How to Password Lock a File in Windows

How to Password Lock a File in Windows

One of the best priorities through sharing your computer system through others is that it is forcing to preserve any documents noncombatant. The commendable news is, Windows enables you to password-preserve documents or folders so that standoffish you and also the human beings you trust fund can access them. This tutorial schedules how to arrange a password for a record or folder on your PC to limit access to it.

Sweet to realise: position your Windows Terminal a particle auxiliary personality through these suggestions.

How to Promote a File or Folder Making serviceability of File encryption

On your Windows PC, locate the record or folder you want to preserve from spying eyes. Applicable-click it, and also pick Manifest auxiliary choices -> Properties. Click the Progressed switch in the brand-contemporary domicile window.

Tick the replacement to Encrypt contents for defend information and also press OK. Click on Apply in the next off domicile window.

Windows will noticeably ask whether you want to use these readjusts to the entirety folder, subfolder, and also documents. Concur to this merely to be on the threat-send out side of things.

A pop-upward will noticeably ask you to ago upward the encryption fulcra. You will noticeably last notice this if you lose access to your record or folders. If you don’t go to one, press Progressed again in the Properties domicile window.

Click Lays out.

Click on your Windows username, and also press the Ago upward primes switch.

Press Next off in the brand-contemporary domicile window that appears. Render sure User Lays out Fair is made it feasible for, as flawlessly as Require unanimously credentials in the credentials path if potential and also Enable credentials privacy. Press Next off.

Tick the Password replacement, and also kind in your password. Click Next off.

Contain the venue of the fallback, and also hit Next off -> Coating.

Once you revert to your record and also/or folder, you’ll notice a portable yellow lock icon on it, suggesting that it is encrypted.

The miseries through this approach is that it is tied to your Windows account. If you’re logged in to your account and also attempting to access the record or folder, the device will noticeably openly decrypt them for you. This typicals if other human beings are utilising your account, they will noticeably have harmonized-out access, regardless of the encryption. Yet, users that are logged in through an additional account on your PC will noticeably not.

To warranty your documents and also folders are fully protected, ponder using one of the cooperating through tactics.

Tip: can’t access a folder in Windows due to a authorization misstep? Read on to learn how to proceed.

How to Password Promote a File or Folder Making serviceability of BAT File

Invent a brand-contemporary folder on your computer system, and also add a text record within the folder.

Copy and also paste the cooperating through code into the text record:

cls   @ECHO OFF   title Folder Locker if EXIST "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" goto UNLOCK if NOT EXIST Locker goto MDLOCKER   :CONFIRM echo Are you sure u 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 Locker "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" attrib +h +s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"   echo Folder locked   goto End   :UNLOCK   echo Enter password to Unlock folder   set/p "pass=>"   if NOT %pass%== mypassword goto FAIL   attrib -h -s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"   ren "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" Locker   echo Folder Unlocked successfully   goto End   :FAIL   echo Invalid password   goto end   :MDLOCKER   md Locker   echo Locker created successfully   goto End   :End

In the 32nd queue of the code, readjust the word “mypassword” to everything password you determination to consumption for the folder. Render sure to vacate a standoffish gap before and also after the password.

Click File -> Preserve As in the menu at the top.

In the brand-contemporary domicile window that opens upward, preserve the record kind as All Documents, and also readjust the moniker of the record to “Lock” or any other moniker you determination, but render sure to add the expansion .BAT at the end of the record moniker. Hit Preserve and also departure the text record.

Twin-click the brand-contemporary batch record within the folder, disclosing a brand-contemporary folder contacted Locker. Drag and also degeneration unanimously the documents you determination to preserve noncombatant, other than for the .BAT record, within this brand-contemporary fulcra folder.

Twin-click on the .BAT record, and also a pop-upward will noticeably ask if you are sure you determination to lock the folder. Kind Y in capital, and also hit Glean in. The folder will noticeably lock and also disappear.

To render the folder reappear, locate the .BAT record again, and also dual-click it. Kind in the password you evolved in the brand-contemporary domicile window, and also hit Glean in.

The latent folder containing your noncombatant documents will noticeably appear. Access the documents merely as you ordinarily would.

Once you are done utilising the documents, revert to the previous folder, and also dual-click on the .BAT record. The prospectus will noticeably again ask if you determination to lock the folder. Kind capital Y, and also hit Glean in to lock the folder.

Recur this process as long as you determination to preserve utilising the password-protected folder.

Another service for retaining standoffish pick documents or folders noncombatant is to arrange OneDrive’s User Vault in Windows. Since OneDrive is baked into the operating device, it’s a doable replacement.

How to Password Promote a Particular App

If the approach above anarchy a particle also confusing for you, this service can be a much more detailed replacement for you. Mount an app favor Folder Lock, and also enlighten it to defend pick apps or folders.

Download the send out Folder Lock app, and also arrange it on your tools. The first time you takeoff it, you have to set a maestri password.

Gaining started incorporating apps to the safe. Press the Contain Points to Lock switch, and also pick whether you want to add a record, folder, or even a drive. To defend apps, dare incorporating their executable documents to Folder Lock. Once you’ve incorporated unanimously of the apps you determination to preserve defend, departure the prospectus.

Once you dare accessing a quicker means to one of the apps you’ve incorporated to Folder Lock, you’ll avail an misstep that claims something is wrong through the quicker means. At the exact same time, the record or folder will noticeably go missing from its initial venue.

If you determination to retrieve consumption to the app, amenable Folder Lock again, and also kind the maestri password.

Click the executable in terrify, and also pick the Unlock objects switch.

Folder Lock is send out to consumption for a unabbreviated of 22 days. To restate utilising it, subscribe to a paid scheme.

FYI: investigate out how to readjust the default preserve venue for record kinds in Windows.

How to Password Promote an Entire Hard Drive

In some pods, you can want to preserve an entirety hard drive from unauthorized access. The commendable news is, Windows comes through BitLocker, a facility that enables you to secure hard drives. You will noticeably last notice a password to access the drive later.

To enable BitLocker, amenable File Supervisor, and also correct-click on the hard drive you want to preserve under This PC. Pick Manifest auxiliary choices -> Turn on BitLocker.

Check the replacement to Gain capitalize of a password to unlock the drive, kind in your password under, after that press Next off.

Windows will noticeably ask how you want to ago upward your recuperation fulcra. Render your selection, after that click Next off.

Decide in which you want BitLocker to secure your entirety drive, or standoffish the obtained capitalize of disk gap. Depending on whether you’re arranging to secure a brand-contemporary drive or one that’s already in consumption, render your remedy, and also press Next off.

Pick the encryption placement. Decide the first replacement if you’re utilising a tools through a mended drive. If you’re arranging to activity the drive around, tick the second.

Press the Gaining started fastening switch.

Restart your PC.

Once you log ago in and also navigate to the drive you’ve encrypted, a portable yellow lock icon will noticeably be overlaying it, suggesting encryption.

Any individual that desires to access the drive will noticeably have to lend the password.

If you want to go the auxiliary mile in defending your delicate infos, investigate out our overview that precisions the above reproach Windows security choices to enable send out security. It can also be understandable to realise how to preserve on your own versus password biscuits.

Image credit scores: Freepik. All screenshots by Alexandra Arici.