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MTA data files are being written to an encrypted folder

[This topic is intended to address a specific issue called out by the Exchange Server Analyzer Tool. You should apply it only to systems that have had the Exchange Server Analyzer Tool run against them and are experiencing that specific issue. The Exchange Server Analyzer Tool, available as a free download, remotely collects configuration data from each server in the topology and automatically analyzes the data. The resulting report details important configuration issues, potential problems, and nondefault product settings. By following these recommendations, you can achieve better performance, scalability, reliability, and uptime. For more information about the tool or to download the latest versions, see "Microsoft Exchange Analyzers" at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=34707.]  

Topic Last Modified: 2007-01-17

The Microsoft® Exchange Server Analyzer queries the Win32_Directory Microsoft Windows® Management Instrumentation (WMI) class to determine the value of the Encrypted key for the message transfer agent (MTA) data path. If the Exchange Server Analyzer finds the value for this key is True, an error is displayed.

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

**<drive>:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\MTAdata

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:

  • .edb files

  • .stm files

  • .log files

  • .dat files

  • .eml files

  • .chk 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 turn off file encryption on a specified folder

  1. Right-click the folder where you want to turn off file compression, 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.

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

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