Disable Encrypting File System for the local computer

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To disable Encrypting File System for the local computer

  1. Open Registry Editor.

    Caution

    • Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on the computer. You can also use the Last Known Good Configuration startup option if you encounter problems after manual changes have been applied.
  2. In Registry Editor, navigate to the following registry key:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\EFS

  3. Click Edit, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.

  4. In the text box that appears, type EfsConfiguration, and then press Enter.

  5. Double-click the EfsConfiguration registry key you just created, and then change Value Data to 1.

  6. Click OK, and then close Registry Editor.

  7. Restart the computer.

Notes

  • To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.

  • To open Registry Editor, click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.

Information about functional differences

  • Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.

See Also

Concepts

Disable Encrypting File System for a domain
Recovering data