Forum Discussion
How can I password protect or encrypt a folder in Windows 10?
Our corporate PC is shared by three employees under the same administrator account. Sometimes, I need to save some personal files on the computer and I don't want to others having access to my files....
How to encrypt a folder in Windows 10:
Method 1. Use Built-in Encryption (BitLocker or EFS)
- BitLocker: Encrypts entire drives (not individual folders). Available on Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.
- Encrypting File System (EFS): Allows you to encrypt individual files or folders with a certificate tied to your user account. However, EFS encryption is tied to your Windows user profile, so if someone else logs into your account, they could access the encrypted files.
Method 2: To encrypt a folder in Windows 10. Compress your files into a ZIP archive and password-protect it using third-party tools like 7-Zip or WinRAR.
Example using 7-Zip:
- Download and install 7-Zip
- Right-click on your folder > 7-Zip > Add to archive...
- Set an archive format (e.g., ZIP or 7z)
- Under the "Encryption" section, enter your password
- Choose "AES-256" encryption for stronger protection
- Click OK
Note: This encrypts your files into an archive with a password, not the folder itself.