Many users are interested in protecting important sensitive information that can be stored in directories on hard drives, in logical partitions of a computer, or on removable drives. But, talking about how to encrypt a folder with a password, some people mistakenly understand the essence of the issue, believing that in the general case it’s enough to set some kind of password combination that restricts access to the folder. This is not true, because in matters of ensuring data security, one should take into account setting a password to gain access to them and encrypting the files themselves located in the protected directory. That is, it turns out that the protection should be two-level, at least. After all, if the contents of the folder are not encrypted, and the password is cracked, then the files can be viewed without difficulty. Thus, further we will consider both password protection of directories and encryption of content. Some uninformed users claim that there are no such tools on Windows. They are deeply mistaken, because such tools are available, and they work no worse than third-party programs specially designed for such purposes (except that some settings may look somewhat more complicated).
How to hide folders with the simplest method?
And first, let's look at the most primitive means of hiding data from prying eyes, which any user should know about. Of course, we are talking about setting special attributes that apply to both folders and the files stored inside them.
For the directory in the "Explorer", you can use the setting of the attribute of the hidden object (after confirmation, the files inside will be hidden automatically), and for the files themselves you should use the read attribute (so that they could not be performed with the simplest actions regarding editing or deleting). But this, as already clear, is the easiest and most unreliable way to protect sensitive data.
How to password protect a folder on a computer using the archiver?
The methodology for using directory compression using appropriate programs looks much more interesting. With their help, you can set passwords and use encryption (usually based on AES algorithms), and even free up a bit on the disk (just by packing the contents in an archive). Not all, however, file types can be compressed quite strongly (for example, MP3 music files are already compressed, and the size of the archives created is almost the same as the originals). But all kinds of office documents are compressed to a very high degree.
Nevertheless, let's see how to password protect a folder on a computer using this method. Almost all archivers known today have such tools at their disposal.
For example, in WinRAR it is enough to check the box next to the password protection field, enter the desired combination and confirm it before starting the compression process. But this is only providing access protection. If we talk specifically about how to encrypt the folder and the contents of nested objects, you can use file name encryption or even block the entire archive as additional tools. But in WinRAR this technique looks somewhat unfinished, therefore, if you need high-quality data encryption, it is better to execute it in the 7-Zip application, which in this regard has much more powerful tools.
How to encrypt a folder in Windows 7 and higher using EFS?
Another technique provided by Windows-systems is to change additional attributes of directories and files inside them. How to encrypt a folder using such tools? Easy too!
Through the properties of the directory in the "Explorer" on the general tab, next to the main attributes discussed above, you must click the "Other" button and select the checkbox next to the encryption field, after which you will have to agree to apply such actions to the attached files and directories. Access to data will be limited at the account level, and if such protection is activated by the administrator, you will need to log in accordingly.
Creating a backup copy of the encryption key
How to encrypt a folder using the method just described, apparently, there should be no difficulties. At the end of the action, a lock image will appear on the catalog icon. But here you should pay attention to the moment that the key itself, which is necessary for decrypting the contents, is stored on the hard drive, and if it is damaged or deleted, the desired directory cannot be unlocked.
To create a backup copy of the key, first through the Run menu, you need to call the so-called “Certificate Manager” (certmgr.msc). In the certificates section on the right, through RMB on the account, select the item for all tasks and export, and then agree to the steps for the private key. At the stage of choosing the data exchange file format, you can not change anything, and then enter the password to import the key and save the key, for example, on a USB flash drive.
Setting registry encryption capabilities
Now let's see how to create an encrypted folder with a simpler method, but using more complex preparatory measures. The bottom line is to enable the encryption item directly in the Explorer context menu.
To do this, go to the registry (regedit) and in the HKCU branch through the Software folder, find the Explorer directory, as shown in the image above. It has an Advanced folder. In it, through RMB, create a 32-bit DWORD parameter called EncryptionContextMenu and assign it a unit value and close the editor.
How to encrypt a folder on a USB flash drive, hard drive or perform similar procedures with single files?
Just select the desired object in the “Explorer” and activate the encryption item through RMB. The object icon will turn green. To decrypt, you must perform the opposite action. But note that encryption will only be available for your account.
LocK-A-FoLdeR Program
Finally, let's see how to encrypt a folder using third-party applications. With them, everything is much simpler. In the described program, you first need to create the so-called master password, then go directly to the lock and simply select the desired directory on your hard drive or removable media.
Flash Crypt Utility
This program is also quite easy to use, because during installation it integrates its own items into the context menu of file managers. To set protection through RMB, select the appropriate item on the folder or file, enter and confirm the password, and then click the Protect button.
Anvide Lock Folder Portable App
This utility is good in that it does not require installation on the hard drive, it is portable and can be launched from the most common flash drive. In it, as in the first program, first you need to create the main master password to secure the utility itself, then select the desired directory (you can simply drag it into the application window), enter the lock password twice, and click the protection setting button. After that, access to the hidden encrypted folder can only be obtained through this program.
Note: keep in mind that it is not recommended to use several utilities or encryption methods on the same computer for the same object, as the result of such actions may result in a conflict between the software and the loss of important information. And, of course, you can use not only the above utilities, but also other applications, which today you can find a lot.