How to Password Protect a Folder in Windows 10 (Three Ways)

Want to hide folders from your family? Make them password protected. The following blog post will guide you how to Password Protect a folder in Windows 10.

Sometimes your computer has lots of sensitive information it can bank information, financial documents, family photos, or some personal picture of you with your girlfriend 😉

No doubt your data is secured, but it is always good to keep yourself on the safe side. Password protecting your folders having sensitive information add a necessary layer of security. Password protect a folder works like a virtual vault, which hides whatever is inside the folder.

How to Password Protect a Folder in Windows 10

Wondering how to create a password protected folder? It’s super easy to do. In upcoming lines, I’m going to teach possible ways to put a password on a folder.

1. Quick workaround (Batch Script)

Windows 10 with default settings, doesn’t allow users to set a password on a file, but with a quick workaround you can to do.

All you need to do is write a batch script using a notepad. Here’s what you need to do:

1. To get started you need to head over to the folder on which you want to put a password. For this tutorial, I’m creating a new folder named as ‘Test.’

2. Open the folder by making a double click. Inside the folder, you need to create a new text file in which you need to type the code.

To create a text file, make right click on the empty space inside the folder and select New -> Text Document.

Inside text document, you need to copy-paste the following code:

cls
@ECHO OFF
title Folder Locker
if EXIST "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" goto UNLOCK
if NOT EXIST Locker goto MDLOCKER
:CONFIRM
echo Are you sure u 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 Locker "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 password to Unlock folder
set/p "pass=>"
if NOT %pass%==your_password goto FAIL
attrib -h -s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
ren "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" Locker
echo Folder Unlocked successfully
goto End
:FAIL
echo Invalid password
goto end
:MDLOCKER
md Locker
echo Locker created successfully
goto End
:End

To set a password, you need to replace your password with “Your Password” in the next line:

 if NOT “%pass%==your_password” goto FAIL

After adding a password into the code, you need to save the file. For that, click on the File -> Save As. You will be asked to give a name to this file. Name it whatever you want, Locker sounds fine to me.

Next, save the file with .bat extension. Since I’m naming it Locker so it will look like “Locker.bat.”

Now, you need to double click on the BAT file which you created inside your folder using the above steps. This will create a new folder with the same name. This is going to be your password protected folder.

Copy-paste all your essential documents inside this folder. Once done, again double click on the Locker.bat file. A quick command prompt window will launch asking for your permission.

Type Y and hit enter. And your folder will instantly disappear.

Now you might be wondering how to get the password protected folder back, right? Double click on the .bat file again. You will be asked to enter the password, and if you type the correct password, it will appear.

Note: This is a useful trick, but .bat can be changed from the computer. It means anyone aware of this workaround can easily unlock folder.

2. Zip Folder Lock

In the above workaround, we used a default text editor that comes preinstalled in every person of Windows OS. In this method, we will make use of popular file archiving tool named as 7-zip

Usually, we use 7-zip to extract the file and unzip the folder. The good thing about this program is that also provides an option to password protect folders. Here’s what you need to do to password protect a folder:

1. Download and install 7-zip using this link.

2. Launch 7-zip File manager on your computer.

3. Next, navigate to the folder for which you want to add a password and then click on the Add option available on the upper right corner.

This will open “Add to archive” window. Here, you need to head over to ‘Encryption section‘ and enter the secure password of your choice.

Once you’re done, click on the OK button. In the same folder location, you will get a zip file of the same name (original folder).

As you have created a password protected zip file, you can move the original folder to trash (delete it).

Note: It is suggested that always put all the important and sensitive data into a separate folder and then zip the file. If you don’t do that, then at the time of extractions all the file will be scattered.

To extract the zip file, it is not mandatory that you need to a 7-zip program. You can use any archiving tool that supports zip file to extract your password protected folder.

At the time of unzipping, you will be asked to enter the password. Enter the correct password, and you will be able to access the files inside the folder.

3. Use Hide files and folder feature

With the method discussed above, you learn how to create a password protected folder. With this method, you can add a layer of security by hiding the folder.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Right click on the folder which you want to hide and select Properties.

2. Next, head over to Attributes section and tick the box for Hidden.

When the “Confirm Attribute” dialog box opens up, make sure “Apply changes to this folder, subfolder, and files.”

Click on the Apply button and then OK.

Your folder will disappear in no seconds. Now you might be wondering, how to view it back, right? No worries, do this:

3. In Windows File Explorer, you need to head over to View tab; you will find the option in the ribbon. Here, you need to tick box for “Hidden times“. This will instantly bring back the original folder.

In case, you want to unhide the folder, then again launch the Folder Properties and uncheck the same option hidden option.

Check out: How to View Hidden Files in Windows 10

That’s it!

These are some of the easy workarounds which you can use to create a password protected folder. It is upto you which method you want to employ.

Find this my blog post how to put a password on a folder in Windows 10 useful? Is there any other method you’re using to put a password on a folder? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.