Windows 7/10: Protect folder with password - how it works

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.

1. Download and install the free WinRAR program.
2. Open the program and navigate here to the desired folder.
3. Right click on the appropriate folder and select the Add files to archive ... option.
4. 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.
5. Confirm the process with OK and also close the second window with OK .
6. 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 :

1. Download and install 7-Zip.
2. Open the program, then navigate to the folder you want to encrypt.
3. Right-click on the folder. First select 7-Zip and then Add to archive

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4. 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.