How to password protect the entrance to a folder. How to put a password on a folder in different ways. We use third-party programs

If you need to protect certain personal data, you can, of course, set a password when loading the operating system or create a new account with adjusted rights. But often all that needs protection is small part your information. Therefore, many users are looking for answers to questions about how to password-protect a folder on a computer.


Content:

The most obvious way would be to simply hide it, but this is not the best option. As soon as the display all function is enabled in the settings hidden files, the folder will be seen immediately. So you shouldn’t do this if the safety of your files is really important to you.

Surprisingly, Windows does not have the ability to set passwords for folders. You will have to use third party software. It should be borne in mind that this approach will not protect folders, for example, from deletion or transfer, so be careful.

The most common options for setting a password are archiver programs, specially developed utilities and bat scripts. To learn more about how to password-protect a folder in Windows, let’s look at each of these methods in general.

Initially, archivers were created so that it was possible to pack one or several files into an archive, while being able to compress the total amount of information occupied. But, in addition to this, these programs can be used to set a password for required folder with data. The most suitable options would be WinZip, WinRar, Hamster Free ZIP Archiver and 7-Zip.
Let's look at setting a password in Windows using the Winrar program as an example:
1. Install Winrar on your computer.
2. Using the right mouse button, open the context menu of the required package and select “add to archive” from it.
3. Next you will see the “name” and “archive parameters” window. By clicking through the various tabs, you can change the type of compression and many other parameters, but there is no need to waste time on this, because we only need to set a password.
4. Find the “set password” button in the “advanced” tab
5. In the “password entry” window, you can enter it. It is recommended to first click the “show password” checkbox so that you can be sure that everything is correct. If you want the files to change their names after this, you can check the “encrypt file names” checkbox. Next, click OK.
6. After these steps, the window will change its name to “archiving with password”. Click ok and you will receive an archive that will require your password to open.
In turn, if you enter wrong password, then you will not get access to the files.

Utilities of this kind resort to the use of element encryption. Even if these programs are removed, the files will remain locked. In addition, you have the opportunity to set a password to enter directly into the programs themselves, further securing your data. Using Anvide Applications Lock Folder or Flash Crypt, you can easily figure out how to password protect a folder.

Let's look at setting a password using Flash Crypt as an example:

1. Install Flash program Crypt to your computer.
2. On the required folder, call the context menu, and there select “protectwithflashcrypt”.
3. In the window that appears, you need to enter your password twice, which must be at least 4 characters. Do not change the remaining fields, then click “protect”.
4. After the encryption process, the Flash Crypt icon will appear on the folder. When entering correct password, the folder will be decrypted and you will have access to the data.

Setting a password using a bat script

This method is the most unsafe, as it simply uses simple hiding of folders in Windows. A user who understands how to enable viewing of hidden data will easily gain access to the information. So this option suitable only for those who are confident that the person who can search for hidden folders is inexperienced.

To start the encryption process, create a file in Notepad and copy the script there:
:lable
cls
set /p disk_flash="Vvesti buky flash drive: "
cd /D %disk_flash%:
if %errorlevel%==1 goto label
cls
cd /D %disk_flash%:
del *.lnk /q /f
attrib -s -h -r autorun.*
del autorun.* /F
attrib -h -r -s -a /D /S
rd RECYCLER /q /s
explorer.exe %disk_flash%:

After this, you need to change the file type; to do this, change the extension from txt to bat, after which it will be ready for use. The essence of the script is as follows:

  • During the first click, a folder named “Papka” will be created, where you will need to copy all the necessary data.
  • After the second click, the “Secretno” folder will be distributed, which will immediately be hidden.
  • The next time you press, you will be prompted to enter your password. At incorrect input The script closes and you need to enter it again.
  • After entering the correct password, the folder will become visible and will have the name as in the first paragraph.

Also keep in mind that instead of MOI-PAROL, you can use any password you want.
Thus, you have become aware of the basic ways to set passwords. Now all that remains is to choose the right one. The most safe options There will be archiver programs or special applications.

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Probably, each of us at least once found ourselves in such a situation when personal information, stored on the computer, was accessible to prying eyes. Who will like it? After all, we often store photographs, documents and various information on our computer.

How to make sure that other users who also use your PC cannot see this? The answer is obvious: these documents need to be classified. To do this, you just need to know how to put a password on a folder on your computer. This is exactly what we will talk about now.

on a computer using standard Windows tools?

