Windows 7/10: Protect folder with password - how it works
Related Videos: Password protect/encrypt Files/Folder in Windows (April 2024).
If you share your PC with other people, it is safer to password-protect certain data. In this guide we show you how to secure entire folders in Windows 7 and Windows 10 with a password.
Windows 7 and Windows 10: Protect folders with a password
In the following instructions we use the WinRAR tool. This works for Windows 7 as well as Windows 8 and Windows 10.
- Download and install the free WinRAR program.
- Open the program and navigate here to the desired folder.
- Right click on the appropriate folder and select the Add files to archive ... option.
- Click the Set password ... button here and enter a password that is as secure as possible. In the video below you will learn how to easily create a secure password.
- Confirm the process with OK and also close the second window with OK .
- The archive is now packed and can only be opened and extracted with the password.
Encrypt folders with 7-Zip
Alternatively, other archiving programs can be used to encrypt folders in Windows. This is free with 7-Zip :
- Download and install 7-Zip.
- Open the program, then navigate to the folder you want to encrypt.
- Right-click on the folder. First select 7-Zip and then Add to archive
out.
- Set a password in the Encryption section. Then click OK to create an encrypted and password-protected archive.
Tip: hard drives and USB sticks with integrated password protection
Even if you can now easily assign a password to individual folders under Windows 7 and 10, this procedure is not really efficient. USB sticks and hard drives with integrated encryption are much more convenient and secure here:
- The best and cheapest USB sticks with this security function can be found in our always current best list.
- An encryption tool is also often on board for external hard drives. Our test ranking shows which models this is the case.
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Also read how to crack RAR passwords or bypass password protection in WinRAR. If you need individual help for Windows operating systems, please contact the experts in the CHIP forum.