How to put a password on a folder, file or flash drive. We password protect everything! How to protect your data from prying eyes How to close a folder on your computer

Question from a user

Hello.

Tell me how to password protect the folder in which I have my documents. The folder is on a flash drive, and you have to carry it with you and connect it to different PCs and laptops. I wouldn’t want anyone to see them or copy them to themselves.

A small addition: the password must be placed on the folder, and not on the flash drive itself. Those. to view a specific folder, enter a password, and everything else is free and open for viewing. Thank you in advance!

Good day!

The task is quite doable, below I will give several options for how to put a password on your files (and based on the pros/cons of each method, you can choose the best option for yourself).

One moment!

Some users (especially beginners) set passwords for everything: movies, music, games, etc. As a rule, all these media files that you simply downloaded from the Internet are of little interest to anyone (except you), and it hardly makes sense to protect them (unless you want someone to know that you are interested in them) .

At the same time, we have to observe how lazily they treat passwords, personal data, scans of passports, tax identification numbers, etc. First of all, it is these documents that need to be protected!

To a file (document, notepad)

The easiest, fastest and most effective way to put a password on your folders and files is to send them to a password-protected (and encrypted) archive. When you need to gain access to files and folders inside the archive, you need to enter a password for access and use them safely.

On the plus side: you can protect any files in this way: Word/Excel documents, pictures, text files (notepads), scans, etc. Also, archivers are available on any PC/laptop, which means you can open files on any computer!

There are, however, disadvantages: if you forget the password, it is very difficult to open such an archive (in some cases impossible); It is not convenient to work with large files (for example, a video folder).

Below I will look at how to create such an encrypted archive in the popular archivers 7-Zip and WinRAR.

7-Zip

A very popular archiver that allows you to compress files stronger than its competitors: WinRAR, WinZIP, etc. The archiver is free, convenient and designed in a minimalist style (there is nothing superfluous). In general, it rightfully occupies a leading position...

After installing it, you will see a menu of the same name in Explorer: 7-Zip. Now, to create an archive, you just need to right-click on the desired file or folder and select from the menu that appears "Add to archive..." (see screenshot below).

1. (1) - must be specified name of your archive and the place where it will be stored. In general, the archive name can be anything, and it can later be renamed, just like a regular file;
2. (2) - archive format. The best compression is provided by the 7-Zip format, which is what I recommend choosing;
3. (3) - SFX archive - self-extracting archive. That is, if you check the box next to this item, an EXE file will be created (like a regular program), by running which you can extract files without using an archiver (a convenient thing for extracting files on any computer, even those , where there are no archivers at all);
4. (4) entering a password - the password can be anything, here the archiver does not set any restrictions. However, remember that passwords like “12345”, “God”, “Love”, etc., associated with your name and date of birth, are very easy to hack! Install something more reliable (recommended 6-10 characters, with upper and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters);
5. (5) choosing an encryption method- I recommend leaving the default AES-256, and additionally checking the “Encrypt file names” checkbox. Thanks to this, your files in the archive not only cannot be opened, but you can’t even see what file names are hidden in the archive!
6. (6) - start archiving.

Creating an archive // ​​7-Zip

After the archive is created, you can try to open it. For this action, any archiver (even not 7-Zip) will definitely ask you to enter a password for decryption. If you don’t know it or have forgotten it, then your files will remain inaccessible!

WinRAR

One of the most famous archivers, providing a good compression ratio. Allows you to open and extract files from all the most popular archive formats: ZIP, RAR, ACE, TAR, GZIP, etc.

To create an archive in WinRAR, just right-click on a file/folder and select "WinRAR/Add to Archive" (note: add to archive).

1. (1) - set a name for the archive (Archive name), can be anything;
2. (2) - select archive format (RAR recommended);
3. (3) - select option "Set Password"(password setting) to encrypt the archive.

Then specify the password itself (line "Enter password", i.e. enter a password) and it is highly advisable to check the box "Encrypt file names"(i.e. encrypt file names).