To do this, we will need a standard one. It does not need to be downloaded anywhere, since it is automatically installed along with the operating system. So, to put a password on a folder on your computer, you need to do the following:

  1. Right-click on the folder that you want to classify and select “Add to archive.”
  2. In the archiver window that appears, check the “Delete files after packaging” checkbox, then go to the “Advanced” tab and click the “Set password” button.
  3. In the “Enter Password” window, enter the fictitious code 2 times and confirm it by pressing the “Ok” key.
  4. That's all. WinRAR program created an archive that can be unpacked only after entering the password.

Unfortunately, this method is not convenient for everyone. For example, if the folder contains video files, then archiving will take too much time, and this is a significant disadvantage. Therefore, this method is used only with small files.

How to put a password on a folder on your computer using Anvide Lock Folder?

First, we look for the utility and install it. Using this program you can put a password on any files or folders. Moreover, they become hidden.

  1. Launch the Anvide Lock Folder program.
  2. In the window that appears, click on the plus sign in the upper left corner and mark the file that we will hide from prying eyes. Click "Ok".
  3. Select the selected file and click on the lock icon.
  4. In the window that appears, enter the password, confirm it and click on the “Close access” button.
  5. Ready. Now files that have a password set will appear as hidden items.

In order to open it, you will need to launch the Anvide Lock Folder program, click on the open lock icon and enter set password. This is such a useful utility.

How to put a password on a folder on your computer using the Hide Folders program?

The course of action is the same - install the utility on your PC. The operating principle is the same as in the previous method:

  1. Launch the Hide Folders program.
  2. In the window that appears, click on the plus sign and select the files and folders that you want to hide.
  3. Click the button labeled "Hide". Thus, we turn on the working mode, and all selected files become hidden.

To make folders visible again, you will need to launch Hide Folders and press the "Unhide" key. The only difference here from the previous utility is that one password is set. The program itself will ask for it at startup.

Putting a password on a folder, as you can see, is not that difficult. The main thing is to have at least one convenient utility in your arsenal.

Quite often, everyone in the household uses a computer and there is a need to hide certain information in a folder from prying eyes. There is a stereotype that it is difficult to do this. But with a little effort, in just a couple of minutes you can put a password on a folder or file.

IN operating system Windows still doesn't have the ability to hide information in folders and files. Microsoft Company makes it possible to restrict access to certain users. But the computer can be used by several people and this option is not entirely convenient.

You can find and install the program on the Internet. You just have to spend a lot of time studying the nuances of its work. In this case, the WinRar archiver will come in handy. As a rule, it is installed on almost every computer. It’s hard to work without an archiver, and sooner or later you’ll have to download it.

To set a password using the WinRar archiver you need to:

1. Right-click on the folder or file to which you want to close access. Then in the appeared context menu select “Add to archive”.

2. A small window will open where you can set the parameters. Click on the “Set password” button. To do this, you need to set them in the “Advanced” tab by clicking on “Set password”.

3. After this, a window will open where you will need to enter the desired password and confirm it. You can also choose here Extra options: Display the password as you type (the characters you enter will be shown) and encrypt file names (file names will be in the form of asterisks, additional protection).

4. The password is set to archive. An asterisk next to a file means it is password protected. You can add any file or folder to the created archive by first entering a password.

5. When opening the archive, a window will appear asking you to enter a password.

Files archived with WinRar archiver open without problems.

Let's figure out how to put a password on a folder using free program Dirlock. This is a fairly simple way to protect personal data. Download and install the program ().

After this, just right-click on the folder that we want to protect with a password and select “Lock/UnLock”.

In the next window, enter the password for the folder 2 times and press the “Lock” button. If you check the box next to “Hide”, the folder will become hidden. You can find it in the folder with installed program C:\Program Files\dirLock\. To open a folder, you need to click on the folder and select “Lock/UnLock” again, and then enter the password.

I would like to note that the program does not work correctly in, at least for me.

Developers release thousands every day different programs. So in the sphere software appeared Password Protect USB. It is distributed free of charge and finding it will not be a problem.

After downloading the program, you need to install it. In order to put a password on a folder using Password Protect USB, you will need to perform a number of simple steps:

1. Launch the program and click Lock Folders. Next, a window will appear in which you need to specify let to the folder. These actions can be done in just a few clicks: right-click on the folder and select Lock with Password Protect USB from the context menu that appears.

