How to put password to Windows folder
You want to know how to put password to folder on windows but you don't know how to do it? Then go ahead and read this post.
In fact, below you will find what I believe to be the best tools used for this purpose, all made by third parties, since, excluding the encryption function, available only on the Pro versions of Windows and not very intuitive, the Microsoft operating system does not offers specific functionality in this regard.
VeraCrypt
The first solution that I invite you to consider is called VeraCrypt: it is a free and open source software available for Windows, macOS and Linux that allows the creation of encrypted volumes, i.e. virtual hard disks, accessible from the File Explorer and in which you can store your data, protecting them with a password.
To download the program on your computer, go to its official website and click on the link next to the item Installer, under the logo on Windows.
When the download is complete, open the .exe file ottenuto e, nella finestra che vedi will share your desktop, click on the button Yes. Next, click on the button OK to confirm the use of the cittàn language, check the box I accept the license terms, click here NEXT twice in a row and press the buttons Install, OK, end e No, but will conclude the setup.
At this point, start the program by double clicking on the collegamento that has just been added to the desktop, and start using VeraCrypt by pressing the button Create a volume, located at the bottom of the displayed window. Then select the option Create a crypto fileclick on your bottone NEXT, choose the item Volume VeraCrypt standard and click the button again NEXT.
Then press the button Choose file, select the folder on your computer to save the new volume you are creating and press the button NEXT. Now worry about selecting the encoding and confusion algorithm you prefer (if you want, you can also leave the default options selected, i.e. the encoding algorithm BEA and the confusion algorithm SHA-512), then click on the button NEXT, indicate the maximum size you want your volume to have, selecting the unit of measurement you prefer and writing the amount of memory in the appropriate field, and press once again on the button NEXT.
Now, type the Password you want to use to protect your volume in the dedicated fields, click on the button NEXT and indicate the file system to use for the encrypted volume you are about to create, by selecting one of the options available in the drop-down menu File System. I advise you NTFS if you have to use the volume only on Windows or exFAT if you have to use it on other operating systems, in any case you can learn more and find out the differences between the various file systems by reading my post on how to create a partition).
Finally, move the mouse cursor until the bar located at the bottom becomes completely green and press the buttons Format, OK ed Logout, to complete the procedure.
Once you have created your encrypted volume, in order to access it, select one of the drive letters that you find listed in the main VeraCrypt window, click on the button Select file located at the bottom right and select the encrypted archive you just created. Then press the button Monta, enter the password previously set in the field Password and click on the button OK.
After doing this, the drive icon created with VeraCrypt will be visible in theFile Explorer Windows, in the section What PC (Or computer o Computer resources, depending on the version of the Microsoft OS you are using). Then double-click on it and you will be able to access and manage the files within the volume.
When you no longer need to access the contents of the encrypted volume, remember to unmount it, so as to make it inaccessible to other users: to do this, call up the VeraCrypt window, select the chosen drive and click on the button Disassemble, which is located at the bottom.
Private Folder
As an alternative to the program I have already told you about, you can try Private Folder: a no-cost software, through which it is possible to block access to folders with a password and, possibly, even make them invisible. It is quite intuitive but, unfortunately, its interface is not translated into the city.
To download the software, go to its official website and click on the button download for free, located at the top. When the download is complete, extract theZIP archive obtained in a position of your choice, start the .exe file contained within it and press the button Yes in the window that appears on the desktop.
Clicca, quindi, sul pulsating Net, check the box relating to the acceptance of the terms of use of the program, press the button again Next, scegli l'opzione Create desktop shortcut and click to lock your button Next. Then click the button Yes, type the password you want to use to protect access to the software in the appropriate fields on the screen and press the button OK three consecutive times.
Once this is done, you can use Private Folder by double clicking on collegamento to the program you just added on the desktop, by typing the Password set during setup and clicking on the button Add rule, located on the right side of the software window.
In the further window displayed, select the folder to be protected by clicking on the button KATEGORIEN, check the box next to the item Lock Folder, also check the box next to the option Unlock folder on-access with password and type, in the fields just below, the password you want to use to preserve the opening of the folder. If you also want to make the folder invisible to the eyes of others, check the box Hide Folder and confirm by pressing the button OK.
From now on, when you want to open the folder you have chosen to password protect, you can do so by double clicking on it, typing the keyword set and clicking the button OK.
Instead, if you had chosen to make the folder not visible or if you intend to unlock it, to do so, you have to call up the main Private Folder window, click on its name in the list in the center and press the button Unlock, located on the right.
