Encrypting Your Important Files

This Tip Will Only Work on Windows XP Professional, the Home Edition doesn't support this feature.

Windows XP Professional contains a built-in ability to encrypt and decrypt files on the fly without any user intervention. This allows you to quickly access your protected files, while preventing others from being able to read them.

To encrypt a file or folder:

• Right-click it, and select Properties.
• Press the Advanced button.
• In the dialog box that displays, check 'Encrypt contents to secure data' check box, then press the OK button.

In the Windows Explorer you will notice that the text next to the icon changed to green, this indicates that the file or folder is now encrypted. All this means to you is any data inside that file or folder will now be encrypted when you save, and decrypted when you open it. This operation should almost be invisible to you.

To undo this feature, all you have to do is follow the instructions above, and uncheck the 'Encrypt contents to secure data' check box, then press the OK button.

If you need to allow others people to access your protected files or folders, do the following:

• Right-click the protected file or folder you wish to grant others access too, and select Properties.
• Press the Advanced button.
• In the dialog box that displays, press the Details button next to the 'Encrypt contents to secure data' check box
• Press the Add button to add the users you want to grant access to the file or folder.
  
• Press the OK button.

Note: If you're going to delete the user account that created the encrypted files/folders or reinstall XP, you must unencrypted all your files first. Otherwise you will not be able to recover them. Even if you create another user with the same ID and password, you will not be able to recover these files.