Disable Encrypting File System for a domain

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 a domain

  1. Open Active Directory Users and Computers.

  2. Right-click the domain whose recovery policy you want to change, and then click Properties.

  3. Click the Group Policy tab.

  4. Right-click the recovery policy you want to change, and then click Edit.

  5. In the console tree, click Encrypting File System.

    Where?

    • Computer Configuration/Windows Settings/Security Settings/Public Key Policies/Encrypting File System
  6. Right-click Encrypting File System, then click Properties.

  7. Clear the Allow users to encrypt files using Encrypting File System (EFS) check box.

Notes

  • To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Domain Admins group or the Enterprise Admins group in Active Directory, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.

  • To open Active Directory Users and Computers, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Active Directory Users and Computers.

  • This operation can be performed on any sites, domains or organizational units within an Active Directory forest.

  • This procedure completely disables EFS. To allow EFS to continue working without using recovery agents, see Related Topics.

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 the local computer
Modify a Certificate Template
Cipher
Encrypt a file or folder
Decrypt a file or folder
Encrypting File System overview
Recovering data
Not require a recovery agent for a domain