Password a folder on a computer without programs. How to put a password on a folder using special programs or archivers. More solutions to protect your files and folders on Windows

Unfortunately, Windows did not provide the ability to password protect a folder. In many cases, a password folder would help keep important data from being viewed by strangers without too much trouble. I will discuss how to implement this on a laptop or computer in this article. The instruction is suitable for systems with Windows 7, 8 and 10

We will talk about free programs and their paid counterparts, as well as some other methods ( no third party utilities) with which you can protect folders and valuable data in them with a password.

Free utilities and programs to set a password for a folder

There are few such programs, but there are those that can easily help to put a password on a folder. I will conduct a mini review on the most worthy ones, and you yourself will choose which one is more suitable for you. They must be compatible with popular versions of Windows. All links will be listed immediately in the article.

It is important to know that it is unnecessary to install more than 1 program for such purposes. They can conflict with each other.

Anvide Seal Folder

Probably the most popular free program that allows you to create a folder with a password. There is support for the Russian language. Download the archive and run it. Add 1 or more folders to the list that you want to close with a password. Just drag them to the working window. Close access from the menu ( or press F5). Do this for all required files.

The settings allow not only to encrypt the folder with a password, but also the data stored in it ( name, file size). All unsuccessful authorization attempts are remembered and shown if entered correctly.

You can easily check the rest of the possibilities yourself. The author of the program always helps if there are any problems.

WinMend Folder Hidden

A program with a very attractive interface that allows you to access folders by password. There is Russian localization ( after installation and launch). Download and use for free.

Just a few control buttons. Apart from the color scheme and language, there are no settings. Drag the folder into the window and it will automatically become hidden. It can be accessed only from the program.

The disadvantages include the lack of encryption without hiding folders.

SecretFolder

An equally simple program in English, but has a very friendly interface that even an inexperienced user can understand. Download it and install it. Enter the password on 1st startup. It will be required to enter the program where the protected folders will be located.

This password is also required when deleting ( for reliability, you can use recovery via Email address).

Once in the working window, you just need to drag the folder into it with the mouse or select it in the directory via the menu ( Add). Pay attention to the status. Lock - protected. Unlock - no protection. To access the files again, you will need to go into the program, and from here unlock the directory. Below in the window is an instruction that most likely will not be useful.

With such simple actions, you can reliably block access to unauthorized persons to the folder with valuable files.

DirLock

The simplest to use program by installing which you can protect the folder immediately from the context menu of Windows Explorer ( a new line Lock / UnLock will appear). There is nothing superfluous in it. it and lock the folder by entering the password 2 times. This must be done every time after viewing protected files.

All protected folders are displayed in the main program window. They can also be unlocked from here.

Convenient and safe solution.

Paid programs for folder protection

If the free options don't work, you can use the paid ones. Of course, they are made of better quality and have more functionality, but you have to pay for this. I will consider the best programs in my opinion, and you yourself decide which one is best for you.

Folder Guard

This program has a free trial period of 30 days. There is a Russian language. Immediately after installation, you will be asked to enter a password to enter the program. To set a password for a folder, just drag it into the window. Each setup step is described in detail and no difficulties should arise. Download it and install it.

You can simply hide the folder, both normal and network, or you can set a password. It is possible to restrict access to different users. There is an emergency recovery function in case the password has been forgotten.

There's even safe mode protection. The program hides itself using the Hidden attribute. Hotkey call supported. Everything can be fine-tuned to suit your needs. Of the minuses, I would note that the help is in English.

In general, it is very convenient to use, in addition to setting a password, there are a lot of different options. They can really be useful in various situations.

IObit Protected Folder

The simplest of all paid programs for protecting folders in their native language ( selectable in settings). 20 trial runs. Supports all current versions of Windows. From the picture below you can see that it will not cause any difficulties in use.

There are several additional parameters in the options. I liked this program more than anyone else. Convenient, fast, safe and there is nothing superfluous. Download it and try it yourself.

My lockbox

Another program from a Russian developer that will allow you to easily ensure the protection of important data. There are no bells and whistles in it. The first time you start, you will need to enter a password. Access to all folders will be opened after entering it. There is a recovery service via Email ( not necessary). Download and test.

There are only a few main buttons in the interface. It is possible to set a filter for trusted processes. Many themes. In terms of functionality, it is similar to other programs.

Install - adds protection to the folder.
Clear - removes it.

It is possible to use for free with only 1 folder. The paid version removes this limitation and adds custom support.

