How to password-protect computer folders. How to put a password on a folder in different ways

Setting a password for a folder is a fairly common way to restrict access to information. If for a number of reasons you cannot use the division into users of your personal computer, then this article will help you. The kernel of the Windows operating system does not provide for setting a password for a specific folder, therefore, in order to protect information, you should use third-party software. Let's consider the nuances of working with the following software packages:

1. WinRar.
2. AnvideSealFolder.
3. FolderLock.

The specified software product is distributed for a fee. To set the prohibition of access to any directory, it should be added to.

Step 1. After starting the main program interface, you should specify the folder selected for setting access restrictions and use the "Add files to archive" command (the command is activated by the mouse cheek, or by using the "Alt + A" key combination).

Step 2. In the wizard that opens, switch to the "Advanced" subsection and use the "Set password" button.

Step 3. In the Password Archiving dialog box, you must specify the key and confirm it.

To avoid typing errors, there is a password display option. The classic requirement for password security is compliance with the following principles:

1. Length - at least seven characters.
2. Use of characters of different categories in the key body (upper and lower case letters, numbers, non-letter characters).

Step 4. An archive with the installed security key will be created in the directory you specified in step 1.

Important! Remember, the security key will not allow you to view, change, add files to the archive, however, it will leave you the option to remove a copy of it or uninstall the archive as a whole.

Setting a password usingAnvideSealFolder

The software product has a free distribution license.

Step 1. After the installation is complete, launch the interface of the software product.

Step 2. For more advanced protection, a two-level access restriction system is provided:

1. Restricting access to the program.
2. Restricting access to folders.

To install the security key for the software product itself, use the icon in the upper left corner of the main window.

Step 3. To restrict access to a specific directory, use the icon in the form of a "+" sign, or by pressing the "insert" key.

Step 4. After specifying the path and highlighting the desired folder, you need to confirm its addition to the block list.

Step 5. After carrying out the above procedures, a corresponding entry appears in the list of folders. To restrict access to it, use the icon in the form of a closed lock, or the "F5" button and enter the key.

Step 6. After confirming the restriction of access, the program will prompt you to enter a hint for the key, or skip this item.

The list can contain a large number of directories at the same time, while each folder can be closed with a personal key or a shared one.

Important! Remember, the protected directory becomes undetectable in its location (detection is impossible even with the use of specialized programs and software shells). Do not forget to unlock the folder during Windows reinstallation, otherwise there is a risk of data loss. Access can be granted using the corresponding menu icon, or by pressing the key"F9".

Setting a password using FolderLock

The software product is covered by a paid license, but has a test mode for setting twenty passwords.

Step 1. When you start the software package for the first time, you will be prompted to add a master key and confirm its installation.

Important! If you lose this password, you will not be able to uninstall the program from your personal computer.

Step 2. FolderLock asks for the previously specified password again and then gives access to the main API. A folder is added to the list of locks by dragging it into the program window, or by pressing the AddItemstoLock button.

On a note! You can password not only a directory, but also a logical volume and a separate file.

Step 3. To select a directory, use the "AddFolder" option, write down its location in the opened wizard and confirm your choice through the "OK" button.

Important! As well as using the AnvideSealFolder program, you can restrict access to several resources at the same time, however, all of them will be closed with the same master key entered in step 1. To unpass a certain directory, use the “LockFolders ", item"UnlockItems ". As a result of using this button, the selected folder drops out of the blocked list and appears in its original directory. Similar to AnvideSealFolder, remove all restrictions during reinstallationWindows to avoid loss of information in locked folders.

Video - How to set a password for a folder

Conclusion

We have described the nuances of restricting access to a folder using three different software products, one of which is free. Remember, there is no "much" security, so we recommend that you combine methods of protecting your information. For example, you can zip a folder with a password and then close the archive with an additional password using another program. The evaluation of each software product is reflected in the summary table.