Protected Folder
Another great tool you can appeal to to put the password to a folder on Windows is Protect Folder: it is an IoBit home program (a well-known software house that has developed various useful programs for the maintenance of PC and Mac), through which you can protect your folders with a password in a simple and fast way, in order to hide them from view of others. It is paid (it costs 21,99 euros), but you can try it for free for 20 days, without any limitations or obligations.
To download the program on your PC, go to its official website and click on the button Scarica free. Once the download is complete, open the .exe file ottenuto and click on your button Yes, in the window you see appear on the screen. Next, hit the buttons NEXT, Accept, NEXT (for two more consecutive times) e end, but will conclude the setup.
Now that you see the Protected Folder window on your desktop, type the entry in the fields below Create a password the password you want to use to preserve access to your folders, then click on the button OK. Then translate the software interface into cittàn by clicking on thegear placed at the top right, then on the item User Interface on the left and selecting the option cityno give menu to tendin Current Language. Finally, confirm the changes made by pressing the buttons Apply e OK.
Now, you are finally ready to start exploiting the potential of the program. So, drag the folder you want to password protect on the Protected Folder window, or select it "manually" by first clicking on the button Add.
Mission accomplished! From this moment on, the folder you have chosen to protect will no longer be visible in Windows and it will no longer be possible to access it, unless you start Protected Folder again, type the password previously set to protect the program, click on the button OK and double-click on the folder of your interest, in the list in the center of the window.
If you want, you can also change the read and write permissions of the protected folders through the software: to do this, just select the link located next to the item State, below, and adjust the settings you find in the section Blocking options, in the additional window that opens.
When and if you wish, you can unlock the folders you have chosen to protect simply by selecting them from the list on the main screen of Protected Folder and pressing the button Unlock.
How to put password on Windows compressed folder
If Windows, you can password protect even one compressed folder, using what are the most popular software for creating ZIP, RAR and other compressed archives. Now I'll explain how.
7-Zip
If you want to put the password to a compressed folder on your PC, I suggest you rely on 7-Zip: a famous program for Windows systems intended for the creation of compressed archives in various formats (ZIP, 7-ZIP etc.), thanks to which it is possible to set a password to protect the data contained in a specific folder.
To download 7-Zip on your computer, go to the program's website and click on the link Download located at the entry .exe 64-bit x64 or voice .exe 32-bit x86, depending on the version of the operating system installed on your PC.
Once the download is complete, open the .exe file obtained and, in the window you see appear on the desktop, click on the buttons Yes, install e Close, to finish installing 7-Zip.
At this point, locate the folder you want to password protect, right-click on it and select the items 7-Zip> Add to archive from the menu that opens. In the window you now see on the screen, select from the drop-down menu Archive format the format 7z o zip (the other available options do not allow you to password protect folders), type the password you want to use to protect the compressed folder in the fields Enter password e Re-enter password, select the voice AES-256 give menu to tendin Crittographic method and check the box Crittography and nomi dei files. Finally, click on the button OK.
If you want, you can also choose to delete the "original" folder after compression: to do this, check the option Delete files after compression before proceeding to create the archive. Subsequently, a compressed archive will be created with the selected folder inside, which you can extract to access the files in it only and exclusively by double clicking on it and typing the exact password.
WinRAR
To create a compressed folder with password, you can also use WinRAR, the famous program for managing archives in RAR format. It is distributed in the form of trialware: it can therefore be downloaded for free and at every start it shows a warning that invites you to purchase a license within 40 days. After this period of time, it continues to work, however, showing the invitations to purchase in a more insistent way and no longer allows you to take advantage of some advanced functions, such as the creation of RAR archives with AES-256-bit encryption.
To use it, download it to your PC by connecting to its website and clicking on the button Pick up, placed in correspondence with the item WinRAR per Windows Xp/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/10 a 64 bit or of the voice WinRAR per Windows Xp/2003/Vista/2008/7/8/10 a 32 bit, depending on the version of Windows you are using on your PC.
When the download is complete, start the .exe file just obtained and, in the window that is shown to you on the desktop, click on the buttons Yes, Install, OK e Close, but will conclude the setup.
At this point, right-click on the folder you want to password protect and select the item Add to an archive from the menu that appears. In the window that you now see on the screen, click on the button Set Keyword and type the password with which you want to protect the archive in the two appropriate fields.
Subsequently, if you want to delete the original folder, check the box next to the wording Delete files after archiving. Then click on the button OK twice in a row and that's it.
Once the above steps have been completed, a RAR archive will be created with the selected folder inside, which you can extract to access the files in it by double clicking on it and typing the previously set password in the dedicated field.
How to put password to Windows folder
