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How to put a password to a folder or file in Windows? Step by step guide

How to put a password to a folder or file in Windows? Step by step guide

If you want to prevent access by undesirable people in your files or folders, this may be very necessary, either because it contains very important or very sensitive information that you don’t want anyone else to see or because you are looking to protect some personal or confidential document. Privacy is always going to be a good reason to keep our computers safe and what we have on it. If you are the only one using the device you will have no problem activating this, but if it is shared you may see it necessary this option.

Windows allows its users to be able to create passwords of income, in order to keep the data safe, so that only those who have the access codes can observe and even edit what is being protected. Keep in mind to place a hard to guess key, try to make it one that contains alphanumeric data and signs, so you will be able to create an optimized and safe effect. Remember to keep it in a safe place in case it is it is necessary to look for it.

In this tutorial we will explain step by step, how you can put a password to a file or folder in Windows to be sure that the information you have stored will not fall into the wrong hands. There are different alternatives that can be applied for these cases, but you can use the one you think best, just pay attention to the procedures you have to perform.

Steps to protect a folder or file with password on Windows 10, 8 computers and 7

There are different steps or methods that can be used in all versions of Windows, in this case information about Windows 7 will be available until its latest current version Windows 10. Some processes are directly from the functionalities that the operating system has for you, others will depend on the use of third-party programs.

Each of them will work, just consider using the ones that best suit your needs and the one that is most useful to you when encrypting your files by passwords, since every time you want to protect them, you must do them from scratch.

In Windows 10

There are different native Windows methods that can be used to protect your files or folders, we will explain the steps from the simplest to the most complex. These can be applied to different versions, so pay close attention to each of them so that you can execute them without problems.

Encrypt the files from the property set

You can prevent the entry into your confidential files by creating a password, this can be done in a simple way without the need for programs or other applications outside the OS.

To do this you just have to do the following:

  • Locate the file or folder you want to protect with a password.
  • Right-click on it. Choose the option accounPropiedades†.
  • In the “General” tab you will locate the “Attributes”, section there you are going to click on permittedAdvancedingresar en opciones avanzada de un archivo o documento
    • A small window will open, in them you will choose the “Encrypt content to protect data” option and press accept Accept.

    activar cifrado de archivos o carpeta.

    • You will return to the “General” window, in this part you will click on appendApplication.
    • When you click , a new confirmation window will open, in it you will indicate if you want to encrypt only the file or folder where it is . This option is variable, if you only want to encrypt a file you will choose “Encrypt only the file”, in case you go with a folder you will choose “Encrypt the file and its primary folder ( recommended) ”. Then press “Accept.”

    cifrar archivo o carpeta en windows

    This way your files will already be protected. Keep in mind that such encryption will be linked to your user account. If, for example, you have a computer that has different users, people with other IDs will not be able to enter. It should be noted that the entry codes will be the same as those used to log in to your computer.

    The only flaw that this procedure can have is that without a person getting access to your user account you can access them.

    Encrypt using commands

    You can encrypt your folders by using a series of commands in Windows, it is very useful and safe compared to the previous case, because you can create an entry key that will always ask you when accessing the folder. It may be a bit difficult to complete the steps at the beginning, but with practice you will achieve it without problems.

    The first thing you have to do is the following:

    • Enter the folder you want to protect.
    • Right click and place the cursor on the “New” option, you go to choose “Text document”.

    • Now you will open the new file that has been created.
    • In the vas add the following information that will serve as protection of the folder:

    codigo para encriptar una carpeta

    Keep in mind that the code snippet if NOT% pass% == 1234 goto FAIL, is the key we have set, you can change the number (1234) for anything you want to be your login password.

    • You will proceed to save the file, by clicking on the “File” button, then you will click on “Save” . There you will select the “All files” option. In the section that says “Type”, you will place the name of the file followed by the extension .bat:
    • One Once you have created the .bat file you will open it by clicking on it and you will see that a new folder has been created with a name, which will depend on the one you have given to the text document.
    • In The new folder you can save all the files you want to be protected. Once all are saved, you will execute the .bat file again.
    • You will see that a window with the command prompt opens, in it you will get a message which will tell you “Are you sure you want to lock the folder (Y / N)” you will press the keyY†.
    • Immediately this will be hidden.
    • To unlock it, you just have to rerun the .bat file and put the password you set.

    For Windows 8

    Protect your files in Windows 8, you can apply exactly the same specifications as previously explained, as they are existing functionalities in the operating system and they will work without any problem in this version.

    In Windows 7

    Windows 7 Like its later versions 8 and 10 allows its users to create by means of commands or by configuring the privacy of the folders or files, encrypt the files. In order to maintain a high level of security for all the documents that the user wants. You just have to perform the steps that we have previously indicated so you can accomplish this task.

    Is it possible to put a password in a folder and hide it without using programs?

    In fact it is possible , you just have to perform several steps and pay close attention to detail. Earlier you have seen two methods that you can use to encrypt your files with password without using programs.

    But the one that you must implement is the second method that we have explained in this guide, this allows you to even hide the folder where you will protect your files. To get access to this and even be able to see it, you have to enter the password you created to protect the file.