Intelligence	WinRAR	Anvide Seal Folder	FolderLock
Requires a paid license	Yes	Not	Yes
Russian language support	Optional	Optional	Not
Installing keys on several directories at the same time	Separate archive for each directory	Yes	Yes
The ability to use different keys for each locked directory	Yes	Yes	Not
Display a locked folder in its original location	Yes	Not	Not
Blocking access to the program	Not	Yes	Yes
Convenience of the interface (from 1 to 5)	4	5	5

Many people use computers for work and personal communication. To carry out their work, solve financial problems, they install various utilities, text editors, and applications. Most of these programs require authorization. To save work results, financial information, a large number of logins and passwords, it is necessary to restrict access to folders and files to other possible computer users. To do this, you need to know how to put a password on a folder or encode an archive using Windows itself or special programs.

What is a folder password for?

The problem of restricting access can be divided into two subtasks. The first of them blocks access to your personal information on your computer or on the local network for everyone except you. The second task is to restrict the access of other possible users of your computer to your account. Archiving data or using software to reduce file size is a separate task. Generally speaking about protection, a password for folders is required when restricting access to:

• personal, accounting, tax or other confidential personal and business information;
• logins and secret codes from personal accounts in online banking, mail utilities, social networks;
• business secrets, technologies, inventions, developments in all spheres of human activity.

How to password protect a folder on your computer

There are several ways to classify all confidential information. The most basic ones are:

• the ability to set a password for a folder using the tools of the Windows operating system - create a key-password for the directory, run a bat-file with a pin code that opens the directory, create document protection using Microsoft Office tools;
• using specialized archiving utilities indicating the secret code to open the archive;
• protect the folder with a password, using special utilities that make files and directories closed with a secret code and invisible in file managers.

Windows tools

Windows operating systems of different editions have different ways to password-protect a folder on the desktop or disk. For Windows 7 computers that use the NTFS file system, there is a way to protect data at the physical level. To do this, you need to create a key file with the pfx extension:

• open the "Properties" tab required to close the directory;
• in the top menu, go to the General-> Attributes-> Others tab;
• in the additional attributes, check the content encryption checkbox;
• select "Encrypt content to protect data";
• click "Archive now", the encryption process will start;
• click "Next", the automatic export of certificates will start;
• then you need to check the box on the form of the key file extension - PFX;
• set the code for the key file;
• click “Browse”, select a storage location on a computer or a USB flash drive, the name of the key file, move the data to the key file by clicking “Next”;
• after clicking "Finish" the folder will be encrypted;
• to open it, you need to click on the key file, enter the code.

With standard Microsoft Office 2010 tools, you can encrypt the documents you create. Using this tool, when you try to open any document created in Office, you will be prompted to enter the specified password. For this:

• select the "File" tab;
• hereinafter - "Protect Document";
• in the menu we indicate - "Encrypt with a password";
• Entering the secret code twice, click OK-> Save.

Archiving programs

In the early days of the computer era, archiving programs were used primarily to compress folders in order to save hard disk space. Now these utilities are used to package information when sending it by mail, uploading to hosting, storage, and sales. Archivers have another important feature thanks to the function of setting a pin-code during archiving. In this case, any zipped file can be opened only by entering the secret code. The most popular archivers supported by many platforms and hosting are WinRAR, WinZIP, 7-ZIP.

Using special programs

You can restrict access to directories by using special utilities created for this purpose. The graphical shells or the sequence of operations in these programs are different, but they are all made in order to lock a folder on a computer, conveniently and quickly set a code word for opening folders, and hide their presence on the disk for any prying eyes. Such utilities are free and paid. They make it possible to close access to directories with any content - texts, music, photos, videos. The most popular on the market are:

• PasswordProtect USB;
• Folder Lock;
• LocK-A-FoLdeR;
• Folder Protector.

How to make a folder with a password using the archiver

By creating an archive using the popular WinRAR or 7-Zip archivers, it is possible not only to reduce the size occupied by folders with any content by 30-50%, but also to put a code to open this archive. This practice is used when selling information, lessons, etc. through the Internet. Downloading the archive from sites or torrents is free, but to open them you need to purchase a secret code. Having created an archive, it is possible to enable the addition of new files and folders to it. Modern versions of these products have a number of additional features.