Locking a folder with a password inside the archive

You can encrypt a virtual hard disk or flash drives. If you forget the password, the data will be almost impossible to recover. A reliable Windows protection method without third-party software.

A script from Microsoft to set a password for a folder

An unreliable way, the protection of which is very easily bypassed by simply enabling the display of hidden Windows system files. However, this is also the case in this article, as otherwise access to the folder is carried out using the password that was previously set. The advantage of this method is that you do not need to download any third-party applications.

What else can you do

In Windows, although there is no built-in function for setting a password for folders, you can get by with a simple creation of a second user and set a password for the account. In addition to this, restrict rights. Quite a simple and effective method of data protection. However, an experienced user can handle this too.

I would also advise you to encrypt it. This can be done with the same Bitlocker utility or similar. There is also a disadvantage in that the section can simply be deleted and the data will be lost.

Of all the above, the most reliable way to protect a folder is encryption. But here if you forget the password, then you yourself lose access to the data. I add the folder to the archive and encrypt it. I think it is much more convenient and safer than everything else. It all depends on who you want to hide information. There is no 100% protection against everyone.

I hope you have found a solution to this problem. I will answer all questions in the comments.

Which way did you use?

There are many situations in life when you need to protect data on your or work computer from prying eyes. At the same time, the operating system does not provide such an opportunity by default, so you should use one of the methods described below.

Password protection with installed archivers 7-Zip andWinRar

When installing an operating system, as a rule, one of the standard archivers is included in the package. This may be their advantage in that they immediately convert the files in the folder. To set a password for the desired folder, you will need:

Right-click on the desired element:

Select the line "Add to archive". A window with configurable parameters will open. The default is normal compression level. On the left, you should specify the password, which will then be entered to receive. You can also check the box to encrypt files, so that even when opening the folder, other users will not be able to see the file names.

The folder that was encrypted can be deleted; further files will be opened by entering the password when opening the zipped folder.

Setting a password using third-party programs

There are many utilities that can set a password for any selected folder. When choosing them, you should be guided by the following rules:

download only from the official website of the developers;
check for viruses;
control the installation process by unchecking the boxes that allow the installation of additional programs;
pay attention to the presence of the Russian language;

At the same time, programs can be both free and freely available, and shareware with a thirty-day trial period, or paid.

Free software

Paid programs

Video - How to put a password on a folder using winrar

Folder Lock program

This program is one of the most popular paid programs, as it provides many opportunities:

, disk;
make files inaccessible to other users;
in the paid version, files and folders cannot be found using Explorer. In free, such an opportunity exists;

On a note! The official website of the program can be viewed in five languages \u200b\u200b- English, German, Italian, French and Arabic. There is no Russified version of this program.

The developers provide an opportunity to get acquainted with the free version of the program, which can be downloaded by clicking the green button.

The program downloads quickly, its size is only 10 MB.

When you run the installation file, it will ask you to select the desired language. There is no Russian in the list.

Then you will need to accept the terms of the user agreement.

It is better to uncheck the box opposite the line "Create a shortcut for all users", just create a shortcut on the desktop.

Installation of the program is quite fast, it takes 5-20 seconds.

When the installation is complete, the program starts automatically. If you uncheck the box next to the line "Launch Folder Lock 7", the launch will not be performed.

You can start the program yourself by clicking the shortcut in the form of a key on the desktop.

When you start the program for the first time, you will be prompted to set a password immediately. To do this, you can use the virtual keyboard, which is launched by clicking the icon next to the "Ok" button.

Remember this password, as in the future it will be required to open all encrypted files and folders.

Adding files to hide is done by pressing the button with a closed lock.

Files are unlocked by highlighting the desired item, after which you will need to press the button with the image of an open lock.

This program is easy to use and, despite the absence of a Russian version, is easy to use thanks to its intuitive interface. However, only the paid version has these advantages.

There are several tariff plans on the developer's website that include different degrees of protection for files, folders and disks. At the moment there is a discount for the full package.

Encrypting folders inMac OS

This operating system allows you to put a password on a folder without using third-party programs. To do this, you need to use the disk utility, which is located in the "Programs" section, the "Utilities" subsection.

In this section, you need to click on the "File" button and select one of two options: "New" - "Disk image from folder" or "New image". They are similar, in the second case the user is required to perform fewer actions. After that, set the path to the selected folder.

After clicking the "Create" icon, the encryption process will start. When choosing 128-bit encryption, the processing speed will be higher, when choosing 256-bit encryption, the security of files is higher. The choice should be made based on your own preferences in terms of speed or reliability.

