"Encrypt contents to secure data" is greyed out

I'm running XP Home.

I navigated to My Document\My Pictures\target folder. I selected
properties\general tab\attributes\advanced. When I clicked advanced, the
command "Encrypt contents to secure data" was grayed out (inactive), so I
couldn't encrypt anything.

Can anyone instruct me how to activate the encryption command?

Here is some other possibly relevant info:

The folder to encrypt is a subfolder of a folder for which sharing is
denied.

When I changed sharing permission on a folder by moving it to C:\Documents
and Setting\All Users\Shared Documents, the encrypt command remained
inactive.

The encryption command is grayed out both for a subfolder of My Document
containing only .jpg files and for a folder, C:\Letters, containing only
Word documents.

Also, I read in a Microsoft How-to article that folders with system
attributes and folders in the root structure cannot be encrypted. How do I
determine if a folder has system attributes, and if it does, determine if
system attributes are necessary for that folder, and if not, remove the
system attributes? What does it mean for a file to be "in the root
structure," and where can I put a folder that is not in the root structure?

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=3D308989
HOW TO: Encrypt a Folder in Windows XP

Quote: The EFS feature is not included in Microsoft Windows XP Home =
Edition.=20
--=20
Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart Display
Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
http://www.dougknox.com
--------------------------------
Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
--------------------------------
Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.
=20
"William Pine" wrote in message =
...
I'm running XP Home.
=20
I navigated to My Document\My Pictures\target folder. I selected
properties\general tab\attributes\advanced. When I clicked advanced, =
the
command "Encrypt contents to secure data" was grayed out (inactive), =
so I
couldn't encrypt anything.
=20
Can anyone instruct me how to activate the encryption command?
=20
Here is some other possibly relevant info:
=20
The folder to encrypt is a subfolder of a folder for which sharing is
denied.
=20
When I changed sharing permission on a folder by moving it to =
C:\Documents
and Setting\All Users\Shared Documents, the encrypt command remained
inactive.
=20
The encryption command is grayed out both for a subfolder of My =
Document
containing only .jpg files and for a folder, C:\Letters, containing =
only
Word documents.
=20
Also, I read in a Microsoft How-to article that folders with system
attributes and folders in the root structure cannot be encrypted. How =
do I
determine if a folder has system attributes, and if it does, determine =
if
system attributes are necessary for that folder, and if not, remove =
the
system attributes? What does it mean for a file to be "in the root
structure," and where can I put a folder that is not in the root =
structure?
=20
=20
=20