How to set a password to access a folder. How to password-protect a folder on a computer: learning the best and proven ways to hide important data

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 They didn’t take care of such a simple function as the ability to set a password to access data. The most they can offer you is to restrict access to data 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 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 extra 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

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

WinRar.
AnvideSealFolder.
FolderLock.

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

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

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

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

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

Length – at least seven characters.
Use of symbols of different categories in the key body (uppercase and lower case, number, non-letter characters).

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

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

Setting a password usingAnvideSealFolder

The software product has a freely distributed license.

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

Step 2. For more advanced protection, it is provided two-tier system access restrictions:

Restricting access to the program.
Restricting access to folders.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Important! Remember, a protected directory becomes undetectable at its location (discovery is impossible even using specialized programs And software shells). Don't forget to unlock the folder when reinstalling Windows, otherwise there is a risk of losing data. You can allow access by using the corresponding menu icon, or by pressing the key"F9".

Setting a password using FolderLock

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

Step 1. On first launch software package, a request is issued to add a master key and confirm its installation.

Important! If lost given password You will not be able to uninstall the program from your personal computer.

Step 2. FolderLock repeatedly requests the previously specified password, after which it gives access to the main one. software interface. Adding a folder to the list of locks occurs by dragging it into the program window, or by clicking the “AddItemstoLock” button.

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

Step 3. To select a directory, use the “AddFolder” option, specify its location in the wizard that opens and confirm the selection using the “OK” button.

Important! Just like using the AnvideSealFolder program, you can restrict access to several resources at the same time, but all of them will be closed with the same master key entered in step 1. To unlock a specific directory, you must use the menu "LockFolders", item "UnlockItems". As a result of using this button, the selected folder drops out of the blocked list and appears in its original directory. Similar to AnvideSealFolder, remove all restrictions during reinstallationWindows to avoid losing information from locked folders.

Video - How to set a password for a folder

Conclusion

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

Intelligence	WinRAR	Anvide Seal Folder	FolderLock
Requires a paid license	Yes	No	Yes
Russian language support	Optional	Optional	No
Installing keys on several directories at the same time	Separate archive for each directory	Yes	Yes
Ability to use different keys for each blocked directory	Yes	Yes	No
Display a locked folder in its original location	Yes	No	No
Blocking access to the program	No	Yes	Yes
Interface convenience (from 1 to 5)	4	5	5

Good day, dear readers! Today I’ll tell you how to put a password on a folder or file; I think this information will be useful to many. To set a password for a folder, you will need literally a couple of minutes and you will now see for yourself.

Do you have a document with confidential data? Maybe you have to keep personal information where everyone can read it? Have you ever encountered a situation where e-mail you need to send a document containing, for example, phone numbers of friends, bank account, passwords from mailboxes, sites, but is there a chance that they could be read by a stranger?

If the answer is yes, then you should probably know how to solve such a problem.

I will share the easiest and in a fast way data protection, I will explain how to set a password for the archive.

To implement our plans, we will need. Can be used . For example, let's take an ordinary text file, which contains personal information, we will put a password on it.

Winrar

Click on the file right click mouse and select “Add to archive...”.

In the “Archive name and parameters” window, go to the “Advanced” tab.

In the “Advanced” tab, click “Set Password”.

Fill in the required fields:

"Enter password".
“Enter your password again (to verify).”

Then click “OK”.

To create an archive, click “OK”.

Let's check if a password has actually been set for the file? Open the newly created archive and see:

The test was successful! Now your archive will be password protected, and only the owner of the password will be able to open it.

7 - Zip

With the 7-zip program everything is even easier. Right-click on the file and select “7-Zip” - “Add to archive...”

In the “Add to archive...” window, you need to pay attention to the fields called “Enter password” and “Repeat password”. After you have entered the password, click the “OK” button.