WinRAR archiver

One of the earliest and most widespread is the WinRAR archiver. It has several settings before packing - in terms of speed, compression ratio, work in the background, setting the name of the archive, where it is saved and many others. To create an archive you need:

• having selected the objects to be archived, right-click and select "Add to archive" in the context menu;
• create an archive name;
• the drop-down list on the right provides an opportunity to select the method of updating the source files and those in the archive;
• if necessary, check the box "Delete files after archiving";
• if it is necessary to lock the archive, put a tick in the Archiving parameters on “Lock archive”;
• press the "Set password" button, enter it twice;
• it is recommended, after entering the code words, to select "Display password at login" and "Encrypt file names", then - "OK";
• to start the process, click "OK" at the bottom of the main menu.

7-ZIP archiving software

The latest WinZIP and 7-ZIP utilities are paid, for their full-fledged operation you need to register on the developers' sites, pay and receive an activation key. If available, for everyone who uses archivers, the work of creating an archive is as simple as with WinRAR. To create an archive you need:

• having selected the necessary objects, by clicking the right mouse button in the menu, select "7-ZIP-Add to ZIP file";
• set the archive format, put a tick in the "Show password" and "Encrypt file names" options;
• in the line "Enter the password" set the code word;
• start archiving by pressing the "Ok" button.

Protect and hide a folder with a password-protected bat file

One of the options for closing a directory with a code is to create an executable file or bat-file, which is created in any simple text editor, for example, Notepad. This file is created in the folder that needs to be password protected. The text of this utility is on many resources on the Internet. It looks like this:

title Folder Private

if EXIST "Compconfig Locker" goto UNLOCK

if NOT EXIST Private goto MDLOCKER

echo Are you sure you want to lock the folder (Y / N)

if% cho% == Y goto LOCK

if% cho% == y goto LOCK

if% cho% == n goto END

if% cho% == N goto END

echo Invalid choice.

ren Private "Compconfig Locker"

attrib + h + s "Compconfig Locker"

echo Folder locked

echo Enter password to unlock folder

if NOT% pass% == YOUR_PASSWORD goto FAIL

attrib -h -s "Compconfig Locker"

ren "Compconfig Locker" Private

echo Folder Unlocked successfully

echo Invalid password

echo Private created successfully

Your steps to create a secret directory will be as follows:

• one of the template items of this small utility is the line your_password, instead of which you need to enter your pin code;
• save this file, rename it to locker.bat;
• click on it, the Private folder is created;
• it is necessary to transfer all the information you need to it;
• then run the bat file locker.bat again, answer "Y » to the question "Are you sure you want to lock the folder", and the directory with your information will become invisible;
• to access it, you need to run the bat-file locker.bat, enter your code.

Create an account with access rights

During installation, Windows OS creates an administrator account, which is endowed with all the rights of configuration and settings. For other users of the computer or laptop, it is necessary to create accounts with limited rights. At the same time, a profile is created with the view of the desktop, launched programs, documents, drawings, etc. If several people work on the computer, it is possible to create such a user profile for each of them. Each account can be given its own access rights to functions, applications, local network.

Creating a shared account

The account created during installation with administrator rights will be the main account on the computer. This will create system files and folders for saving documents, photos, videos, music. By default, all files saved by the system will be located in them. All system users who log in under this main account will have general access to all information. If you close the main account with a secret key and create your own accounts for other users, no one will be able to access this information.

Installing the code

A reliable method of protection is to close your account with a password. This requires:

• click Start-> Control Panel-> User Accounts;
• select the required one in the list of Accounts;
• specify "Create password", enter it twice, create a text hint and save;
• then, in the main menu, select the item "Changing the order of users logging into the system";
• uncheck the "Use the welcome page" checkbox, when enabled, the classic login by login and pin code will be offered.

