Topic Last Modified: 2007-01-08

The Microsoft® Exchange Server Analyzer Tool queries the Win32_Directory Microsoft Windows® Management Instrumentation (WMI) class to determine the value of the Encrypted key for the folder that contains the Microsoft Exchange Information Store database files. If the Exchange Server Analyzer finds the value for Encrypted set to True, an error is displayed.

On an Exchange 2000 Server or an Exchange Server 2003 computer, the database files are written to the following default location:

<drive> :\Program Files\Exchsrvr\mdbdata

On an Exchange Server 2007 computer, the database files are written to the following default location:

<drive> :\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Mailbox\<Storage Group Name>

Microsoft does not support the storage of Exchange data files on an Encrypting File System (EFS) encrypted volume. When you store your Exchange data files on an encrypted volume, the additional overhead significantly affects Exchange performance. The Exchange data files include all the following files:

To help secure your Exchange data files, it is recommended that you prevent unauthorized access to the Exchange computer and that you use the S/MIME message format to encrypt message data.

To resolve this error, you must either turn off file encryption on the folder where the database files are being written, or move the database files to a folder where encryption is not enabled.

To turn off file encryption on a given folder

  1. Right-click the folder where you want to turn off file encryption, and then click Properties.

  2. On the General tab, click Advanced.

  3. In the Advanced Attributes dialog box, clear the Encrypt contents to secure data check box, and then click OK.

To move the database files on Exchange 2000 Server or Exchange Server 2003

  1. Open Exchange System Manager.

  2. Expand Administrative Groups, expand your administrative group, expand Servers, expand your server, expand your storage group, right-click Mailbox Store, and then click Properties.

  3. On the Database tab, under Exchange database, or Exchange streaming database, click Browse, type the path location to a folder where encryption is not enabled, and then click OK.

  4. Click OK or Apply to apply your changes, and then click Yes on the warning message.

  5. After clicking Yes, the stores (databases) are dismounted, moved, and remounted. When these procedures are successfully completed, you receive the following informational message:

    The database files have been moved successfully

To move the location of Exchange storage group database files on Exchange Server 2007

  1. Follow the guidance in the core Exchange Server 2007 documentation, "How to Move a Storage Group Path" (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=80747)

For more information about moving database files, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article 821915, "How to Move Exchange Databases and Logs in Exchange Server 2003" (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=3052&kbid=821915).

For more information about Exchange Server data files and EFS, see the Knowledge Base article 834638, "Information about the storage of data files on an encrypted volume in Exchange Server" (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=3052&kbid=834638).

For information about how to secure messages in Exchange Server 2003, see the Exchange Server 2003 Message Security Guide" (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=47574).