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Methods for setting a password for a folder or file. How to put a password on a folder using special programs or archivers

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.

To this day, the Windows operating system does not have the ability to hide information in folders and files. Microsoft provides the ability to restrict access to certain users. But several people can use the computer 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 select “Add to archive” in the context menu that appears.

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 select additional options here: display the password as you enter (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 the free Dirlock program. 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 the 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 of different programs every day. This is how Password Protect USB was born in the software sector. 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.

By setting password protection on a folder, you can transfer various documents to it. 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.

There are many tricks on how to put a password on a folder in Windows 7.

It is possible to complete the task using special programs, which can be either paid or free. For example, such as Anvide Lock Folder, Lock-a-Folder or Lim Block Folder.

Here it would be useful to remind you that all free applications, when downloading them, should be checked on services such as Viructotal.com.

It is also possible to protect a folder with a password in Windows 7 using an encrypted archive.

All popular archivers, such as WinZIP, 7-zip, WinRAR, allow you to set a password for the archive, as well as encrypt the contents of the folder.

How to set a password for an archive

This method is absolutely reliable, because the files will be truly encrypted, unlike using applications where you simply set a password for the folder.

So, using the example of using the 7-zip archiver, we select the folder that needs to be password protected. You can call it whatever you want. Right-click on the created folder and find the item in the context

A window of the same name opens. Select a section in it Encryption, in the fields of which we enter the invented password And be sure to check the box Encrypt file names.

Checkbox Show password it is not necessary to put. Click Ok. A new archive is created. Now, when you try to log in, the archiver requires you to enter a password.

If this password is unknown, then you will not be able to get into the archive, even through the menu Extract files.

Anvide Lock Folder App

A password is set to start the program, you need to enter it and the program window will appear.

Now, to password protect a folder, you just need to take it and drag it into the program window.

Then you need to click on it and press Padlock. In the form that appears, enter your password and click Close access.

You don't have to include a password hint. That's all, the folder is under a password.

You can also not transfer it to the program window, but click the icon + and select it on your computer.

If you open Explorer now, you will notice that the folder under the password has disappeared, it is simply not visible. It disappears from the user's eyes.

To return it to Explorer, you need to click on it in the program window and unlock it. The folder will appear again in Explorer.

Using Lock-a-Folder

Lock-a-Folder is free and open source. Installs and hides it from prying eyes from Explorer or from the desktop.

The utility does not have a Russian language, but is very simple and easy to use.

To password protect a folder, you need to follow simple instructions:

  • Download and install the program
  • Set a master password upon initial startup, which will also be the folder password.
  • Add folders that require locking to the list in the main window.
  • To unlock, you need to run the program again, select a folder from the list and click UnLock.

The program is free in Russian, easy to use and recommended for use. Website: maxlim.org. It works similar to the previous one.

Password for a folder using standard Windows 7 tools

There is another way to password protect a folder in Windows 7 without using any third-party programs.

To do this, select the folder that requires protection and go into it. You need to create one document in the folder using the standard notepad included in Windows 7.

We follow the path - Start - All Programs - Accessories and open WordPad.

In the document that opens, paste a small code with the following content:

_______________________________________________________________________

title Folder Private

if EXIST "HTG Locker" goto UNLOCK

if NOT EXIST Private goto MDLOCKER

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.

ren Private "HTG Locker"

attrib +h +s "HTG Locker"

echo Folder locked

echo Enter password to unlock folder

set/p "pass=>"

if NOT %pass%== PASSWORD_GOES_HERE goto FAIL

attrib -h -s "HTG Locker"

ren "HTG Locker" Private

echo Folder Unlocked successfully

echo Invalid password

echo Private created successfully

____________________________________________________________________

In the line of code, instead of PASSWORD_GOES_HERE (blue text), you need to add your password, for example, 12345.

The files that need to be saved should be placed in this folder. These can be documents, videos, etc.

After this, left-click on the locket file again, the command line opens,

in which you need to confirm your intention to password-protect the folder, after which the Private folder disappears from the screen.

