Windows 10: Enable or Disable Virtual Memory Pagefile Encryption in Windows 10

How to: Enable or Disable Virtual Memory Pagefile Encryption in Windows 10

How to Enable or Disable Virtual Memory Pagefile Encryption in Windows 10


Encrypting the pagefile prevents malicious users from reading data that has been paged to disk, but also adds processing overhead for filesystem operations.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable virtual memory pagefile encryption in Windows 10.

*Warning You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to enable or disable NTFS pagefile encryption.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Enable or Disable Virtual Memory Pagefile Encryption in Local Group Policy
• Option Two: To Enable or Disable Virtual Memory Pagefile Encryption using a REG file
• Option Three: To Enable or Disable Virtual Memory Pagefile Encryption in Command Prompt

OPTION ONE [/i] To Enable or Disable Virtual Memory Pagefile Encryption in Local Group Policy

*note The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option TWO or Option THREE below.
1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

2. In the left pane of Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)
*Arrow Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Filesystem\NTFS




3. In the right pane of the NTFS key in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Enable NTFS pagefile encryption policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4. Do step 5 (disable) or step 6 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


5. To Disable Virtual Memory Pagefile Encryption
A) Select (dot) Not Configured or Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

*note Not Configured[/B] is the default setting.

6. To Enable Virtual Memory Pagefile Encryption
A) Select (dot) Enabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)




7. When finished, you can close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.

8. Restart the computer to apply.




OPTION TWO [/i] To Enable or Disable Virtual Memory Pagefile Encryption using a REG file

*note The downloadable .reg files below will modify the DWORD values in the registry keys below.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem

NtfsEncryptPagingFile DWORD

0 = Disable
1 = Enable

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies

(delete) NtfsEncryptPagingFile DWORD

1. Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


2. To Enable Virtual Memory Pagefile Encryption
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Enable_Pagefile_Encryption.reg

Download

3. To Disable Virtual Memory Pagefile Encryption
*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.

Disable_Pagefile_Encryption.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. Restart the computer to apply.

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




OPTION THREE [/i] To Enable or Disable Virtual Memory Pagefile Encryption in Command Prompt
1. Open an elevated command prompt.

2. Do step 3 (status), step 4 (enable), or step 5 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


3. To See if Virtual Memory Pagefile Encryption is Currently Enabled or Disabled
A) Enter the command below into the elevated command prompt, press Enter, and go to step 4 (enable) or step 5 (disable) below. (see screenshot below)

*Arrow fsutil behavior query encryptpagingfile

0 = disabled

1 = enabled





4. To Enable Virtual Memory Pagefile Encryption
A) Enter the command below into the elevated command prompt, press Enter, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)

*Arrow fsutil behavior set encryptpagingfile 1





5. To Disable Virtual Memory Pagefile Encryption
A) Enter the command below into the elevated command prompt, press Enter, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)

*Arrow fsutil behavior set encryptpagingfile 0




7. When finished, you can close the elevated command prompt if you like.

8. Restart the computer to apply.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Manage Virtual Memory Pagefile in Windows 10
• How to Clear Virtual Memory Pagefile at Shutdown in Windows 10
• How to Allow or Prevent Users and Groups to Create a Pagefile in Windows 10

:)

 

Windows 10 takes too long to shutdown/restart/hibernate

check this first

goto

• Click Start, type secpol.msc, and then press ENTER.
• Expand Local Policies.
• Click Security Options.
• Look in the 'Security Setting column to the right side of the Shutdown: Clear virtual memory pagefile entry.

Shutdown: Clear virtual memory pagefile

Disable it.

 

How does page file work (in laymen's terms please) and is my RAM having problems?

Hi,

To know more about how pagefile works, we suggest that you visit this
link (refer to Pagefile) and check if it helps. The article also includes
information about RAM, virtual memory, pagefile, and memory management in Windows.

Let us know if you have any other queries.

 

Hey Tony, *Smile

It really depends on your system.

If it's pretty fast, then you may not notice too much overhead.

If you do notice too much overhead, you could always undo it.

 

ok will give it go this one sounds like the more better option then clearing it i been reading about the clearing it and it seems like it adds a considerable slow down on pc performance, so this looks like the better option to me, unless i do whole disk encryption again but that was pain i got locked out everytime, i changed something it was a big pain in my back side lol, JUst set that up going to reboot and see how slow i get *Smile.

 

Good news not much of one at all *Smile anything is better than none at all. ALso now anything about veracrypt ? is it better in terms of whole disk encryption then bitlocker as that thing drove me bonkers always locking me out lol.

 

I haven't used Veracrypt, but I hear good things about it.

 

If i do decide to do a whole disk encryption at some point should i disable this one first ?

 

There's no need to unless you just wanted to.

 

ok awesome Brink have a great day my friend *Smile

 

You as well mate. *Smile