Forum Discussion
How to lock a folder in external hard drive for Windows PC?
Hi everyone, I have an WD external hard drive that I use to store sensitive documents, and I need to find a way to lock a folder in external hard drive. Currently, I'm using a Windows 10 PC and woul...
Locking a folder in external hard drive in Windows can be achieved through several methods, depending on your security needs. Here are some common options:
Using Built-in Windows Encryption (BitLocker)
If your external drive is formatted with NTFS and your Windows edition supports BitLocker (Windows 10/11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education):
- Encrypt the entire drive:
- Connect your external hard drive.
- Right-click the drive in File Explorer and select Turn on BitLocker.
- Follow the prompts to set a password or smart card.
- Once encrypted, access to the drive requires the password.
Note: This encrypts the entire drive, not just a single folder.
2. To lock a folder in external hard drive. You can compress the folder into a password-protected ZIP archive:
- Right-click the folder.
- Select Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder.
- Use a ZIP utility (like 7-Zip or WinRAR) to add a password:
For 7-Zip:
- Right-click the ZIP file > 7-Zip > Add to archive.
- Under Encryption, set your password.
- Choose AES-256 for better security.
- To access, extract the archive with the password.