After this you can start archiving. In general, the password-protected archive is ready - you can use it...

Password protection of Word/Excel documents, etc.

Documents created in Microsoft Office can be encrypted using standard means, without additional programs. It is very convenient when you often need to work with an encrypted document. By the way, you can also put pictures in such a document...

To set a password: open the menu FILE/INFORMATION . Then click on the function "Document Protection" and select what you want: encrypt using password (by the way, in addition to this, the document can, for example, be prohibited for editing, restrict access, etc.) .

Please note that the entered password (if you forget or lose it) is almost impossible to recover! By the way, the office itself is warned about this when it is assigned.

After the document is protected by entering the section "INTELLIGENCE", you will see a key and lock icon appear and a note that a password will be required to open the file. Actually, that’s it, the document is protected!

To folder/directory

It is not always convenient to set a password for a specific file. For example, you have a catalog with pictures, personal photos that you often work with (editing old ones, uploading new ones, etc.), and which you wouldn’t want anyone to see without your permission. In this case, creating an archive every time is not convenient, and you have to resort to other tools. About them below...

♦
Protected Folder

A very convenient utility for protecting and hiding your files and folders from outsiders. To protect a folder with a password, you just need to move it to a window (to the “safe”) - and everything in it will be reliably protected by your password.

Advantages:

1. allows you to protect personal and important information from theft by programs;
2. there are several levels of protection;
3. very convenient to use: just drag and drop the folder - and it is protected!
4. entirely in Russian;
5. Compatible with Windows 7/8/8.1/10 (32/64 bits).

A very simple and at the same time reliable program for protecting encryption and password protection of any folders: be they on a hard drive, flash drive or any other removable media. Each folder, by the way, can be protected with its own separate password. The program is fully translated into Russian and is supported by all popular versions of Windows.

Advantages:

1. there is no need to keep it running all the time;
2. does not install any special drivers to the system;
3. simple, intuitive interface - even a complete novice PC user can understand it;
4. there are hot keys;
5. the program is compact and does not take up much disk space;
6. free for home use.

I’ll show you with an example how you can easily encrypt and close your folder from prying eyes. Install and run the program. Then add a folder (you can use the Ins key).

Now, even if you close or delete the program, your folder will remain inaccessible (an attempt to enter it (if you remember its name and address) will end in an error, as in the screenshot below).

By the way, the folder is not visible even if you boot into safe mode. In general, it is hidden reliably!

To decrypt a folder and the files in it, you need to run the utility again, click on the open padlock icon and enter the password.

To a flash drive

Method No. 1

The easiest way to put a password on an entire flash drive (or disk) is to use a feature that already exists in Windows - BitLocker. Allows you to reliably and quickly protect information on a flash drive

Note! BitLocker encryption is not available in all versions of Windows. If you have Windows 7 Ultimate or Enterprise, Windows 8/8.1/10 - most likely you should have it.

To protect a flash drive in this way, connect it to a USB port, open "My computer" (or “This PC”) and right-click on it, select from the menu that appears. Next, follow the wizard's instructions to set a password.

When the password is set, try removing the flash drive from the USB port and then plugging it in again - you will see that access to it is blocked (and its icon has become a closed padlock). Until you enter the unlock password, the information on the media is securely protected!

Unlocking a disk/flash drive

Method No. 2

A very simple and convenient utility for protecting flash drives (works in all versions of Windows). All you need to install protection on a flash drive is to download the utility and copy it to a USB drive (see screenshot below).

Action No. 1 - copied the program file to the USB flash drive

Then you can set a password.

Action No. 2 - launched the utility from the flash drive, formatted it and entered the password

ALL! Now, when you connect a flash drive, it will appear empty (only the USB Safeguard program file will be visible in it).

To see the files on it, you will need to run this file and enter the correct password. If you do this, a disk will appear Z, equal in volume to your flash drive - this is what you need to work with (and it is on this that all your files added for encryption will be located)...

In general, everything is simple, convenient and easy to use!

An analogue of a similar utility: Rohos Mini Drive.