Closing a folder with a password

You can restrict access to a directory to other users of a computer or local network by simple procedures with its properties. To do this, you need to do the following steps:

• hovering the mouse over the selected object, right-click on Properties-> Security-> Change;
• then you need to add to the list of local and network users for whom access is closed;
• by clicking "Add", write the username in the window, click "OK";
• select this user from the list, put a tick in the "Deny" column;
• click Apply-> Ok.

How to encrypt a folder with a password using special programs

Programmers from different countries have created many third-party software products that provide the ability to hide or simply restrict access to files, utilities and applications for different users or uninvited guests of your computer. These utilities differ in their graphical interface, design and cost. There are free utilities and paid applications. The choice depends on your preference. Paid utilities have regular updates that increase the degree of secrecy of the information stored with their help.

PasswordProtect USB

Using the PasswordProtect USB utility will provide the ability to quickly and easily hide your confidential files and folders by selecting an item in the menu of their properties. To do this, after downloading and installing this program on your computer, which is compatible with Windows 10, you need to do the following:

• hover the mouse over the selected object and right-click to open the menu;
• press the Lock with Password Protect USB button;
• in the window that opens, enter the code word twice, confirm your actions;
• after that, a sign will be visible on the icon, indicating its protection;
• when you try to open the utility, you will be prompted to enter the code.

Folder Lock

Folder Lock utility is able to protect a directory with any information on a PC with Windows 7, 8, 10. To use its capabilities, you must:

• download, install and run the program;
• enter the pin code in the text field, click OK;
• clicking "Add", select the desired folder, or drag it into the utility window;
• after that it becomes locked, you can open it only by code.

LocK-A-FoLdeR

This is a free utility, easy to use, suitable for inexperienced programmer users (beginners). This utility hides the presence of a folder on your computer. After downloading, installing and running the utility:

• select the desired object using the "Lock a Folder" option;
• with the "Unlock selected folder" option, open the password directory;
• change the main pin-code - "Change Master Password".
• to open the hidden one, run LocK-A-FoLdeR;
• click "Unlock selected folder", enter the code.

Folder Lock Lite

Folder Lock Lite is a paid option for a utility that can protect files and disks. It has a free trial period of 30 days. Its cost is 39.95 USD. This utility works on the principle of setting a master password, which is entered twice when you first start it. After adding files or folders, the utility hides their location on the disk. You can detect their presence by re-launching the utility and entering the master password.

Folder Protector

Unlike many other utilities, Folder Protector uses encryption to protect folders. It has free and paid functionality for users with different requirements. After downloading, installing and launching the necessary steps for protection:

• specify the target directory to close access;
• write the secret code twice, click "Protect";
• it will be encrypted and an executable file will be created;
• to decrypt it, you need to run this file from the utility.

Video

A folder on a computer or laptop, protected by a complex password, which can be accessed by several people, is a reliable way to save important information. The secret word code will protect digital data from viewing and editing, as well as protect it from deletion. Let's find out how you can put a password on a folder in Windows 10? Are there alternative methods of protection?

Set the password using standard Windows tools

The Windows 10 operating system does not have built-in functionality with which you can protect a specific folder. There is a simple way to restrict access to a user account by putting a word-code at the entrance (thereby blocking access to any file). There is also a more complicated one - to use the built-in BitLocker drive encryption function (it will be impossible to open it without entering the cipher word). The problem with using BitLocker is that if the system crashes or the user forgets their password, they will have to take emergency steps to recover their files.

And the operating systems of the Windows family have one unique functionality that allows you to make an object invisible to users. Using it, there is no need to come up with a complex discovery cipher that can be forgotten over time.
To hide a folder, proceed as follows:
Important! Both methods of protection are valid for all versions of the Windows 7, 8, 10, XP, Home, Vista OS family.

