How to password protect folder

You should protect your files as they may contain sensitive and confidential information that you don’t want anyone to access. This information could include a list of passwords, secret information about your company, banking transactions and financial data, etc. Many times, you want to password protect a folder to make the data transfer process more secure. For example, an accounting firm might use a password-protected folder to share information. Instead, the HR department could use it to share work records with others.

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Difference between password protecting folder and encryption

Encryption and password protection are two different terms, mostly used interchangeably.

• Encrypt folder: encryption is a process that transforms the original information into an unrecognizable form. This new form of the message is completely different from the original message. This is why a hacker cannot read the data as the senders use an encryption algorithm. Encryption is usually done using key algorithms. When a document is not encrypted, it is stored in what we might call plain text, which anyone can read. However, when it is encrypted, it is in the ciphertext. To view the document in its original form, the user must provide the key to read the unencrypted message.
• Password protect folder: this option allows you to implement a password on a computer, network, file or folder. A user must enter the correct password to access the file or folder. The main advantage of using password protection is the double level of security. It makes your secret document safe and inscrutable.

How to put the password to a folder – Method 1

There are a few ways to password protect a folder in Windows 10. Select “New” from the context menu. Click on “Text Document”. On the screen, you can see the new text document created. Double-click the text file to open it. And paste the following text into the new document.

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%==Your-Password-Here 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

Find where it says “Your-Password-Here” in the document. Replace “Your-Password-Here” with the password you wish to lock the folder with. Click File and select Save As. Enter the name as FolderLocker.bat. In the Save as type drop-down menu: select “All files”.
Click the Save button. Double-click Folder locker.bat. Fill in with the names of the folders or with the names of the files you want to protect. Type the Y button and press the Enter button. You will see that the Folder Locker window has disappeared. Enter the password and press the Enter button again. You can see that your Locker folder is now visible again.

How to put a password on a folder – Method 2

There is a simpler solution to create password folder. This method does not require you to set passwords to protect folders and files. Right-click the folder you want to hide. And then click on the Properties window. On the General tab, you will find an option called Attributes. In this menu you will see two options. Hidden and Read Only, which is the default option. Change it if you want to hide the folder. You need to select the hidden option and press the OK button. In the new dialog box, select Apply and click the OK button. Your folder has been hidden.

Also Read: Windows 10 Safe Mode, Complete Guide

Protect a folder with VeraCrypt

VeraCrypt is a data security tool that can encrypt your files. This password protection utility comes with full disk encryption. However, it can also encrypt at the volume level. Moreover, it also helps you if you want to encrypt certain folders or entire systems. Here are the steps to encrypt your files with the help of the Veracrypt tool. To get started, click Create Volume. Select Create an encrypted file container and click Next. VeraCrypt allows you to create a normal and visible container. Here, you should select the standard VeraCrypt volume and click Next. Click and select File and navigate to what you want to put in the encrypted container. Click Save. The next section asks for the encryption method you want to use. AES-256 is one of the effective encryption, which is also the default option. After that, click on the Next button. Allocate space to the encrypted folder. Finally, enter the password you want to use for your volume and click Next. VeraCrypt is now ready to create your container. Then click the Format button.

How to password protect a folder with IOBit

You can use IObit to password protect folder. To protect a file or folder, you need to follow the steps below. Download and install IObit on your computer and open the software. Create a new password and confirm your password. Enter the question of the suggestion. However, you can change the password from the Options menu. Add a folder you want to password protect. Click the Add button, which you can see in the window on the right side. In the next window, click the Lock and Exit button. This makes your folder hidden and protected.

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How to put the password to a folder with GiliSoft

Download and install GiliSoft on your computer and launch the application. Enter the password you set when registering. On the next screen, click on the Lock File option from the Lock Disk option. Then select the Lock Folder button located in the right corner of the screen. Select the folder you want to block. Here we select “PD folder watch” and press OK. On the next screen, you can check if the folder has been locked. You can unlock the folder by clicking the unlock button.