ADDITION

You can also create a virtual encrypted disk (something like an image) to connect and view which you need to enter the correct password. This technology makes your files as secure as possible from outsiders. In addition, absolutely any type of file can be stored on such a disk.

Examples of programs: TrueCrypt, CyberSafe, Rohos Disk, etc.

PS: don't forget your passwords! Otherwise, make the files so secure that you won’t even be able to look at them yourself...

Operating system manufacturers are seriously concerned about the security of user data, and Microsoft is one of them. Many large corporations use Windows, which is becoming more reliable with new versions. Despite this, it does not provide the function of setting a password for a separate folder or file. Microsoft explains the absence of such an opportunity by the presence of an option to activate a password for an individual computer user, but this is not always convenient.

A common situation is when an employee in the office leaves the computer for a couple of minutes to make coffee or talk on the phone. At this point, his personal files are not protected unless he logs out of his profile. Anyone can not only view files on a computer, but also download them, which is fraught with problems. However, there are several methods that allow you to put a password on a folder in Windows of any version, using or not using third-party programs.

We recommend reading:

How to put a password on a folder in Windows without programs?

The method that will be described below does not provide complete protection of the data in the folder from the actions of intruders.

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

This code is a script that will allow you to put a password on a folder in Windows without programs.

Statistics show that many people are careless about their passwords, choosing their date of birth or their name as the secret code. OkeyGeek site advises you to be more careful when choosing a password, in particular, adding letters of different case, punctuation marks and numbers to it, which allows you to confuse programs for automatic password selection.

Attention: This file will remain visible to users, and through it they will need to access the personal folder on which the password is set. We recommend choosing a name for the file that would “repel” intruders. For example, the file can be named " Win.bat" or " splwow64.bat».

As we said above, this method is not ideal, and a password set in this way will not save you from experienced computer users who want to gain access to your folder.

How to find out the password set on a Windows folder?

If you know which file is responsible for hiding/opening a private folder on the computer, then it’s quite easy to find out the password that triggers the script. You don't need any specialized tools or programs for this.

The password can be obtained as follows:

It seems like you only need to do 2 steps to open a folder with a password, and that's true. But for an ordinary user, a child or a person who understands practically nothing about the principles of computer operation, it will be difficult to figure out how to open a folder hidden under a password.

Windows has no built-in functionality for this task. But you can use free programs from third-party developers. Let's take the 7-Zip archiver and the Anvide Seal Folder utility as an example.

Using 7-Zip

7-Zip archives the folder, encrypts its contents and blocks access to it with a password. Surely you are already using this program. If not, then download 7-Zip from the official website. If you prefer another archiver, then most likely you can use it to put a password on the folder in the same way.

After installing the archiver, right-click on the desired folder and select 7-Zip → “Add to archive”.

In the window that appears, under the “Encryption” item, enter the password and repeat the combination. Check the box “Encrypt file names” and click OK.

After this, the program will create a copy of the folder in the form of an encrypted archive, the contents of which can be viewed only after entering the password. Delete the original folder that remains unprotected.

In exactly the same way, 7-Zip allows you to password protect any selected file.

Using Anvide Seal Folder

If you don't want to mess with the archive, you can set a password directly on the folder itself using the Anvide Seal Folder program. This utility encrypts the contents of selected folders and hides them from prying eyes. Containers protected in this way can only be opened through the Anvide Seal Folder interface after entering the password.

The program is very easy to use. By clicking on the plus, you can select the path to the desired folder or to several containers one by one. After this, a list of added folders will appear in the Anvide Seal Folder main menu. To put a password on one or more of them, just select them, click on the lock and follow the prompts of the utility. You can also set a password to log into Anvide Seal Folder.

On macOS you can do without third-party programs. The system allows you to create a so-called folder image, which is an encrypted copy of it. All files that are saved within this image are password protected.

To create such an image, open Disk Utility (Programs → Utilities → Disk Utility).

Click “File” → “New Image” → “Image from Folder” and specify the path to the folder you want to protect.

