Create or update a system key

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To create or update a system key

Click Start, click Run, type syskey, and then click OK.
Click Encryption Enabled, and then click Update.
Click the option that you want, and then click OK.

For information about each option, see "The system key utility" in Related Topics.

Notes

Different administrative credentials are required to perform this procedure, depending on your environment:
- If you create or update a system key for your local computer: To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.
- If you create or update a system key for a domain controller: To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Domain Admins group or the Enterprise Admins group in Active Directory, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.
If the disk that stores the system key is lost, or if the system key password is forgotten, you cannot start the computer without restoring the registry to the state it was in before the system key was used. For more information on restoring the registry, see Related Topics.

Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.