So, we looked at examples using archivers. This is one of the easiest ways to set a password. But what if you don't want to archive your files, but still need to hide them? And there are several solutions for this situation.

Let me first note that the methods for setting a password on a folder in Windows XP or Windows 7 are not at all different from the solution presented here for Windows 8. You will need the same actions and the names of the buttons will be the same. Now that you know all the details, we can start hiding important data!

Method without using programs

Those who say that it is impossible to do this without using programs are a little disingenuous or simply have not heard of this method. In addition, I classify this as an easy option, but provided that this code is available.

So, we have a "SECRET" folder. With a slight movement of your hand, right-click inside it and create a text document in it.

Copy the following into the document:

title Folder is locked

if EXIST "MyLock" goto M2

if NOT EXIST Secret goto M4

echo Do you want to block folder?(Y/N)

set/p "cho=>"

if %cho%==Y goto M1

if %cho%==y goto M1

if %cho%==n goto M2

if %cho%==N goto M2

echo Wrong choice.

ren Secret "MyLock"

attrib +h +s "MyLock"

echo Folder unlocked

echo Input password

set/p "PASSWORD=>"

if NOT %PASSWORD%== YOUR_PASSWORD goto M3

attrib -h -s "MyLock"

ren "MyLock" Secret

echo Folder unlocked

echo Wrong password

echo Secret folder is created

Click on the “File” tab and select “Save As” from the drop-down menu.

Now it is important to assign the file extension bat. It's very simple. To do this, just change its name so that it looks like FileName.bat

Don't forget to define the file type as "All files". This is a key part of “making” our folder secret. Although this can be done in another way, I don't want to lengthen the article due to explanations.

Now double click Left-click on the bat file to create a “Secret” folder, into which you can place the most secret information. Launch the bat file and in the window that appears, type Y. The folder is automatically hidden. To make it visible, run the bat file again and enter the password. In our case it is " PASSWORD=" In order to place your own password to a folder, you need to replace the word “PASSWORD” with your password, but do not forget to put the “=” sign after entering your password and only then press “Enter”.

So we figured out, using an example, how to put a password on a folder in Windows 8. It is worth noting that this is rather hiding a folder using a password, but if you do not want to resort to using programs, but set a password using the system’s built-in tools, then this this option will be your salvation. Next we will look at how to put a password on a folder using various programs.

Method using Folder Lock program

Today there are a lot of programs on the Internet for setting passwords on folders. Folder Lock is one of the simplest and freely distributed. In order to download it, you can go to the website. Click on the link or copy to address bar browser. While you wait for the 9 MB to download, you can start viewing the instructions.

So when we run the program, click "Next" then read or don't read license agreement, click “Agree”, and then “Install” and finally “Finish”. As a result, this program will start.

Everything in it is in English, but don’t worry, even if you don’t know English, you can easily understand how to put a password on a folder in Windows 7 or any other system.

In the field that appears, enter the password and click “OK.” We repeat the password and click on “OK” again. A white field appears, into which we simply “drag” the folder with secret data.

The folder is now locked. To unlock it, you need to run the program again, enter the password and click on the “Unlock” button in the newly opened window. The folder will be unlocked and appear on same place. If for some reason this method is not suitable for you, then I’ll tell you another option, how to put a password on a folder.

Method using Password Protect program

Another one convenient program to save your personal data - Password Protect. It can be downloaded from SoftMail using this link: .

She's quite lightweight. Downloaded and launched. Select “Next” twice. So we have agreed to the terms of use and can continue with the installation. Click “Next” twice more and “Finish” once. Suitable for our purpose trial version program, so select it by clicking “Run Trial Version”.

If you try to open the “SECRET” folder, the program will not allow you to do this and will require you to enter an access password.

Now you know absolutely exactly how to set a password for a folder. I hope this knowledge will be useful to you and will allow you to save all your confidential files and folders.

Here's another program:

Hello, dear readers of the blog site. For some reason, there are no built-in tools in Windows that would allow you to block access to a folder for those who do not know the password to access it.

