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....
To password protect a folder in Windows 10 using methods like ZIP compression with password protection or third-party tools has some limitations and potential disadvantages:
- Password-protected ZIP files (especially with weaker encryption) can be vulnerable to brute-force or dictionary attacks. While AES-256 provides strong encryption, the overall security depends on the strength of the password used.
- Windows built-in encryption (Encrypting File System - EFS) is more seamless but less flexible. Using third-party tools can sometimes result in compatibility issues or difficulties accessing files on different systems.
- Compressing files into an archive does not encrypt the original files in-place. The files remain unencrypted on disk unless you delete the original files after archiving, which risks data loss if not done carefully.
- To password protect a folder in Windows 10. If the ZIP or 7z archive is stored insecurely or transmitted without proper protection, the encrypted archive can still be intercepted or accessed if the password is compromised.
- Encrypting individual folders or archives does not protect data if the device itself is stolen or compromised. Full disk encryption (like BitLocker) offers more comprehensive protection.