Alternative way to protect folders

A large percentage of users, instead of the Windows 10 built-in explorer, use the Total Commander program or file managers similar in functionality: Free, Double, Troll, Midnight Commander or other products. With their help, it is very easy to put a password on the object. This can be done after the standard installation of any file manager. The procedure is as follows:

Important! After the procedure, opening files will be available only after entering the secret code. If the user needs to hide the object and encrypt, it can be done in Commander. You need to go through the procedure for hiding the folder through the "Properties" menu (described above), and then:

The object is now protected and invisible. You can use separate programs archivers WinRar and 7-Zip, but if you have a file manager on a PC or laptop, their installation is impractical.

Setting a password using third-party resources

There are many software products that can improve the security of personal data storage - Flash Crypt, dirLock, Secure Folder, WinMend Folder Hidden, Wise Folder Hider, My Lockbox, Easy File Locker, Anvide Seal Folder and many others. Most of the utilities are free, multilingual and functional. Wise Folder Hider software from the trusted and trusted developer WiseCleaner is suitable for all Windows families and newcomers to folder encryption

You can download Wise Folder Hider for free online. Its installation is standard and fast (free version on the network with the Portable prefix). The only condition is a password to open the utility. You can put any. Then they act like this:

After completing the procedure, the object will disappear from the list of folders on the disk (hidden) and will be available only through the application. Another small and easy-to-use Secure Folders utility. It has a little more functionality and an English-language interface. But it does not complicate the work, since the software offers the minimum number of operations. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that the code word is set to open the program itself - that is, you need to enter and invent one cipher, which is easier to remember. After adding a folder to the Secure Folders application, it is impossible to open it without opening the program itself.

They use the software like this:

Important! To access an object, you need to temporarily remove it from the application by clicking the red cross on the right in the line. As soon as the work with documents is completed, the object is added to the application again.

If you need a more functional software product that will encrypt any PC objects, it is better to download the Hide Folder utility. Its interface is Russian, the installation is standard. After installation, proceed as follows:

Access to the object is limited. The built-in capabilities of the Windows 10 operating system are sufficient to protect files and documents. The main security secret is a competent and complex password. If such is installed, then it will be virtually impossible to break it, no matter what program was used for encryption.

Sometimes users need to put a password on a folder or file. Unfortunately, Windows does not have such a special function, which would not hurt the developers of the operating system to think about. But there are special programs for these purposes. They allow you to put a password both for a folder and for individual files.

What is the password for the folder for? Basically, people want to block access to a folder with a password if it contains any documents or personal photos. If you are using a laptop or netbook. then you also would not hurt to put a strong password on the folders that contain information important to you. In case of loss or theft of the device, your folders with files will be reliably protected from prying persons or, God forbid, intruders.

There are two ways to set secret passwords on folders, this is using archiver programs such as WinRar or 7z and using programs that put the password directly on the folder and not on the archive.

METHOD 1. How to put a password on a folder using the WinRAR program

For example, we have a folder with documents that need to be screwed up. Open the WinRAR archiver program and find our Documents folder. Select it and find it in the upper left corner of the program and press the "Add" button

In the window "Name and parameters of the archive" we see that our archive will be called "Documents.rar" (if you wish, you can simply rename it to any name convenient for you, for example, "My documents" or "Secret files").

At the top, select the "Advanced" tab

On the right we find the "Set password" button and click on it

We get into the input and archiving window. In the first field we set a strong password, and in the second field we confirm it

Password recommendation! Do not enter your date of birth, children's birthdays, the names of your pets, cats, dogs, crocodiles, etc., etc. Because it can be simply hacked or guessed by brute-forcing words and dates of birth.

Set as a password (if really very important documents) some complex set of characters with the addition of numbers and alternating CAPITAL and CAPITAL letters. Example: Sdty49URTg5hj2 R12; this password will definitely be difficult to crack.

After the password is entered into the fields, press the "Ok" button

Now the corrupted archive is ready

Now, when you try to open or unzip a file, you will always be prompted for a password, and until we enter it there will be no way to view the document.

METHOD 2. How to set a password for a folder without archive.

The first way to set a password is good, but there are some inconveniences. They consist in the fact that you have to work not directly with the folder but with the archive, which is not always very convenient, and you can lose some of the saved information when working with a document while saving it. So in the second way, consider setting a password directly on a folder.