2. A small window will open where you need to create a password and enter it for confirmation. Click Lock Folder.

3. A message will appear that the folder is password protected, and there will be a red icon on the folder itself. If one of the users tries to open it, he will see a window where he must enter a password.

Having installed password protection to a folder, you can transfer it to it various documents. Access to them will be closed.

Using Password Protect USB, it is possible to set a password for folders that are located both on the computer and on flash drives.

The Anvide Lock Folder program allows you to do similar actions. You need to launch it and click on the big plus sign. Then find the required folder in the list and click “Ok”. A folder will appear in the program window indicating its location. To set a password, you must first select it, and then click on the lock and enter the password. Anvide Lock Folder differs from similar software in that it provides a password reminder function. The folder can only be accessed through the program.

While it is possible to password protect a Microsoft file in a couple of clicks, problems arise with folders, since Windows does not have a built-in function to resolve this task. But since this topic is relevant and most users need to protect their data, programmers have created various third party options solutions. To implement them you will need to install the program.

If you still have no idea why you might need this useful feature, I’ll explain. For example, you store any kind of information that is important to you, regarding business, personal life, and so on. Or you have albums with photographs on your computer that you would not like to show to anyone. Any personal folder can be reliably protected not only from prying eyes, but also in the event of theft or hacking, you will thus protect yourself from intruders.

I suggest you familiarize yourself with two ways to set passwords for folders, each of which has its own advantages.

WinRAR archiver

This archiver is installed by users almost immediately when the computer starts for the first time, so it is unlikely that you will need to install it. If WinRar is not installed, go to link and download the Russian version. You can also use the archiver 7zip.

So, let's say you have data that needs to be password protected. First, go to the archiver and find the folder. Select it by clicking on it once with the cursor and click on the function “ Add ».

The window “ Archive name and parameters ", in which you will see that the documentation will be copied and converted into an archive. If necessary, rename the folder. In the " Are common"or in some cases - " Additionally ", you will find a button asking you to set a password, click it.

A window will open where you will need to enter twice same password and then press " OK ».

The most unreliable and popular passwords– dates and names. Try to avoid such encryption, otherwise they can easily break it if desired. Set a password with numbers and upper and lower case letters.

The folder is ready and if you want to unzip it, you will be asked for a password.

If you often change data in a folder or view it, then constantly unzipping and archiving is not only tedious, but also makes no sense, especially if there is alternative methods.

Anvide Lock Folder utility

This small program is free and allows you to set a password directly on a folder. Among its advantages, I would also highlight the fact that the utility is Russian-language, does not require installation (runs from a file) and is equipped simple interface. After installation, it hides the folder and it becomes invisible until you remove the password from it.

You can download the utility from the manufacturer's website. Go to the archive and click on installation file.

You can create a shortcut for the utility on your desktop if you plan to use the program frequently. In the meantime, follow the instructions. Accept license agreement.

From the updates that will be offered in next step, you can refuse.

That's all, the interface is open in front of you.

Add a folder that requires a password by clicking on the yellow plus.

Once the documentation is highlighted and confirmed, click on the padlock image.

Enter password.

If you want to set a hint if you forget your password, answer positively to the next question of the utility.

Enter the text that exactly you will associate with the answer, but you should not write something that an outsider can easily answer.

By confirming your actions, you are blocking access to the folder. If you want to remove the password from it, you should press the lock next to it. Don't be surprised that the folder has disappeared, it's just hidden. If you need to work with it, go back to this program and double-click on the folder, it will appear again in its original place.

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P/S

Best regards, Alexander Sergienko

IN modern world even a person far from information technologies, I’ve probably heard the saying that the most valuable thing is information. Each of us is on own experience I am convinced of this almost every day. It is clear that everything valuable needs protection. Especially if we're talking about on the safety of digital data located on computer media. That is why the question is often asked on the Internet, Windows 7. previous version system, Win XP, is almost never used, and new Win 8 is still “raw”, as a result, Win 7 remains. Therefore, we will consider the seven.

Before we start understanding Windows 7, let's 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 radically, create 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 have no idea how often you have to deal with people who have set a password on Windows folder 7 and in a panic, they were 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. Developers similar 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 file system- NTFS (with FAT32 this trick will not work). 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." Effective, protects even from users with administrator rights (accounts differ), but when changing the password account It becomes impossible to open encrypted items. 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.