Password protecting your folders and files in Windows is the best way to make sure nobody will gain unauthorized access. In Windows 10, you can tuck those secret plans or files in a secret folder which is password protected, and you are able to do it without buying any extra software. There are two methods to password protect a folder in Windows.
So here are the two methods below, to passowrd protect Windows files/folder, let's take a look on them one by one:
How to Lock the Folder with a Password in Windows
1 First, you have to right click inside the folder where the other files are located which you want to protect.
2 Now select New from the menu and click on the Text Document.
3 Open the text document file by double click or simple press by entering.
4 In this new document, you have to paste a coding or program which is below. So just copy and paste it:
cls
@ECHO OFF
title My Folder
if EXIST "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" goto UNLOCK
if NOT EXIST Secure goto MDLOCKER
:CONFIRM
echo Are you sure you 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 Secure "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 the Password to unlock folder
set/p "pass=>"
if NOT %pass%== Password-Here goto FAIL
attrib -h -s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
ren "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" Secure
echo Folder Unlocked successfully
goto End
:FAIL
echo Invalid password
goto end
:MDLOCKER
md Secure
echo Secure created successfully
goto End
:End
5 Now find where “Password-Here” is written in the document
6 Replace the “password-Here” with your own password by which you want to lock the folder.
7 Click on the file and select the save as option.
8 Now click on the “Text Document (*.txt)” to open the drop-down menu and choose All Files.
9 Rename the file as you want i.e. “Locker.bat” and clicking on the save option.
10 Now double click on the locker file and there will be a locker folder will generate with the name Secure.
11 Move the files and folder in the Secure folder which you want to protect or locked.
12 Click on the Locker file.
13 Type Y here to lock the folder and click enter. The Secure folder will disappear and your files will safe and locked.
14 To unlock the Secure folder, just double-click on the Locker file and enter the password. Press enter and the Secure folder will appear.
Using Windows Built-in Encryption to Password Protect a Folder
1 Right-click on the folder which you want to protect.
2 Select the Properties in the menu.
3 Now in the General Tab, you can see the Advanced option. Click on it.
4 Here you have to tick on the option “Encrypt contents to Secure data” and click the option Ok.
Note: If the "Encrypt contents to secure data" option is not available or you are not able to tick this option then you have the Windows home edition version which will do not support this feature.
So, that’s how you can password protect a folder in Windows.
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