Add Encrypt command to right-click menu in Windows 7

We have earlier published an article on how to encrypt files and folders in Windows 7 using the Windows’ built-in encryption engine. The process requires you to change the file properties but you can simplify it by by adding the encrypt command to the right-click menu in Windows Explorer. Here is how :

Encrypt/Decrypt right-click menu in Windows 7

  1. Press the key combination Windows logo key + R to open the Run dialog.
  2. In the Run Dialog, type regedit.exe and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.

    Open Registry Editor in Windows 7

  3. In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key :
    HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced
  4. Right-click on the key Advanced and select New → DWORD(32-bit) Value. Set EncryptionContextMenu as the name of the newly created value.
  5. Double-click on the newly created value and change its value to 1.

    Adding Encrypt/Decrypt right-click menu in Windows 7

  6. That’s it. You have just added Encrypt command to the right-click context menu in Windows Explorer. When you right-click over an encrypted file/folder you would see a Decrypt command in the right-click menu automatically.