Windows 10: Encrypt or Unencrypt Offline Files Cache in Windows

How to: Encrypt or Unencrypt Offline Files Cache in Windows

How to Encrypt or Unencrypt Offline Files Cache in Windows


Offline Files is a feature of Sync Center that makes network files available to a user, even if the network connection to the server is unavailable.

Users can use offline files (if always available offline to keep a copy of the files stored on the network on your computer. This allows users to work with them even when they are not connected to the network or a server is unavailable. The next time the user connects to the network or the server is available, their offline files on your computer will automatically sync to the network files on the server to update.

Users can encrypt the contents of their Offline Files cache on the computer to protect it from unwanted access.

See also:

• Folder Redirection, Offline Files, and Roaming User Profiles overview | Microsoft Docs
• Work Folders and Offline Files support for Windows Information Protection | Storage at Microsoft

This tutorial will show you how to encrypt or unencrypt the Offline Files cache for your account or all users in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

*note In Windows 7, the offline files feature is only available in the Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions.

In Windows 8, the offline files feature is only available in the Pro and Enterprise editions.

In Windows 10, the offline files feature is only available in the Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

*Warning If you encrypt the Offline Files cache, it would be highly recommended to restore your file encryption key.





CONTENTS:

• Option One: Encrypt or Unencrypt Offline Files Cache for Current User in Sync Center
• Option Two: Encrypt or Unencrypt Offline Files Cache for Current User using a REG file
• Option Three: Encrypt or Unencrypt Offline Files Cache for All Users in Local Group Policy Editor
• Option Four: Encrypt or Unencrypt Offline Files Cache for All Users using a REG file

OPTION ONE [/i] Encrypt or Unencrypt Offline Files Cache for Current User in Sync Center
1. Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Sync Center icon.

2. Click/tap on the Manage offline files link on the left side of Sync Center. (see screenshot below)



3. Do step 4 (encrypt) or step 5 (unecrypt) below for what you want to do.


4. To Encrypt Offline Files Cache for Current User
A) Click/tap on the Encryption tab, click/tap on the Encrypt button, and click/tap on OK when it has finished encrypting. (see screenshot below)





5. To Unencrypt Offline Files Cache for Current User
*note This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Encryption tab, click/tap on the Unencrypt button, and click/tap on OK when it has finished decrypting. (see screenshot below)









OPTION TWO [/i] Encrypt or Unencrypt Offline Files Cache for Current User using a REG file

*note The downloadable .reg files below will modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\NetCache

EncryptCache DWORD

0 = Unecrypt
1 = Encrypt


1. Do step 2 (encrypt) or step 3 (decrypt) below for what you want to do.


2. To Encrypt Offline Files Cache for Current User
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Encrypt_Offline_Files_cache_for_current_user.reg

Download

3. To Unencrypt Offline Files Cache for Current User
*note This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Unencrypt_Offline_Files_cache_for_current_user.reg

Download

4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7. sign in to apply.

8. If you like, you can delete the downloaded .reg file.





OPTION THREE [/i] Encrypt or Unencrypt Offline Files Cache for All Users in Local Group Policy Editor
*note You must be signed in as an administrator to do this option.

If enabled (encrypt) or disabled (unencrypt), this option will override Option One and Option Two.
1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

2. Navigate to the key below in the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor. (see screenshot below)
*Arrow Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\Offline Files




3. In the right pane of Offline Files in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Encrypt the Offline Files cache policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4. Do step 5 (encrypt), step 6 (unecrypt), or step 7 (default) below for what you would like to do.


5. To Encrypt Offline Files Cache for All Users
A) Select (dot) Enabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below)

6. To Unencrypt Offline Files Cache for All Users
A) Select (dot) Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below)

7. Default Not Configured Offline Files Cache Encryption Policy
A) Select (dot) Not Configured, click/tap on OK, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below)




8. When finished, close the Local Group Policy Editor.

9. When ready, sign in.





OPTION FOUR [/i] Encrypt or Unencrypt Offline Files Cache for All Users using a REG file

*note You must be signed in as an administrator to do this option.

If enabled (encrypt) or disabled (unencrypt), this option will override Option One and Option Two.

The downloadable .reg files below will modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\NetCache

EncryptCache DWORD

(delete) = Default
0 = Unencrypt
1 = Encrypt


1. Do step 2 (encrypt), step 3 (unencrypt), or step 4 (disable) below for what you want to do.


2. To Encrypt Offline Files Cache for All Users
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.

Encrypt_Offline_Files_cache_for_all_users.reg

Download

3. To Unencrypt Offline Files Cache for All Users
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.

Unencrypt_Offline_Files_cache_for_all_users.reg

Download

4. Default Not Configured Offline Files Cache Encryption Policy
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.

Default_user_choice_Offline_Files_cache_encryption.reg

Download

5. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

6. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

7. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

8. When ready, sign in.

9. If you like, you can delete the downloaded .reg file.

Related Tutorials

• How to Enable or Disable Offline Files in Windows
• How to Add Sync Center Context Menu in Windows
• How to Set or Unset Network Files as Always Available Offline in Windows
• How to Create Offline Files Folder Shortcut in Windows
• How to Change Offline Files Disk Usage Limits in Windows
• How to Manually Sync Offline Files in Windows
• How to Create New Offline Files Sync Schedule in Windows
• How to Delete Offline Files Sync Schedule in Windows
• How to Edit Offline Files Sync Schedule in Windows

:)

 

Windows XP file encryption

LOL thanks, I think its standard windows XP file encryption

 

Windows XP file encryption

My suggestion to you is to look into what kind of encryption the program used, and look for a way to break that type of encryption. Sorry I can't say a specific program for sure.

 

Windows XP file encryption

well there is encryption algorithms such as md5, rsa, etc.

 

Reduce offline files cache size

Hi ZigZag, thanks for the reply.

Actually it turns out I have misunderstood the concept of offline files - it actually
does copy the files to the server, and the error simply indicates that it failed to copy the files back from the server into the offline cache. TIL...

My initial question (how to reduce the offline files cache) is now slightly different, since I would actually like to assign as much cache space as possible to one network storage, but keep a smaller limit on the other network storage. I have started a new
thread with that question here:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-files/managing-offline-files-cache-on-a-per-folder-basis/b4e03410-bc1f-436d-9252-c1ce562d0d11?tm=1466672260879

On another note, why is this not a consumer question? I would simply like to configure the offline files cache size on an end user's computer.

 

encrypted files

Hi Iman,

Error message 0x80071771 means that you need to restore the file encryption key in order for you to decrypt the encrypted files. On the other hand, you can still try these steps and see if it will work:

• Right-click the file or folder that you want to decrypt.
• Click File ownership and click Personal.

Feel free to contact us if you need assistance with Windows.