Now, if an outsider wants to see what is in this folder, he will not be able to do this, because the folder is hidden and password-protected.

If an attempt is made to open the locket file, a command prompt will open and ask for a password. If the password is entered incorrectly, nothing will happen.

If you enter the correct password, the folder will appear. Documents can be opened and worked with. Then you can password-protect the folder again.

In these ways, you can put a password on a folder with any content so that no one but you can view them and interfere with your privacy.

Every user has files that he would like to hide. In this case, you need to set a password on them so that no one opens them. If you need to take advantage of this feature, learn how to password-protect a folder on your Windows 7, 8, or 10 computer.

Password protection without programs

RMB on the folder you are hiding → Properties → “Attributes” block → check the “Hidden” box → confirm the action.

The second option is to restrict access. But this method is effective if a separate account without Administrator rights is created on the computer for each user.

  1. RMB on the desired folder → Properties → security tab → “Groups and users” block → Edit → Add.
  2. In the “Select” window, enter the names of users for whom access will be limited → Check to check for spelling errors - confirm the actions.
  3. In the “Group Permissions” window, check the boxes for the actions you prohibit.

After completing the action, users, when they log in under their own account, will have limited access rights to this directory.

WinRar and 7-Zip archivers

The fastest way to password protect is with WinRar or 7-Zip archiver.


Now, when unpacking the archive, a dialog box will appear in which you need to enter a password to perform further actions. Watch the video for the detailed process.

Programs with a high level of protection

The maximum level of protection when password-protecting folders in Windows is obtained by using special programs (read what other programs can be installed on your computer in the article 11 Windows 10 applications for upgrading your computer).

Conclusion

You can set a password for a folder or file in Windows 7, 8 and 10 using standard means, using archivers or programs with a high level of protection. The latter are provided on a shareware basis, but provide the maximum level of confidentiality.

Despite the seriousness with which Microsoft approaches the issue of Windows security, this operating system still does not have the ability to protect individual folders and files by setting a password. In the company itself, the implementation of such a function is considered unnecessary, since nothing prevents the user from setting a password for the entire account, but as practice shows, this is not always convenient. However, alternative ways to protect your data exist, and today we will learn how to put a password on a folder in Windows 7/10.

Setting a password for a folder using Windows

If Windows does not have a password protection feature for individual objects, is it possible to password protect a folder using one system? Quite, you just have to tinker a little. You will need to create a special script that will allow you to set a password on a folder without programs or other third-party tools. To save you from having to do the first part of the work manually, we suggest downloading a ready-made CMD file.

Open the file with Notepad or any other text editor, find the text in the code PASSWORD_GOES_HERE and replace it with your password.

Run the script by double clicking. In this case, in the current directory you will have a folder named Private.

Move all the files you want to hide into it and run the script again. This time, a Command Prompt window will open in which you need to confirm that access is blocked by typing Y and pressing enter.

Once you do this, the folder will be hidden and cannot be seen even if you turn on show hidden files.

To show the folder, run the script again and this time enter your password at the command line.

After pressing Enter, the directory will become accessible again. Just keep in mind that this method of setting a password for a folder is not 100% reliable, so it is advisable to store the script on removable media and copy it to a location with a hidden folder only if you need to gain access to the latter.

Setting a password using archivers

The method described above is quite effective, but also quite troublesome. There are much simpler options. You can put a password on a folder on your computer using the most common archivers, the same WinRAR or 7-Zip. The essence of the method is very simple. The folder or its contents are compressed into an archive with a password attached. After creating the archive, the folder is completely deleted. Let's look at this using the example of working with WinRAR. Open the main window of the archiver, select the folder you want to password protect in the built-in file manager and select the “Add” option from the menu.

In the compression method window that opens, select “No compression” (it will be faster), in the archiving parameters, check the “Delete files after packaging” checkbox and click the “Set password” button.

In the next window, enter your password in the fields, click “OK” and OK again.”

This will create a password-protected archive and delete the original data once the archiving process is complete. Now, in order to view the contents of such an archive, you will need to enter the previously created password each time.

