However, there are a few downsides. The first is that you need to be running Windows 10 Pro — Home version won't let you. The second is that once you set the password, there's no way to recover it if you forget it.
Open Windows Explorer and find the folder you want to password protect, and then right-click on it. At the bottom of the Advanced Attributes menu that appears, check the box labeled "Encrypt contents to secure data.
On the "Confirm Attribute Changes" window, choose between "Apply changes to this folder only" or "Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files.
A notification prompting you to back up your file encryption key will appear. Click "Backup now. Insert a USB flash drive to your computer, and follow the on-screen instructions to create your encryption certificate and export to the USB drive. Note: The final step is optional, but if you skip it, you run the risk of losing access to your encrypted files.
For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. Finally, enter the password you wish to use for your volume and click Next. VeraCrypt is now ready to create your container.
Remarkably, the tool can use random mouse movements to create your encryption key and to encrypt the folder. Feel free to move your mouse around a lot because that makes the encryption key stronger — do this until the bar at the bottom reaches the end.
Then click Format. To mount your volume, choose a drive number from any one of the drives available on the VeraCrypt home screen. Click on any one of the letters in your highlighted volume name, click Select File, and navigate to the folder where you saved your encrypted container. Click Open to select the volume. Next click Mount to mount the volume to the selected drive. Enter your password and click OK. Your container is ready. Double-click on the mounted drive to open another window of the container.
You should also see the container in This PC along with your other drives. You now know what it takes to password protect and encrypt your files and folders in Windows. However, as we have established, it all boils down to keeping your passwords safe and having good security habits in place. Consider what might happen if you lost your master password, or if your encryption software got corrupted, or if the files themselves got lost. Backing up your data regularly and using a password manager can help you ensure you are never caught unawares.
Some of the utilities mentioned above such as Folder Lock come with their own cloud-based data backup solutions. Of course the biggest problem with passwords is remembering them. The common alternative — creating easy to remember, uninventive passwords — is just as bad.
Weak and common passwords are fairly easy to hack using programs that literally cycle through different key combinations at unfathomable speed. These brute force attacks, or dictionary attacks are highly advanced. In , hackers created a computer cluster that guesses passwords at a rate billion per second. They could crack any eight-word Windows password in less than six hours. Keep in mind that this was seven years ago. We can only assume password theft mechanisms have evolved since then.
Password security best practices need to evolve, too. So do yourself a favor, and read up on how to create strong passwords and protect your device s against hackers. Download Avast Free Antivirus for PC to protect yourself against vulnerabilities, malware, and other security threats.
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Get it for Mac , PC , Android. Other Threats. Internet of Things. See all Security articles. IP Address. See all Privacy articles. See all Performance articles. Select language. Link Copied. This article contains:. Back to basics: Difference between password protection and encryption Password protection is a lot like locking something in a safe — for instance, a highly sensitive document.
Why password protect files? Click Properties, then click the Advanced button Check Encrypt contents to secure data. Click OK , then Apply. Password protect folders in Windows 10 A content protection feature for Windows worth looking at is called Folder Lock. Full encryption software to secure files and folders Beyond regular password protection, you can also use disk-encryption software that offers more robust security measures.
To secure your data with 7-Zip , follow these steps: Download the latest version of 7-Zip. In the dialogue box, enter the password. Then click OK. Download the setup file for Windows and install the software, then follow these instructions: To start, you will need to create a volume — essentially an encrypted folder where your data will go. Your first encrypted volume should now be sitting in its designated folder. To add content to the container , follow these steps: To mount your volume, choose a drive number from any one of the drives available on the VeraCrypt home screen.
Select Properties from the menu. On the dialog that appears, click the General tab. Click the Advanced button, then select Encrypt content to secure data. Click OK. Your Windows username and password will be used. Double-click the folder to ensure you can access it. It is not possible to use Windows to password-protect a folder in Windows 8 or Windows You will need to download third-party software or use a zipped folder.
If you elect to use third-party software, be sure you download it from a reputable source. Password-protecting a zipped file is a good solution if your version of Windows does not support password protection. If you put the files you'd like to protect in a zip file, you can then apply a password. When you hide a folder or file in Windows, the folder or file does not appear in the directory list, unless the Don't show hidden files, folders, or drives setting is unchecked.
Right-click on the file or folder that you want to hide. Select Properties. Click the General tab, under the Attributes section, check Hidden. Click Apply. If the file or folder remains visible in the directory, you will need to enable another setting.
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