Enter a name for the image and indicate the location on your computer where you will store it, as well as the password to access its contents. For encryption, select 128 or 256 bits, and for Image Format, select read/write. Then save the changes.

Open the created image, enter the password and make sure that all files are in place.

Delete the original folder. Now you can use it in a protected way instead.

Often users find themselves in a situation where they need to hide the contents of a folder or file from prying eyes, so the question arises of how to put a password on a folder.

Unfortunately, the developers of the Windows operating system did not provide for such a function as setting a password for individual user files and directories.

The OS can only be configured to prohibit certain users from using or viewing a specific type of directory, file or program.

Setting a password for a folder is necessary if:

Set a password for the archive

Using this method, you can password-protect a folder with any type of file, while it is possible to hide the very fact that the archive contains files of a certain format.

The window for entering the code will pop up even before the archive opens, so it is impossible to find out about its contents if the user does not know the combination.

A password for an archive without programs is the easiest way to protect folders.

Advice! The function of setting a password for an archive does not require preliminary installation of additional software; you only need to have pre-installed free programs WinRAR or 7-ZIP.

To add the desired folder to the archive and password protect it, follow the instructions below:

• Right-click on the folder you are interested in and add it to the archive, as shown in the figure;

Set password

• Immediately after you select an action "add to archive", a window will appear with various settings for the parameters of the created archive. Find the button to set a password, it is shown in the figure;

• Click on the button that allows you to set a password.

After this action, a small input window will immediately appear. The new code must be entered twice (to ensure correct entry).

You can also check the box next to the option to encrypt file names.

Thus, third-party users will not be able to find out anything about the type of files being hidden.

After trying to open the archive, we see that you first need to enter the code and only then can you view and edit its contents.

This method of installing the code is the simplest and most effective. However, to implement it you will need to have one of the archivers on your computer.

Also, if the code is forgotten or lost, restoring the contents of the archive will become quite a difficult task for the user. This is why you should store a backup copy of the protected files, for example, on cloud storage.

Using the above method, you can also password-protect an archive on a flash drive.

Helpful information:

To create a password on your smartphone, you can use the utility. It is designed to block applications on Android using a password. With its help, only you will be able to access messenger, social networks, camera and gallery or any other applications.

Using PasswordProtect USB

On the Internet you can find a huge amount of third-party software that can cope with the task of installing code on the system object you need.

A large proportion of such programs, unfortunately, can harm your files rather than protect them from unauthorized access by other users.

This article presents the most popular and common types of software that have been tested by a large number of users.

Therefore, these programs will not harm your computer and files that need to be password protected or hidden.

PasswordProtect USB allows you to password protect folders and remove the previously installed encryption.

The application has an intuitive user interface, so working with this utility will not be a difficult task for the user.

You can start the code installation process not only using the main program window, but also using the computer desktop.

Once you have installed this software on your operating system, the installation option will be displayed in the menu of each folder.

You just need to right-click on it, as shown in the figure:

• The next step is to enter the code in the window that opens. Enter it twice to eliminate the possibility of error.

• After installing the code, a sign will be displayed on the folder icon, indicating that the folder is protected. When you try to open a password-protected folder, the following dialog box will appear. This is the most common way to put a code on photo folders.

Helpful information:

Pay attention to the program. It is designed to quickly recover a lost password to a data archive saved in ZIP/WinZIP, ARJ/WinARJ, RAR/WinRAR and ACE/WinACE formats.

Folder Lock Software

This program can protect a folder on a laptop or PC. Supported operating systems: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10.

The utility encrypts the folder itself, without the archive.

You can put the code on a folder with absolutely any content: files, photos and documents.

To install it on a folder using this program, follow the instructions:

• After the folder has been added, it instantly becomes locked and can only be opened by a person who knows the password.

Set a password for a network folder

You can also password-protect a network folder.

The main property of a network folder is that it is viewable by all network users, so sometimes there are cases when the contents can be hidden.

However, is it possible to hide these types of content folders for all users?

It is possible, but there is a risk that users on the same network can easily hack the password.