At the same time, any user of this operating system this is exactly what comes to mind the simplest way save some of your data in confidential form - just put a password on the folder where the “hidden” documents (files or other directories) will be stored.

Well, really, what could be more logical than to password-protect access to a certain directory and put there everything that you would like to protect from prying eyes (spouse, children, hackers, competent authorities, etc.). There may be many goals, but the solution seems obvious - make a kind of safe out of any folder, the code for which only you will know (and how to come up with it, read the article).

How to set a password for a folder after archiving it

However simple options solutions to this problem (built into Windows means) still no. More precisely, there are a number of methods that do not guarantee any confidentiality, but only provide “fool protection”. It doesn't make much sense to rely on them. In this same publication I want to focus on a way to make a safe of the highest security category from any catalog, but for this you will have to install an additional program in the OS.

It was originally built on open source and a priori () did not contain bookmarks that would allow developers to access your password-protected data. Unfortunately, the developers have now sold themselves to BitLocker, whose products already come with closed code, which means your password folders, if desired, can be opened using backdoors. However, TrueCrypt can still be found and used for your purposes.

But first, I’ll give you something easier to use, but less reliable way(competent authorities and specialists will be able to hack the directory, but your relatives and friends will not). It lies in the fact that the necessary the folder can be archived with a password, so that a person who does not know it would no longer be able to carry out the unzipping process.

You are all probably very familiar with archivers. Among them there are both paid and free versions. But in addition to its main functionality - creating archives to save disk space and speed up data transfer over the Internet, modern archivers allow you to encrypt archived data and protect it with passwords. It is this opportunity that we will take advantage of.

Let's try to archive a folder and put a password on it, first using the example of a free archiver (7-Zip), and then using the example of a paid one (WinRAR), which, however, is installed on almost all computers. I think that you have at least one of them, and if not, you can always install them by going to the official websites of the developers of these programs ().

How to archive and password protect a directory in 7-Zip

So, if you have it installed in Windows archiver 7-Zip, then in order to archive any folder (or a set of files and directories) in it, it will be enough to right-click on it and select “7-Zip” - “Add to archive” from the drop-down context menu:

As a result, you will see the archiving settings window, where, among other settings, you can set a password to access this archive, or rather, encrypt the entire contents of the folder (while archiving it), and this code will be the key to decryption.

A feature of “archiving with a password” of directories via 7-Zip is that you can enter the created archive (folder) without entering a password, and when you try to open any file you will be required to enter it:

If you want to password-protect access not only to the files in this directory, but also prohibit viewing the contents of this folder without entering a password, then simply check the “Encrypt file names” box in the archiving settings window (second screenshot from here). After this, when you try to view the contents of the archive, a prompt to enter a password will pop up.

How to set a password when archiving a folder in WinRAR

You can also use the capabilities of the second of the archivers mentioned above to simultaneously archive and password protect a folder - WinRAR. As I already mentioned, it’s paid, but for some reason in RuNet they don’t really take it into account.

If WinRAR is in your Windows already installed, then simply right-click on the directory for which you want to set a password and select “Add to archive” from the context menu:

In the window that opens, go to the “Advanced” tab and click on the “Set password” button:

Here you will be asked to create and enter a password, which will become the key to your archived folder, and you can also check the “Encrypt file names” box so that no one can view the contents of the archive without entering the password (we already talked about this a little higher):

After that, click OK twice and try to enter the created archive using the password you created. If everything worked out, then you can delete the original folder, the contents of which you want to hide from prying eyes. And as needed, you will simply log into this archived and password-protected folder. It's a little stressful to have to enter your password all the time, but security requires sacrifice. IMHO ()

How to put a strong password on a folder using TrueCrypt

As I mentioned just above, there is various programs, which make it possible to implement such an obvious Windows users The idea is to block access to the folder using a password. There are quite a lot of such programs (for example, Folder Lock, DirLock, Anvid Lock Folder, File lock, Lim LockFolder, etc.), but a user who understands computers will most likely be able to bypass them. Therefore, if you want to hide something from your household or work colleagues on your computer, then they will suit you just fine.

