Windows 8 Indexing Encrypted Files: A How-To Guide

EFS Encrypted Files and Windows Search Indexing

Users employing the Encrypting File System (EFS) may find that their protected files are not included in the Windows search index.

Consequently, these files will not appear when performing searches within Windows.

Understanding the Issue

Windows intentionally excludes EFS-encrypted files from its standard indexing process. This is a security measure designed to prevent unauthorized access to file contents via search results.

However, this behavior can be inconvenient for legitimate users who need to locate encrypted files quickly.

Resolving the Indexing Problem

To enable indexing of EFS-encrypted files, a modification to the Windows Registry is required.

This process allows the search indexer to access file names, but not the file contents, maintaining a degree of security.

Steps to Modify the Registry

Follow these steps carefully to adjust the registry settings:

Open the Registry Editor by typing “regedit” in the Windows search bar and pressing Enter.
Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System.
If the “System” key does not exist, you will need to create it.
Within the “System” key, create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named DisableEFSIndex.
Set the value of DisableEFSIndex to 0.
Close the Registry Editor.

Post-Registry Modification

After making the registry change, you must rebuild the Windows search index for the changes to take effect.

To rebuild the index, go to Control Panel > Indexing Options and click “Advanced”.

Then, click the “Rebuild” button.

The indexing process may take some time, depending on the number of files on your system.

Once the index is rebuilt, EFS-encrypted files should appear in search results by their filenames.

Important Note: Modifying the registry can be risky. Incorrect changes can cause system instability. It is recommended to back up your registry before making any modifications.

Enable Indexing of Encrypted Files in Windows 8

Begin by right-clicking the lower-left corner of your desktop screen. From the menu that appears, select System.

Upon opening the System window, locate and click the Performance Information and Tools link in the bottom-left corner.

This action will redirect you to the performance area within the Control Panel. Subsequently, click the Adjust indexing options link.

Once the Indexing Settings window is displayed, proceed to click the Advanced button.

Within the Advanced Options, locate and check the box labeled Index encrypted files.

A warning message will appear, advising that indexing encrypted files necessitates full volume encryption on the drive hosting the search index. This is a recommended security precaution, though not strictly required. Click Continue when prepared.