Password protect a text file

You can password protect a text file separately from the folder. In this way, you can increase its crypto-resistance (resistance to hacking).

In order to increase the level of protection, you should also change the encoding of the text file and then, in the event of hacking, the attacker will not be able to read the contents without using a number of additional programs that select the correct encoding.

To set a password for a notepad file, follow these steps:

• Save the document in bat format;

Now, when you try to open a notepad document on a computer, you will be prompted to enter a password; only after entering the correct password will the user be able to view and edit the contents of the file.

A computer that is accessed by multiple people may need to protect the data stored on its hard drive. An office machine with personal work or a home PC with secret information stored on its hard drive is not important.

There are two ways to solve the problem - either set a password for the entire computer at once, or protect a separate folder. Then neither curious household members nor equally inquisitive colleagues will be able to view the contents of the “secret” folder without permission. To learn how to set a password for a folder, read further in the text of our article.

Option 1. Protection using Windows

For PCs running Windows OS versions XP and older, there is an extremely simple method for setting a password for a folder on the computer. It does not require additional downloading of applications or installation of programs.

To implement it, several conditions must be met:

1. The folder (file) must be stored in a partition with the NTFS file system. To display the file system, you need to go to START - My Computer - Desired Disk (in the screenshot it is drive C).

2. The user must create a separate account with a password in advance.

In order to put a folder under a password, you need to hover the cursor over the desired folder (the “Password” folder in the example) and right-click on the icon. In the window that appears, in “Properties”, check the “Cancel sharing of folder” checkbox. After clicking “Apply” and confirming the password, the folder is closed to outsiders.

This was the first of many methods - the easiest and fastest way to protect a folder with valuable information.

Option 2: Using third-party utilities

Third-party programs for setting passwords on folders are a great way to protect your data. Among the numerous programs it is worth noting such as:

• Anvide Lock Folder– a serial compact program, to use which there is no need to install the application on your computer. The program file can be stored on removable media (flash memory, external drive);
• Password Protect USB– performs the same functions. Designed to maintain the confidentiality of data in folders stored both on the hard drive and on USB drives;
• File lock– the utility is convenient to use. Allows you to protect folders with a password and saves the passwords used for each folder. Using the program, you can completely delete files or folders (you cannot restore deleted data - the utility clears the area on the disk previously occupied by the folder).

The principle of operation of such useful utilities can be considered using the example of one of the most popular programs - Password Protect USB. You can download it both in a trial version and in “full volume” on some software portals.

The first use of the utility requires running it:

• in the window you need to select Lock Folders;
• specify the path to the desired folder;
• Set password.

After making sure that the program works correctly, without errors, you can proceed more succinctly:

• right-click on the icon of the desired folder;
• select “Lock with Password Protect...” in the dialog box;

• Enter the password twice in the appropriate lines to set the password and confirm it;
• You can use a password hint by checking the “Password Hint” checkbox.

The appearance of the folder will now change - the “brick” on the icon will indicate the set password. Unauthorized attempts to open a folder protected in this way will be met with a prompt to enter a secret code:

To unlock, just right-click on the folder and select the desired line in the window. After entering the password, the folder will again be open to all PC users.

Option 3. Using archivers

Strictly speaking, now we’re not really talking about setting a password for a folder. This method does not password protect the folder itself, but its archived version.. At the same time, this option is distinguished by a certain elegance - after all, archivers are usually used only for their intended purpose. So creating a password-protected version of a folder can be seen as an interesting way to protect data.

First of all, you will need the archiver program itself. By downloading and installing the WinRAR program on a PC, the user is able to securely hide important data behind a password. In addition, the document archive takes up much less usable space on your hard drive or flash drive.

How to use the utility to protect folders? Right-clicking on the folder icon will open a window in which you need to select the “Add to archive” line.

In the archiver window that opens, select “Set password”:

All that remains is to set the required password and remember it - recovering passwords for archives is quite complicated.

Now you need to delete the original folder. The saved archive will be reliably protected - each time you try to extract information, you will be asked to enter a password.