How to password-protect a folder on a computer: we study the best and proven ways to hide important data. How to put a password on a folder (archive or otherwise password protect it in Windows)

Almost every PC or laptop user has information stored on their device that they would like to hide from outside attention - work documents, personal photos and videos, some important files, etc.

There are many ways to achieve privacy, but the easiest way is to set a password for the folder with the content that needs to be hidden.

You will learn how to do this from this article.

Before moving on to a direct examination of specialized programs that allow you to set passwords for folders and archives in the Windows environment, first familiarize yourself with the rules for creating effective passwords - those that will be very difficult for attackers to guess manually or using automatic software.

If you find it difficult to come up with a strong password yourself, you can use one of the many online generators.

Just enter the phrase “password generator” into Google or Yandex and follow one of the links on the first page.

As a rule, most of these services allow you to set the necessary options - the number of characters, the use of uppercase and special characters, numbers, etc.

All that remains is to copy the resulting combination and save it in a safe place (it’s best to write it down on paper).

Programs for setting a password for a folder in Windows

Let's move on to consider special software for protecting folders with a password.

The choice of such programs is truly varied, but it is best to use solutions that have been tested by hundreds of thousands of users - such as those that will be described below.

Password Protect USB
The program allows you to set a password for a folder on your computer - you only need to launch the application once, select the desired directory and click on the “Lock Folder” button in the main window.

Then enter the required sequence of letters and numbers in the highlighted field.

This way you can protect information on several devices at once by recording Password Protect on a flash drive and connecting it if necessary.
Folder Protector
Folder Protector not only allows you to set a password for the selected folder, but also encrypts its contents.
An outsider, without access to the program and the master password, will not be able to get inside the folder and familiarize itself with its contents.
To set a password, just launch the application, click on the folder image in the main window and select the directory located on the computer or device connected to it.

Afterwards, another window will open where you will need to enter a sequence of password characters, confirm it and, if you want, leave a “Password Hint” for yourself.
The program works with all more or less current versions of Windows - 2003, XP and higher, it is very easy to use and weighs just under a megabyte.
The only drawback is that you will have to pay almost $23 for the full version.
Dir Lock
Another convenient tool for protecting the contents of your folders. A small program of a couple of hundred kilobytes in size is embedded in the Windows Explorer context menu when first launched.
To protect a particular directory, just right-click on it and find the “Lock” button in the expanded list.

A window will immediately open where you will need to enter and confirm your password.
Nearby are the Add and Remove Context Menu buttons - they allow you to unload a program from the context menu and load it back.
If you no longer need to protect a folder with a password, you can remove the lock.
To do this, simply run Dir Lock. The main window will display a list of all password-protected folders on the connected device.
Select the desired directory from the list and click on the “Unlock selected directory” button. You will have to enter the password again, after which the protection will be removed.
Anvide Seal Folder
Are you looking for free programs for setting passwords that will not be inferior in functionality to paid solutions?
Then you should definitely take a closer look at Anvide Seal Folder.
This freely distributed application works very simply - click on the plus sign in the main menu, indicate the path to the directory that needs protection, and in the window that appears, set a password for it.
Alternatively, you can simply drag the desired folder (or even several selected folders at once) into the program window by holding down the left mouse button.
If you are afraid of forgetting your password, supplement it with a secret question/hint.

In addition to being free, Anvide Seal Folder has a number of other advantages - there are several languages, including full Russian localization, the ability to automatically update to the latest version, work in the background and several appearance options (skins).

Put a password on the folder using archivers

As practice shows, the average PC user does not necessarily need to download additional software to protect confidential information on their system.

Archive programs, which are used by almost every active user, also have similar functionality.

How to put a password on a network folder in Windows

The procedure for setting passwords for folders that need to be made accessible to several users over a local network is somewhat more complicated than the previously described manipulations.

Let's look at the sequence of actions using Windows 7 as an example (there may be differences in other versions, but they will be insignificant):

In the modern world, even a person far from information technology has probably heard the saying that the most valuable thing is information. Each of us is convinced of this from our own experience almost every day. It is clear that everything valuable needs protection. Especially when it comes to the safety of digital data located on computer media. That is why the question is often asked on the Internet, Windows 7. The previous version of the system, Win XP, is almost no longer used, and the new Win 8 is still “raw”, as a result it remains Win 7. Therefore, we will consider the seven.