When opening the folder, the system will ask for a password. At the same time, you can set permission to view, edit and add files.

Important! Using one of these methods, it is important to remember that it will be difficult to recover a forgotten password. Therefore, you should either write it down, or choose a combination of letters and numbers that is unfamiliar to others, but is meaningful to the user.

Video - How to set a password for a folder or file on a computer

A folder on a computer or laptop, protected by a complex password, which can be accessed by several people, is a reliable way to save important information. The secret word code will protect digital data from viewing and editing, as well as protect it from deletion. Let's find out how you can put a password on a folder in Windows 10? Are there alternative methods of protection?

Set a password using standard Windows tools

The Windows 10 operating system does not have built-in functionality with which you can protect a specific folder. There is a simple way to restrict access to a user account by putting a word-code on the entrance (thereby blocking access to any file). There is also a more complicated one - use the built-in BitLocker drive encryption function (it will be impossible to open it without entering the cipher word). The problem with using BitLocker is that if the system crashes or the user forgets their password, they will have to take emergency steps to recover their files.

And the operating systems of the Windows family have one unique functionality that allows you to make an object invisible to users. Using it, there is no need to come up with a complex discovery cipher that can be forgotten over time.
To hide a folder, proceed as follows:

Important! Both methods of protection are valid for all versions of the Windows 7, 8, 10, XP, Home, Vista OS family.

Alternative way to protect folders

A large percentage of users, instead of the Windows 10 built-in explorer, use the Total Commander program or file managers similar in functionality: Free, Double, Troll, Midnight Commander or other products. With their help, it is very easy to put a password on the object. This can be done after the standard installation of any file manager. The procedure is as follows:

Important! After the procedure, opening files will be available only after entering the secret code. If the user needs to hide the object and encrypt, it can be done in Commander. You need to go through the procedure for hiding the folder through the "Properties" menu (described above), and then:

The object is now protected and invisible. You can use separate programs archivers WinRar and 7-Zip, but if you have a file manager on a PC or laptop, their installation is impractical.

Setting a password using third-party resources

There are many software products that can improve the security of personal data storage - Flash Crypt, dirLock, Secure Folder, WinMend Folder Hidden, Wise Folder Hider, My Lockbox, Easy File Locker, Anvide Seal Folder and many others. Most of the utilities are free, multilingual and functional. Wise Folder Hider software from the trusted and trusted developer WiseCleaner is suitable for all Windows families and newcomers to folder encryption

You can download Wise Folder Hider for free online. Its installation is standard and fast (free version on the network with the Portable prefix). The only condition is a password to open the utility. You can put any. Then they act like this:

After completing the procedure, the object will disappear from the list of folders on the disk (hidden) and will be available only through the application. Another small and easy-to-use Secure Folders utility. It has a little more functionality and an English-language interface. But it does not complicate the work, since the software offers the minimum number of operations. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that the code word is set to open the program itself - that is, you need to enter and come up with one cipher, which is easier to remember. After adding a folder to the Secure Folders application, you cannot open it without opening the program itself.

They use the software like this:

Important! To access an object, you need to temporarily remove it from the application by clicking the red cross on the right in the line. As soon as the work with documents is completed, the object is added to the application again.

If you need a more functional software product that will encrypt any PC objects, it is better to download the Hide Folder utility. Its interface is Russian, the installation is standard. After installation, proceed as follows:

Access to the object is limited. The built-in capabilities of the Windows 10 operating system are sufficient to protect files and documents. The main security secret is a competent and complex password. If such is installed, then it will be virtually impossible to break it, no matter what program was used for encryption.

Hello dear readers of the blog site. For some reason, there are no built-in Windows tools 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 comes up with just such a simple way keep some of your data confidential - just put a password on the folder where "hidden" documents (files or other directories) will be located.

Well, the truth is, what could be more logical than password-protected access to a specific directory and put 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 - to make from any folder a kind of safe, the code from which only you will know (and how to come up with it, read the article).

How to set a password for a folder by zipping it

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

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

But first, I will give you an 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 consists in the fact that the necessary the folder can be zipped with a passwordso that a person who does not know him could no longer carry out the unzipping process.

All of you are probably 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 to speed up the transfer of data over the Internet, modern archivers allow you to encrypt data contained in the archive and protect it with passwords. We will use this opportunity of theirs.