In a similar way, an archive is created from a folder using 7-Zip. We also select the directory in the built-in file manager and click “Add”.

Enter the password and set the necessary archiving parameters.

After clicking the "OK" button, the folder will be converted to a password-protected 7z archive, and the original data will be deleted from the disk.

Third party programs

So, we looked at how to set a password for a folder in Windows 7/10 using system tools, as well as how to use archivers for this purpose. Now let's see how to password protect a folder on your computer using third-party programs.

Anvide Seal Folder

A simple free program for hiding folders on hard drives and removable media. The utility supports hiding folders both with and without a password, and has a built-in encryption function. Anvide Seal Folder is equipped with an intuitive user interface with support for the Russian language and is devoid of any complex settings.

To lock a folder, just drag it onto the program window, click the button in the form of a closed lock and enter the password. The lock is unlocked by pressing a button in the form of an open lock and then entering a password.

IObit Protected Folder

The IObit Protected Folder program can quickly set a password for a Windows 7/10 folder. Unlike Anvide Seal Folder, a password for protected objects is set when you first launch and configure the application. It's even easier to use.

To block access to a folder, simply drag it onto the application window and it will immediately disappear from Explorer. There is no need to enter a password to unlock a specific folder; it is entered once when starting the program itself. IObit Protected Folder additionally supports prohibiting reading, running and copying, creating an exclusion list for disks, directories and files.

Wise Folder Hider

If you are looking for how to password protect a folder, you can also try the Wise Folder Hider program. The operating principle is similar to Protected Folder. When you first start it, you will also need to set a password; in addition, it has the ability to set a second password for a specific folder.

The program supports encryption of files, directories and removable media, viewing objects in Explorer, as well as integration into its context menu. Wise Folder Hider has a simple, nice interface; the settings include Russian.

Hide Folders

Another program to protect folders from unauthorized viewing. The utility supports exporting a list of protected objects, setting a password to launch the program itself, flash drives and removable hard drives.

There are several options for protecting folders in Hide Folders - simple hiding, hiding and blocking, setting the read-only attribute, and so on. The program differs from the above-described applications in a wide range of settings.

WinMend Folder Hidden

Last on our list is the free program WinMend Folder Hidden. It also allows you to password protect a folder in Windows 7/10. The same password is set for all protected objects when the program is first launched, then the user simply adds folders or files to the list of blocked objects by clicking the “Hide folder” or “Hide file(s)” button. There are practically no settings in the program.

The program is simple and easy to use, but, like all similar applications, it is not able to provide one hundred percent protection of confidential data. By booting from any LiveCD, an experienced user can easily gain full access to the computer’s file system, including folders hidden by such programs.

Greetings to all blog readers. If you do most of your work on a computer where you are not the only one working, then in some cases it is better to protect personal information from unwanted viewing.

How to put a password on a folder or file is the topic of our article today. Unfortunately, Windows developers did not take care of such a simple function as the ability to set a password to access data. The maximum that they can offer you is to limit access to data to certain users. But since we are used to working at the computer through one user, this method will not give us anything. How to put a password on a folder?

2 Put a password on the folder 2nd method

Download the program Password Protect.

How to put a password on a folder using - Password Protect. Unpack the archive and run the program. This is a Portable version, so no installation is required.

Unpack one of archives 600kb. Go to the unpacked folder and run the program Password Protect The following window will open in front of us:

Click lock the folders. And select from the list the one for which you want to set a password.

Enter the same password twice and optionally leave a hint in case you forget the password.

All passwords are set. Now, when accessing a folder, you will need to enter a password. This way you can set passwords for any folders. Well, to hide files from prying eyes, place them in a folder with a password.

3 Folder password - 3rd method

We set a password using the popular archiver program WinRar. Since many data have an archiver installed, I will not provide a link to the program. If suddenly you don’t have this program, then just enter download in any search engine WinRar and download the program from the first link.

In this way, we put a password on the archive in which you can store files and other data together. Adding data to the archive