Before we begin to understand Windows 7, we note two important points: firstly, you should be very careful when limiting access to your information. It is recommended to write down any invented passwords and codes on a piece of paper or, more importantly, create a text file with them (it is convenient to store it, for example, in the file system of your mobile phone). It is clear that this potentially reduces security, but you can’t imagine how often you encounter people who have set a password on a Windows 7 folder and are in a panic looking for an opportunity to crack their own, but forgotten, passwords. So, let's save passwords. At least for the first time, until you learn them.

Secondly, even a beginner can set a password for a Windows 7 folder. There is no need to listen to “advisers” who claim that password protection is difficult. This is wrong. The developers of such programs do everything possible to make the application easier to use. Often it is enough to press one or two buttons and enter a password. Much easier!

There are several ways to prevent your information from being accessed. Each of them (how could it be otherwise) has its own characteristics, so you need to familiarize yourself with them before making a final decision in favor of one or another software product. The first way to set a password for a Windows 7 folder is to use it. This is possible if you log into the system with administrator rights, other users have their own login codes, and the file system is NTFS (this trick will not work with FAT32). Right-click on the desired folder and go to “Properties - Security”. Edit the list in “Groups or users” (the “Edit” button). The window below allows you to configure the access level. Sometimes these settings are not available even to the administrator. To solve this, go to “Security - Advanced - Owner” and assign yourself as the owner. Although the method is simple, it cannot be called reliable. There are many options to bypass such protection. Although in some cases it is quite enough.

Alternative: "folder properties - general - other - encrypt contents." Effectively, it protects even from users with administrator rights (accounts differ), but if the account password is changed, it becomes impossible to open encrypted elements. Take this into account.

You can set a password for the Windows 7 folder using another popular solution. It consists of password-protecting the folder using archivers. Let's look at WinRAR. First you need to download and install it on your computer. After that, launch WinRAR and select the desired folder. Click on the image of the books (add files to the archive), then select the “Advanced” tab. Here you can set a password (type it twice to avoid mistakes). We create a password-protected archive. That's all: now you can work with such an archived folder only if you know the password. Reliability is one of the highest, but using the archive is not always convenient.

Another option for data protection is third-party programs. One of the popular solutions. There are many such programs, and their functionality also varies. Examples: Lock Folder, Folder Guard, Password Protect USB, etc.

In just 5 minutes you will already know 3 ways to put a password on a folder or file. It’s no secret that nowadays there is something to hide from prying eyes on your computer, and if you came to this page, then I’m sure you absolutely need the answer to this question.

Unfortunately, Windows has a built-in function set a password for a folder does not exist. But that doesn't mean anything yet. Experts have long come up with special programs that will help you put a password on a file or folder and block access to certain information.

Here we go?

Most computers already have the WinRAR program installed, and it can set passwords. This method is suitable for those who want to password-protect a folder that they rarely open.

To do this, right-click on the folder for which we want to set a password. Select the item “ Add to archive».

In the window that opens, immediately go to the “ Additionally" and select the function " Set password" This option may also be located on the " Are common", like mine for example.

Enter it twice and save. OK OK !

Ready! We have set a password on the folder and now in order to access the files we will need to unpack the archive.

But the main disadvantage of this method is obvious - we need to constantly unpack the archive to work with files, and then pack it back. As I said above, if you rarely touch this data, then the method ideal, but for daily use - disgusting! Therefore, we will look at more advanced methods.

Set a password for a folder

There is one program called Password Protect USB, so with the help of it it’s very easy to put a password on a folder and you won’t need to mess around with any archives. She copes with her main task quite well.

Find this program, download, install and run.

If you have a Russified version like me, then you will need to click on the Lock button (in the English version Lock Folders).

In the window that opens, specify the folder for which we want to put a password.

There, on the FreeWare tab, you can download the latest version of the utility. Please note that it is second in the list of programs.

Only the essence of her work is a little different. In this case, a password is set not for files and folders, but for the program itself. And the data we need simply becomes invisible to prying eyes. In general, read on, as it will be easier to explain with an example.

Download, install and open WinMend Folder Hidden

When we first start it, we are immediately asked to set a password for the program. Enter it twice and save.

Now you can work.

