A Faster Way to Encrypt Your Files

If your drives are formatted with NTFS, you have the option of using encryption. Windows XP uses the Encrypting File System (EFS) which lets you encrypt your folders and files for increased security. Normally to encrypt a folder or file, you would have to do so from the folder or file's properties window and access the advanced attributes. Wouldn't it be great though if you could just encrypt or decrypt a file or folder using the shortcut menu?

Well here's a nifty little tip that does just that... it adds the encrypt and decrypt options to the shortcut menu for a folder or file. Of course, a word of caution: the following steps do require you to modify the registry, so proceed carefully:

1. Click Start, point to run, and type regedit.
2. Within the Registry Editor, navigate to the following subkey:
3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
4. Click the Edit menu, point to New, and select Dword value.
5. Type in EncryptionContextMenu. Configure the value as 1.

You should now be able to encrypt or decrypt any of your folders and files using the shortcut menu