this value is already set to 1, change it to 0.

After making these changes, restart your PC. Once your PC restarts, check if the problem is still there.

5. Make sure that the Encrypting File System (EFS) service is running

According to users, if the encrypt folder option is grayed out on your Windows 10 PC, it’s possible that the required services aren’t running.

File encryption relies on the Encrypting File System (EFS) service, and in order to fix this problem, you need to do the following:

1. Press Windows Key + R and enter services.msc. Now press Enter or click OK.
   
2. When the Services window opens, locate Encrypting File System (EFS) and double-click it to open its properties.
   
3. Set the Startup type to Automatic and click Apply and OK to save changes.
   

After doing that, restart your PC and check if the problem is resolved.

6. Perform SFC and DISM scans

To do that, follow these steps:

1. Start Command Prompt as administrator.
2. When the Command Prompt window appears, run the sfc /scannow command.
   
3. The scan will now start. The process can take about 15 minutes or more, so don’t interfere with it in any way.

In some instances, the encrypt folder option might be grayed out because your system is damaged.

Your Windows installation can get corrupted for various reasons, and in order to fix this issue, it’s advised that you perform both SFC and DISM scans.

Once you complete the SFC scan, check if the problem is still there.

If you weren’t able to run SFC scan, or if the problem is still there, try running the DISM scan. To do that, follow these steps:

• 1. Start Command Prompt as an administrator.
• 2. Run this command: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  
• 3. DISM scan should now start. The scan can take about 20 minutes or more, so be sure not to interrupt it.

Once the scan is finished, check if the problem is still there. If you weren’t able to run SFC scan before, try running it after DISM scan and check if that helps.

7. Use fsutil command

This is fairly simple, and in order to do it, you just have to follow these steps:

• 1. Run Command Prompt as an administrator.
• 2. When Command Prompt opens, enter this command: fsutil behavior set disableencryption 0

According to users, if you can’t encrypt files, you might be able to fix this problem using the fsutil command.

After this command is executed, restart your PC and check if the problem is still there.

If the encrypt folder feature isn’t working, you need to be sure that you meet certain requirements.

However, if you meet the necessary requirements and you still can’t encrypt files, be sure to try some of our solutions.