Using the “Hide folder” or “Hide file” button, indicate where on the computer the data is located that should not be visible to anyone. Thus, by specifying the directories in the main window, we will see all hidden files and folders.

Great. Now no one will be able to gain access to this information, since it is simply not visible. And if you need to work with data, then launch the program and enter the master password.

Select the folders you need and click the “Show” button.

The position will be changed to Visible.

We worked with the files (folders) and again change the status to “Hide" and close the program.

I think this information will be enough for you to successfully put a password on a folder or file. And if you know any other similar programs, please share the names in the comments.

P.S. Finally, I would like to say that the password set for certain folders will remain in effect until you delete the program itself. So be careful!

Unfortunately, Windows does not provide the ability to protect a folder with a password. In many cases, a folder with a password would help protect important data from being viewed by strangers without any problems. I will discuss how to implement this on a laptop or computer in this article. The instructions are suitable for systems with Windows 7, 8 and 10

We will talk about free programs and their paid analogues, as well as some other methods ( without third party utilities) with which you can protect folders and valuable data in them with a password.

Free utilities and programs for setting a password for a folder

There are few such programs, but there are those that can easily help you put a password on a folder. I will conduct a mini review of the most worthy ones, and you yourself will choose which one is best for you. They should be compatible with popular versions of Windows OS. All links will be listed immediately in the article.

It is important to know that it is not necessary to install more than 1 program for such purposes. They may conflict with each other.

Anvide Seal Folder

Probably the most popular, free program that allows you to create a folder with a password. There is support for the Russian language. Download the archive and run it. Add to the list 1 or more folders that need to be protected with a password. Just drag them into the working window. Close access from the menu ( or press F5). Do this for all required files.

The settings allow you not only to encrypt the folder with a password, but also the data stored in it ( name, file size). All unsuccessful authorization attempts are remembered and shown if entered correctly.

You can easily check the remaining features yourself. The author of the program always helps if any problems arise.

WinMend Folder Hidden

A program with a very attractive interface that allows you to access folders using a password. There is Russian localization ( after installation and launch). Download and use for free.

Just a few control buttons. Apart from the color scheme and language, there are no settings. Drag a folder into the window and it will automatically become hidden. It can only be accessed from within the program.

The disadvantages include the lack of encryption without hiding folders.

SecretFolder

An equally simple program in English, but it has a very friendly interface that even an inexperienced user can understand. Download it and install it. Enter the password at 1st start. It will be required to enter the program where the protected folders will be located.

This password is also required when deleting ( For reliability, you can use recovery via Email address).

Once in the working window, you just need to drag the folder into it with the mouse or select it in the directory through the menu ( Add). Pay attention to the status. Lock - protected. Unlock - no protection. To gain access to the files again, you will need to go into the program and unlock the directory from here. The window below shows instructions that most likely will not be useful.

With these simple steps you can reliably block unauthorized access to a folder with valuable files.

DirLock

The easiest to use program, by installing it you can protect a folder immediately from the Windows Explorer context menu ( a new Lock/UnLock line will appear). There is nothing superfluous in it. Download it and lock the folder by entering the password 2 times. This must be done every time after viewing protected files.

All protected folders are displayed in the main program window. They can also be unlocked from here.

Convenient and safe solution.

Paid programs to protect folders

If free options are not suitable, then you can use paid ones. They are of course made of better quality and have more functionality, but you have to pay for it. I will consider the best programs in my opinion, and you decide which one is best for you.

Folder Guard

This program has a free trial period of 30 days. Russian language is available. Immediately after installation, you will be asked to enter a password to enter the program. To set a password for a folder, just drag it into the window. Each setup step is described in detail and no difficulties should arise. Download it and install it.

You can simply hide the folder, both regular and network, or you can set a password. It is possible to restrict access to different users. There is an emergency recovery function in case the password is forgotten.

There is even protection in safe mode. The program hides itself using the “Hidden” attribute. Hotkey calling is supported. Everything can be fine-tuned to suit your needs. Of the minuses, I would note that the certificate is in English.

In general, it is very convenient to use; in addition to setting a password, there are a lot of different options. They can really be useful in various situations.

IObit Protected Folder

The simplest of all paid programs to protect folders in your native language ( selectable in settings). 20 trial runs. Supports all current versions of Windows. From the picture below you can see that it will not cause any difficulties in use.