But often something more radical is required, when hacking a password-protected folder will require monstrous efforts And computing power, which will naturally deter most potential burglars. This type of tool includes the TrueCrypt program, which allows you to set a password not only for a directory, but even for the entire computer (to completely encrypt system partition, if you need it).

I have already written in some detail about working with her:

Unfortunately, today the developers no longer release new versions of the program, because they switched to working in BitLocker (Microsoft), but you can download TrueCrypt one of the latest versions via this link. In any case, it works great for me.

Let me explain a little what “put a password on a folder” means in TrueCrypt, because this is somewhat different from the options discussed above. In this program, you create a container from any file that is on your computer and has just been created.

It will be very difficult to discover that it is a container for something, and besides, inside this container (actually a folder with files and other directories) you can create a hidden container, which certainly no one will guess about. Hackers very actively use this program to hide, for example, their correspondence, because it is difficult to even find corrupted (encrypted) information, not to mention hacking it.

So, this very container is encrypted and decrypted on the fly (you won’t even notice it) and you can work with it like a regular directory (even more like a portable hard drive or a flash drive, because this password-protected folder is connected in Windows exactly as new virtual disk).

That. you can copy something there, delete it, move it standard means operating system (via Explorer or, for example, Total Commander).

At the end of the work, you simply unmount the virtual disk, and no one will be able to access your data (who does not know the password). Wonderful thing.

For all the details of working with TrueCrypt for setting passwords on a flash drive, folder, or even the entire computer, see the links given just above. And remember that absolute protection does not exist (you can provide the password yourself under pressure), but among all other methods of data protection, this program is one of the most optimal options. IMHO.

Good luck to you! See you soon on the pages of the blog site

You can watch more videos by going to

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How to put a password on a computer folder using operating system tools

Unfortunately, standard systems to set a password in Windows family No. Therefore you will have to use external programs for this. But there is one trick that will allow you not to set a password, but to hide the folder as if it does not exist. Even switching to viewing mode hidden files will not help. And only the owner will know where it lies. This method works best on directories that are located on the desktop. First we need any folder.

Right-click on it, select “Properties” and look for the “Settings” tab.

Here we are interested in the “Change Icon” button. After clicking on it, a window will open with several standard display options. You need to scroll the slider a little to the right to an empty space and select it. After applying the parameters, you need to click OK, then again.

As a result, the folder will remain without any icon.

However, there remains a name that gives it away. Unfortunately, Windows will not allow you to save a directory without a name or with a simple space. But we can always insert non-breaking space. This can be done using the Alt code, that is, a set of characters that become available when you press the Alt key + a combination of numbers. Click on our folder, select rename and, instead of the old name, enter 0160 while pressing Alt key. That's all, the folder is not visible, but it exists. The only drawback of this method is that it can be “groped” on the desktop of some Windows versions, for example, 7, by moving the mouse over the desktop or highlighting the area with our folder.

Naturally, the method is the simplest, and a person well versed in computers will be able to find a hidden directory if necessary, but if there is no other possibility, then it can be used as an option. By the way, a table of Alt codes can be found on Wikipedia, which can sometimes help out when working with text.

How to password protect an Excel or Word file

Office Word packages and Excel are equipped own systems protect files with a password. But there are a lot of versions of the programs themselves, so let’s go through them in order. Word versions, up to 2003 inclusive, can be protected through the “Service” menu, in which you need to find “Options”, go into them and go to the “Security” tab.

In the “Encryption settings for of this document", in the "Password to open the file" field, you just need to enter the password and click OK. Naturally, you should then save the entire document.