Let's try to archive a folder and put a password on it, first using a free archiver (7-Zip) as an example, and then using 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, then you can always install them by going to the official websites of the developers of these programs ().

How to zip and password a directory in 7-Zip

So, if you have an archiver installed on Windows 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 the items "7-Zip" - "Add to archive" from the drop-down menu:

As a result, you will see the archiving settings window, where, in addition to 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 decryption key.

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 prevent viewing the contents of this folder without entering a password, then just put a tick in the "Encrypt file names" box in the archiving settings window (the second screenshot from here). After that, when you try to view the contents of the archive, an invitation 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 above archivers to simultaneously archive and password-protect the folder - WinRAR... As I already mentioned, it is paid, but for some reason they don't really take this into account in Runet.

If WinRAR is already installed on your Windows, then simply right-click on the directory for which you want to set a password, and select the "Add to archive" item 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 come up with and enter a password, which will become the key to your zipped folder, and you can also check the "Encrypt file names" box so that no one can view the contents of the archive without entering a password (we already talked about this a little higher):

After that, double click on OK and try to enter the created archive using the password you invented. If everything worked out, then you can delete the original folder, the contents of which need to be hidden from prying eyes. And as needed, you will simply enter this archived and password-protected daddy. It's a little stressful to enter a 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 are various programs that allow you to implement the idea so obvious to Windows users - to close access to a folder with a password. There are quite a few such programs (for example, Folder Lock, DirLock, Anvide Lock Folder, File lock, Lim LockFolder, etc.), but a user who understands a lot about computers is likely to be able to bypass them. Therefore, if you want to hide something from your household or colleagues at work on your computer, then they will suit you perfectly.

But often something more radical is required when cracking a password-protected folder will take enormous effort and computing power, which will naturally deter most potential attackers. This type of tool includes the TrueCrypt program, which allows you to put a password not just on the directory, but even on the entire computer (completely encrypt the 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 work in BitLocker (Microsoft), but you can download TrueCrypt one of the latest versions by this link. In any case, it works great for me.

Let me explain a little what it means in TrueCrypt to "put a password on a folder", because this is somewhat different from the options discussed above. In this program, you create a container from any file you have just created on your computer.

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

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

So it will be possible to copy something there, delete it, transfer it using the standard means of the operating system (through Explorer or, for example, Total Commander).

At the end of the work, you simply unmount the virtual disk, and no one can get access to your data (who does not know the password). A wonderful thing.

For all the details of working with TrueCrypt on setting passwords to a USB flash drive, folder, or even an entire computer, see the links just above. And remember that there is no absolute protection (you can tell the password yourself under pressure), but among all other data protection methods, this program is one of the most optimal options. IMHO.

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

Option 1. Windows protection

For PCs running Windows XP and older, there is an extremely simple method to put a password on a folder on your 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 this is drive C).

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

In order to put a folder under a password, you need to move the cursor over the desired folder (the "Password" folder in the example) and right-click on the icon. In the window that appears, in the "Properties" checkbox is checked in the item "Stop sharing this folder." After clicking "Apply" and confirming the password, the folder is closed to outsiders.

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

Option 2. Using third-party utilities

Third-party folder password programs 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, for the use of which there is no need to install an application on a computer. The file with the program can be stored on removable media (flash memory, external drive);
Password Protect USB - performs the same functions. Designed to preserve the confidentiality of data in folders stored both on the hard drive and on USB-drives;
File lock - the utility is easy to use. Allows you to protect folders with a password, saves the passwords used for each of the folders. Using the program, you can completely delete files or folders (you will not be able to recover deleted data - the utility cleans up the area on the disk previously occupied by the folder).

The principle of operation of such useful utilities can be seen on 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, select the Lock Folders item;
register the path to the desired folder;
set password.

After making sure that the program works correctly, without errors, you can act 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 corresponding lines to set a password and confirm it;
you can use the password hint by checking the “Password Hint” checkbox.

The appearance of the folder will now change - the "brick" on the icon will say about the set password. Unauthorized attempts to open a folder protected in this way will be met with a proposal to enter the 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 be open again for all PC users.

Option 3. Using archivers

Strictly speaking, now we will not talk about setting a password for a folder. This method does not password protect the folder itself, but its zipped 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 your data.

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

How do I use the folder protection utility? Right-clicking on the folder icon will open a window in which you need to select the "Add to archive" line.

In the opened window of the archiver, select the "Set password" item:

It remains only to set the required password and remember it - recovering passwords to archives is quite difficult.

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