How to Protect Folder in Windows 7 freely?

Some people want to know whether there’s a way to password protect folders in Windows 7. Of course, you can find many means to password protect a folder with or without software. Regardless of secure level, you can use the Windows built-in function to complete the protection. If you have more requirements about secure level, you can turn to third party software. Now let’s learn how to password protect folder in Windows 7 with different solutions.

Part one: Password Protect Folder in Windows 7 without software

1.       Set multiple user accounts

The most basic means is to set multiple user accounts and set a password for admin account, so that you can prevent specific users from accessing the folders.

a.       Click on “Start”-> “Control Panel”.

b.       Click on “Add or remove user accounts” under “User Accounts and Family Safety”.

c.       Click on “Create a new account”, and then input account name and choose “Standard user”.

d.       Login with admin account and right-click on the target folder, select Properties in the menu.

e.       Navigate to Security tab and then click on “Edit”.

f.        Choose user account in the popup window and assign permissions to finish the settings.

This solution is not that useful when you login with admin account and leave away from the PC for a moment. Other people can get the opportunity to access the folder stored in your PC without any obstacles.

2.       Create a quick batch script

You can also use protect and hide folders by creating a quick batch script.

a.       You need to create a new folder to contain the files to be protected, and then create a text file in the folder.

b.       Copy the following code into the text file:

cls

@ECHO OFF

title Folder Private

if EXIST "HTG Locker" goto UNLOCK

if NOT EXIST Private 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 Private "HTG Locker"

attrib +h +s "HTG Locker"

echo Folder locked

goto End

:UNLOCK

echo Enter password to unlock folder

set/p "pass=>"

if NOT %pass%== PASSWORD_GOES_HERE goto FAIL

attrib -h -s "HTG Locker"

ren "HTG Locker" Private

echo Folder Unlocked successfully

goto End

:FAIL

echo Invalid password

goto end

:MDLOCKER

md Private

echo Private created successfully

goto End

:End

c.       Change the PASSWORD_GOES_HERE text to your password, and then save the file as locker.bat.

d.       After that, you can get a locker in the folder, double click the locker, a folder named private will be generated in the folder. Add files to be protected into the private folder and run the locker.

e.       Input “Y” and press enter in the popup window to lock the folder.

As you can see, this solution is complicated to lock file. You need to store the code in advance, and find it out every time when you want to lock a folder.

What’s more, if you want to password protect Microsoft documents, you can use the built in protection function of Word or Excel.

Part 2: Password Protect Folder in Windows 7 with Software

Some people who have requirements of secure level had better use third party software, for such kind of software generally adopts the strongest 256-bit on- the- fly AES encryption technology to lock files and protect file content.

1.       With 7-zip

7-zip is a third party compressing program. For ZIP and GZIP formats, it provides a compression ratio that is 2-10 % better than the ratio provided by PKZip and WinZip, in addition, it adopts strong AES-256 encryption in 7z and ZIP formats.

a.       Download and install the program in your PC.

b.       Select the folder that you want to password protect. Right-click and select 7-Zip from the menu. From the second menu, select “Add to archive”.

c.       Add password and confirm it on the right side of 7-size window. Select your encryption form and click “Ok”.

This solution seems easy to encrypt; it allows you to password protect files in bulk. But it takes much time to decompressing folders if you compress large files in the zip file.

2.       With Kakasoft Folder Protector

Kakasoft Folder Protector is designed for file password protection. It’s very easy to use, and you even don’t need to install the program. It can protect folder in several steps and takes several seconds with normal secure level.

a.       Download the program and copy the client into the target folder.

b.       Double click the client, input and confirm your password, click on “Protect” to finish the encryption.

As for sensitive and confidential file, you can use the high or higher secure level of this program to lock. In addition, this program allows user to view files in the protected mode, the protection will be automatically restored when you stop view the files, which saves much time for user. Apart from protecting folder in PC, it can also be used to protect folders on hard drives as well as USB flash drives, external hard drives, thumb drives, memory sticks, memory cards, jump drives and pen drives etc.

Conclusion:

For people who want to protect personal folder in PC, choosing an effective and suitable way is important. If you don’t want to spend any money, you can choose to use the built in protection solution provided by Windows OS; if you want to protect folder in high secure mode, you’d better use third party software to do this.

More details: http://www.kakasoft.com/folder-protect/password-protect-folder-on-windows-7.html

http://www.kakasoft.com/folder-encryption/how-to-encrypt-files.html