There are many programs for this purpose, but many of them are paid. I will use a program called Anvide Lock Folder... Why did I choose this particular program. Here are some of the benefits:

Firstly, this program is free

Secondly, it is in Russian

Thirdly, it does not need to be installed, it just runs from a file

Fourthly, it has a pleasant and intuitive interface.

Fifthly, after setting the password on the folder, she hides it so that you can find the hell until you remove the password.

Well, here are the advantages that I noticed during personal testing.

So, in order to use it, you first need to download it. We go to the manufacturer's website at http://anvidelabs.narod.ru/ find and download the Anvide Lock Folder program. Perhaps the developer's site has moved, so it can be found through a comprehensive Yandex search.

Downloaded the program. Unzip it somewhere.

Run the program to set the password for the folder. At the first start, it will offer to read the license. We press the button "I accept the license agreement". In subsequent launches, it will be launched immediately bypassing this window.

Here, in fact, it is installed without any problems, which cannot but rejoice. Now we need to select the folder for which we want to set a password and hide it from prying eyes. Click on the big plus sign, which means adding a folder

In the folder overview, I select the same as in the first method, the "Documents" folder and click "Ok"

Now, having previously selected the folder for setting the password "Documents", click on the "Lock" button

There is also a special "Reminders" option, in order if we suddenly forget the set password. The button is in the lower right corner. Just press it and write a hint

There are many ways to protect a folder on your computer with a password, but most of them require the installation of special software. However, many of these programs are paid. There is an easy way to put a password on a folder using a batch file. Although this method is not 100% secure, it can be used as one of the options to protect your data.

Setting a password for a folder

First, let's create a regular folder anywhere with an arbitrary name. For instance, Personal.

Then you need to enter this folder and create a text document in it with any name. This can be easily done using the context menu.

Open a text document and paste the following code:

cls
@ECHO OFF
title Folder Private
if EXIST "Compconfig Locker" goto UNLOCK
if NOT EXIST Private goto MDLOCKER
: CONFIRM
echo Are you sure you want to lock the folder (Y / N)
set / p "cho =>"
if% cho% == Y goto LOCK
if% cho% == y goto LOCK
if% cho% == n goto END
if% cho% == N goto END
echo Invalid choice.
goto CONFIRM
: LOCK
ren Private "Compconfig Locker"
attrib + h + s "Compconfig Locker"
echo Folder locked
goto end
: UNLOCK
echo Enter password to unlock folder
set / p "pass =>"
if NOT% pass% == PASSWORD_GOES_HERE goto FAIL
attrib -h -s "Compconfig Locker"
ren "Compconfig Locker" Private
echo Folder Unlocked successfully
goto end
: FAIL
echo Invalid password
goto end
: MDLOCKER
md Private
echo Private created successfully
goto end
: End

Now we find the field in the code PASSWORD_ GOES_ HERE and replace it with the password we need. Save the file and rename it to locker.bat.

! If the display of file extensions is disabled in your system, then there may be difficulties with changing the file name. The point is that in the file locker.bat, locker Is the name of the file, and .bat- extension. When the display of file extensions is disabled, you see only the file name and when you rename a text file, you give it a name locker.bat and the extension remains the same - txt. Therefore, to avoid such problems, before renaming the file, you need to.

Checking the code is working

We launch the locker.bat file, as a result of which the Private folder should be created, in which you need to place all your documents that you want to protect. After that, run the batch file locker.bat again.

Now you will be prompted to lock the folder. We choose Y.

This will make your Private folder disappear.

If you run the locker.bat file again, you will be prompted for a password.

When you enter the password that you specified in the batch file, the Private folder will be displayed and you can work with it again.

Conclusion

This way of setting a password for a folder is not the safest one. The fact is that an experienced user can see your documents if he turns on the display of hidden and system files in the system. You can also find out your password by looking at the contents of the locker.bat file. The advantage of this method is that no additional software is used. Therefore, it can be used as an option to protect your documents from inexperienced users or children.