This setting can’t be applied to any of your accounts

When you try to change some security settings in the Windows 10 Mail app or Outlook, you may get an error that says “This setting can’t be applied to any of your accounts.” Here’s what that message means and what you can do about it.

This setting can’t be applied to any of your accounts

The first thing you should know is that this is not an error. It’s a clear message that the settings are not available for the accounts you have on Windows 10 Mail app or Outlook.

Why is Email security not available for your email account?

The Email security section in Windows 10 Mail allows you to change options for S/MIME Digital Signature and Encryption. However, if you only see a message which says This setting can’t be applied to any of your accounts., it means that none of the accounts configured in Windows 10 Mail support these features.

If your account had supported it, this is how it would look. Here you can choose to always sign with S/MIME, automatically select certificates, and turn on Encryption for all emails.

If you’re seeing the “This app can’t run on your PC” error message after upgrading to Windows 10, it’s most likely due to your computer not having the right certificates installed. You can try to reinstall Windows 10 Mail app or check if you have the certificates installed. If it is enabled, you can configure it according to the options shown in the above image.

Pre-requisite for S/MIME Digital signature and Encryption

If you’re using Windows 10 Mail and are wondering if it supports S/MIME, the answer is yes! However, S/MIME is only enabled for Exchange accounts. You can’t use S/MIME signing and encryption with a personal account, such as Outlook.com.

Second, you need to have valid Personal Information Exchange (PFX) certificates installed on your device. The best way to get these certificates is to contact your IT admin. They should be able to create PFX certificate profiles in Configuration Manager or Microsoft Intune.

What do you mean by Encrypt Email Messages?

S/MIME is a widely used and accepted protocol for sending digitally signed and encrypted messages. Many businesses make sure to encrypt their Emails using S/MIME, or if you are using Office 365, then you have Information Rights Management.

If you are using Microsoft Outlook, you can access the Trust Center in the Options menu. From here, you can import certificates and choose how to encrypt your emails.

I hope this post helps you understand why you may have received the error “This setting can’t be applied to any of your accounts.” error when trying to set up the Windows 10 Mail app. If you were curious about the error, I hope this explanation helps.

However, if you have an Exchange accounts for which the S/MIME is enabled, then check with the pre-requisites.