What is encrypting my files?

Question

Hello, I recently inherited a laptop from my mom that is equipped with Windows 11, an OS that is entirely foreign to me. It's been many years since I have worked on a PC (since Windows Vista) and I'm not familiar with any of the operations on this thing, it almost feels like an android or tablet now. Anyway, I couldn't help but notice that all of my files are either partially or fully encrypted and/or encoded. I need most of my files to be in plain text so they are easily identified and readable. The problem is when I go to the properties of a file or folder and click on Advanced, the box for file encryption is not checked. It is this way with every file yet they look like they do in the attached pictures. Sorry for the poor quality I have not figured out how to use screenshot yet. Does anyone have any insight into what else could be doing this to my files?

Answer 1

Hello James Anderson,

Thank you for posting in Q&A forum.

Here are a few possibilities and steps you can take to investigate further:

1. BitLocker is a common encryption tool in Windows. To check if BitLocker is enabled, go to Control Panel > System and Security > BitLocker Drive Encryption. If BitLocker is on, it will show the status here
2. Sometimes, third-party software can encrypt files. Check if any encryption software is installed on your device. You can do this by going to Settings > Apps and looking through the list of installed programs.
3. Some malwares can encrypt files as part of a ransomware attack. Run a full system scan using Windows Defender or another reputable antivirus program to rule out this possibility.

I hope the information above is helpful.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to let us know.

Best Regards,

Daisy Zhou

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