How to Index Encrypted Files in Windows 11 Search

Option 1Use Windows Settings

This is the simplest method and works on both Windows 11 Home and Pro. The checkbox is in the classic Indexing Options window, which you reach from Settings. You need an administrator account to change it. The box is unchecked by default.

1. Press Win+I to open Settings.
2. On the left, click Privacy & security. On the right, click Searching Windows. On some builds this page is labeled just Search.  Open Search settings
3. Scroll down to Related settings and click Advanced indexing options. The Indexing Options window opens.
4. Click the Advanced button. If prompted, approve the User Account Control (UAC) prompt. The Advanced Options window opens.
5. On the Index Settings tab, find the File Settings section. Then do one of the following:

   • To include encrypted files in searches, check Index encrypted files.
   • To stop including them, uncheck the box.
6. Click OK and follow any message that appears:

   • If you see “Policy is in effect,” the setting is being controlled by Group Policy or the registry (the other two methods below). The checkbox may be greyed out. Click OK, and change the setting at its source instead.
   • If you turned on Index encrypted files and your drive is not encrypted, Windows asks you to confirm. Click Continue.
   • If you turned off Index encrypted files, click OK to confirm.
7. Back in the Indexing Options window, a message says the index needs to be updated. Click Close. Windows rebuilds the index in the background.
8. Close the Settings ⚙️ window.

To undo the change, repeat these steps and uncheck Index encrypted files. Searches for encrypted content may stay incomplete until the rebuild finishes. This can take a while on large drives.

Option 2Use Local Group Policy Editor

The Local Group Policy Editor applies the setting to the whole computer. It is only included in Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise and Education. On Home, gpedit.msc will not open, so use the Settings ⚙️ method above or the registry method below. Because this is a policy, it overrides the checkbox in Settings. That is why you may see “Policy is in effect” there.

1. Press Win+R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter. You can also type gpedit.msc into the Windows search bar 🔍 and press Enter. The Local Group Policy Editor opens.
2. In the left pane, go to Computer Configuration › Administrative Templates › Windows Components › Search The right pane lists the Search 🔍 policies.
3. In the right pane, double-click Allow indexing of encrypted files. A settings window opens for that policy.
4. Choose the option you want:

   • To turn ON including encrypted files in search: select Enabled, then click OK.
   • To turn OFF including encrypted files in search: select Disabled, then click OK.
   • To let Windows decide: select Not Configured, then click OK. The checkbox in Settings then controls the behavior again. It is off by default.
5. Close the Local Group Policy Editor.

The change may not apply until you restart or sign out and back in. Windows then updates the index. To undo it, set the policy back to Not Configured.

Option 3Use Registry Editor (Manual Steps)

Use the Registry Editor if your edition of Windows has no Group Policy Editor, such as Windows 11 Home, and you want a machine-wide setting. This creates the same policy value that Group Policy would. A wrong edit in the registry can cause problems, so make a backup first.

Back up first. In Registry Editor, click File › Export, choose a location, and save a copy of the registry. If something goes wrong, you can restore it by double-clicking the saved file.

1. Type regedit in the Windows search bar and press Enter. Click Yes if User Account Control asks for permission. The Registry Editor opens.
2. In the left pane, go to this location:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search
3. If the Windows Search key does not exist, create it. Right-click the Windows key, select New › Key, and name it Windows Search. The new key appears in the left pane. Select it.
4. In the right pane, you will create or modify a value called AllowIndexingEncryptedStoresOrItems. Choose the option you want:

   • To turn ON including encrypted files in search:
     1. Right-click an empty space in the right pane and select New › DWORD (32-bit) Value.
     2. Name the new value AllowIndexingEncryptedStoresOrItems.
     3. Double-click the new value and set its Value data to 1.
     4. Click OK.
   • To turn OFF including encrypted files in search:
     1. Right-click an empty space in the right pane and select New › DWORD (32-bit) Value.
     2. Name the new value AllowIndexingEncryptedStoresOrItems.
     3. Double-click the new value and set its Value data to 0.
     4. Click OK.
   • To use the default setting (let Windows decide):
     1. If the AllowIndexingEncryptedStoresOrItems value already exists, right-click it and select Delete. Alternatively, double-click it and clear its Value data. Windows then falls back to the checkbox in Settings, which is off by default.
5. Close the Registry Editor.
6. Restart your computer so the change takes effect. Windows then updates the search index.

References:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-US/Windows/Experience/Performance-Optimization/search-indexing-in-windows

Summary

You can manage whether encrypted files are indexed in three ways. The Settings app and its Indexing Options window work on every edition. The Local Group Policy Editor is available on Pro, Enterprise and Education. The Registry Editor works everywhere but needs more care. All three reach the same result: you can search the contents of protected documents. If a policy or registry value is set, it overrides the checkbox in Settings.