There are several additional options in the options. I liked this program more than all the others. Convenient, fast, safe and there is nothing superfluous. Download it and try it yourself.

My Lockbox

Another program from a Russian developer that will allow you to easily protect your important data. There are no bells and whistles in it. When starting for the first time, you will be required to enter a password. Access to all folders will be opened after entering it. There is a recovery service via Email ( not necessary). Download and test.

The interface has only a few main buttons. It is possible to set a filter for trusted processes. Lots of themes. The functionality is similar to other programs.

Install—adds protection to the folder.
Clear - deletes it.

It is possible to use for free with only 1 folder. The paid version removes this limitation and adds user support.

Locking a folder with a password inside the archive

You can encrypt your virtual hard disk or flash drives. If you forget your password, it will be almost impossible to recover your data. A reliable method of protection using Windows tools without third-party programs.

Microsoft script for setting a password for a folder

An unreliable method, the protection of which is very easily circumvented by simply turning on the display of hidden Windows system files. However, this is also the case in this article, as otherwise the folder is accessed using a password that was previously set. The advantage of this method is that you do not need to download any third-party applications.

What else can you do

In Windows, although there is no built-in function for setting passwords for folders, you can get by by simply creating a second user and setting a password for the account. In addition to this, limit rights. A fairly simple and effective method of data protection. However, an experienced user can handle this too.

I would also advise encrypting it. This can be done using the same Bitlocker utility or similar ones. There is also a disadvantage here in that the section can simply be deleted and the data will be lost.

Of all the above, the most reliable way to protect a folder is encryption. But here, if you forget your password, you yourself lose access to the data. I add the folder to the archive and encrypt it. I think this is much more convenient and safer than everything else. It all depends on who needs to hide the information. There is no 100% protection against everyone.

I hope you have found a solution to your problem. I will answer all questions in the comments.

Which method did you use?

Hello site! Tell, how to set a password for a folder so that no one but me opens it? I read an article on your website where you show how to set a password on a flash drive using . folder?

Why am I asking? At my work, data located right on the desktop of my computer’s operating system was stolen. Everything is trivial, I walked away for five minutes, at that time someone inserted a flash drive into my computer and copied a document containing registration data for several sites and a password for an email account, I only realized this the next day, when my personal photos began to circulate on social networks, then they called me from five online stores and asked me to confirm some orders (pants, T-shirts) that I allegedly made, and my friends called one after another and said that they had received strange letters from me in the mail asking for replenishment some phone number...

The next day, following instructions from the Internet, I archived my most important folder on my computer with WinRAR, set a password on the archive, then tried to unzip the folder and work with the files, but a warning came out that the file could not be changed or you do not have the necessary access rights.

I had to remove the “Read Only” attribute from all the files in the archive and only then work with them. Then it turned out really funny, I was surprised to discover that in an archive protected by the WinRAR program you can delete files without entering a password,

And the archive itself with the password can simply be deleted and the recycle bin emptied, and I’ll simply be left without my files.

But most importantly, if the folder that I want to archive is very large in volume, then all my operations with it will take a very long time. Most likely this method does not suit me.

I found out on the Internet that for To set a password for a folder, you can use the AnvideLockFolder program, you can get it on this site, but why, when you try to download the program, the all-knowing Google displays such a window,

And my antivirus is like this:

So, if I still download the program, then another problem awaits me?

How to make everything easier admin? I noticed that if you are already writing an article, then you try to convey to the person as much understandable and easily digestible information as possible. I will be very grateful for your answer.

How to set a password for a folder

Hello friends! If you store confidential data on your computer in any folder, then you can put this folder on it, or put a password on it, and I’ll even say more, you can also hide the folder, so much so that even turning on the system for displaying hidden files and folders is hidden protected system files will not help, and the folder will be on the desktop at this time. But unfortunately, such a trick cannot be done using installed Windows, even if it is the latest Windows 8, but there are good free and very good paid programs, I’ll tell you about them now.

More set a password for a folder You can use the WinRAR archiver program, although it’s not very convenient, but it’s up to you to decide. Now I will show you how to use all the programs and you will choose what you need.

1) - not a very good method, the folder can be copied to a flash drive and if you have an unimportant password assigned, they will guess it or simply hack it. Files in the archive can be deleted without entering a password, and the archive itself can be simply deleted without knowing the password.