How to put a password on a Word file? Here the scheme has changed a little. The menu is represented by the Office logo, which you need to click on. The “Prepare” item will give us another menu in which we need to find “Encrypt document”. The system will ask you to enter a password to save by clicking OK.

Setting a password for a Word 2007 file

Before you password-protect a Word 2010 file, you need to go to “File”, “Information”, then “Protect Document” and encrypt it with a password. By the way, in newer versions, for example, 2013, this process is performed similarly.

Now a little about Excel. It is also presented in several versions that were released in different time. Since the office usually works in batches, in Excel all actions are performed similarly to Word. That is, in Excel 2003 you can protect a file with a password like this.

In version 2007, just like in Word, you can password protect a file through the Office logo.

Well, in versions higher than 2010, protection is installed almost identically.

By the way, in other programs of the package Microsoft Office you can set a password also.

How to make a password for a folder on a computer using archivers

Any archiver contains a mechanism for encrypting archives with protection. This can be used to hide important data. However, this is a rather inconvenient method, since you will have to unpack the archive every time you need access. But it may be suitable in cases where you need to save data to long time, for example, when leaving on a business trip or vacation. Before you password protect a folder on your desktop or directly on your hard drive, you need to have one of the archivers installed on the system.

How to password protect a folder on a PC using WinRar

Hide directory in archive with using WinRar as easy as pie. Before you put a password on a folder in Windows 7, you must first install this archiver. We find the folder that we want to hide, right-click on it and context menu select “Add to archive” or “Add to archive” for the English version.

A window will open containing various settings future archive. We are interested in the “Set Password” or “Set Password” button. She, in turn, will display another window that will ask you to enter a password. After filling out the fields, you can click OK. And then again, after which current directory An archive with a password will appear, inside which our protected folder will be located.

Screenshot of setting a password in WinRar

Default WinRar archiver does not delete the original folder, so you will have to delete it manually.

How to encrypt a folder on your computer using 7-zip

7-zip is free archiver who knows how to work with big amount archives. It can also be used to create a password-protected folder on your computer. The actions are almost the same as those in WinRar. You need to right-click on the selected folder, select 7-zip and then “Add to archive”.

A settings window will open. Among them there is an “Encryption” block, in which you need to specify a password for protection and save all changes. After which it will be possible to detect new archive with default extension type 7z.

Screenshot of the archive settings window

Naturally, after a folder is password-protected, for example, on a computer with Windows 7 and 7-zip, then in order to read it on another computer and be able to enter the password, you will also need installed archiver, and not necessarily 7-zip.

How to set a password for a folder with programs and a high level of protection

The best way to protect your data is to use third party programs, which can set a password for a directory, regardless of the type of operating system. In addition, they also encrypt the data inside it so that it cannot be read even from other systems. Main popular programs there are several.

Password Protect USB

The program is shareware, and its full version costs about $40. After installation, a new item “Lock with Password Protect USB” will appear in the context menu when you right-click. After clicking on it, a window will open in which you just need to enter a password and click OK. After this, when you try to enter the directory, you will be asked for an access password.

The program can block data on internal and external media.

Folder Lock

This program can encrypt folders on external and internal drives, protect them with a password and manage them. You can set passwords directly from the program interface. You can also protect entire sections directly from here. removable media and even CDs.

Hide Folders

The application, in addition to protecting folders with a password, can completely hide them from prying eyes.

The program constantly runs unnoticed in background. Therefore it provides reliable protection from viruses or unauthorized access. All settings and password settings are made directly from the program.

How to password protect a folder on a flash drive

Universal and standard solutions For Windows environment Hardly ever. All methods, one way or another, imply the presence on other computers installed programs, which were used to encrypt and set the password. Most in a convenient way can be considered the Lockngo program. It is paid, and for standard version you will have to shell out about 300 rubles. But it can be executed, regardless of the platform and the presence of the required application in the system.