2)How to set a password for a folder using the paid program Hide Folders 2012- I use it personally, it’s serious protection.

3)How to set a password for a folder using the free program AnvideLockFolder- used it a little.

How to set a password for a folder using WinRAR archiver

On my computer, in the root of the C: drive, there is a folder called “Personal” and I want to set a password for this folder. I right-click on the folder and select Add to archive.

Let's go to the tab Are common and select the item Set password.

In older versions of the program, you can set a password on the tab Additionally.

Assign a password

If you don’t know how to come up with a good password, read our article -.

That's it, our folder is in the archive and to extract it from the archive you will need to enter a password.

For example, in our absence, someone saw an archive called “Personal” on our desktop and tried to extract files from the archive,

A window like this will open asking you to enter a password.

If you are trying to open the archive, then you simply enter the password, then click OK and the files are extracted.

If you need to work with any file and want to change it, then you will get an error,

Then remove the Read Only attribute from it. Right-click on the unzipped file and select Properties.

Then uncheck "Read Only", then Apply and OK.

To work with any file in the archive, you do not have to extract the entire archive, double-click on the archive with the left mouse and find our file, then simply drag it to the desktop, enter the password and the file is copied. We remove the Read Only attribute, work with it and drag it back to the archive, that’s all.

How to set a password for a folder with the paid program Hide Folders 2012 - I use it personally, serious protection

A very convenient and most importantly simple program in Russian, now see for yourself.

The program is paid, but it works for 30 days, showing itself fully without restrictions, within 30 days you get used to it and can no longer live without it. You can download it on the official website http://fspro.net/hide-folders/

Click DOWNLOAD NOW. Download and install the program.

The main window of the program. To start working with any folder, click on Add.

click on the button

and in the explorer that opens, we find the desired folder for which we want to put a password, in our case a folder called “Personal”, select it and click OK.

In the main program window that appears, double-click on our folder with the left mouse or click on “Properties”

And the Protection Method window will open, containing almost all the functionality of the program, let's look at it in detail:

1) Don't defend- the folder will not be protected and anyone who gets on your computer can enter it and do whatever they want with the files in it.

2)Hide- the folder will be hidden by the program so much so that even turning on the display of hidden files and folders and hidden protected system files in the system will not help.

3)Block- the folder will not be hidden, but you will not be able to enter it until you open the program and check the Do not protect option.

4)Hide and block- the folder will be hidden and you will not be able to enter it until you open the program and check the Do not protect option.

5)Only reading- the folder will not be hidden; you can enter the folder, but you will not be able to change the files in it.

Let's look at all the functions of the program in detail and, most importantly, find out how to put a password on a folder using this program.

1) Don't defend. Everything is clear with the first point, so to speak, “Come in, take what you want”

2)Hide - the folder will disappear

And to find it you will need to launch the program and click on the Turn off button, our folder will immediately appear and you can work with it

3) Block - the folder will be visible on the desktop, but when you try to enter the folder, a “No access” window will appear,

To enter the folder, click on the Shutdown button

4)Hide and block- the folder will be hidden and locked,

To cancel, click Turn off, the folder appears

5) Read only - the folder will not be hidden, but you will not be able to change the files in it, an error will appear

Again, until you click the Turn off button

Set a password for the folder

First of all, we choose a means of protection, I personally choose Hide,

Now I press the button Password

If you have previously entered a password, the following window will appear. Enter the old password, then the new one, and the new one again, then click OK.

Now, to open our hidden folder, you need to open the Hide Folders 2012 program, when you open it, a password entry window will appear, enter the password

And the main program window opens and at the same time our hidden folder appears on the desktop. You can enter a folder by double-clicking with the left mouse on the folder name in the program window. As you already understood, the main control in the program is carried out by two buttons: Enable and Disable. You can also look at the program settings, but I want to say that the program is configured optimally and basically you don’t need to change anything in it.

If you try to close the program and do not enable folder protection with the Enable button, the program will ask you whether to enable folder protection or not.

How to set a password for a folder using the free program AnvideLockFolder

Friends, in fact, if you go to the official website of this program http://anvidelabs.org/alf.html, and click on the download button, then many antivirus programs will respond accordingly. There may be a virus there, but there is no time to figure it out, but nevertheless, the portable version of the program can be downloaded without problems and there are definitely no viruses in it.