How to password protect a zip file in Windows 11?

Below is a powershell script you can use to password protect a zip in Windows 11 or Windows 10.

# load the compression function
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.IO.Compression.FileSystem

# define path and password
$sourcePath = "C:\path\to\your\file.txt" 
$zipPath = "C:\output\encrypted.zip"
$password = "YourPassword123" 

#create new zip file
$tempFolder = [System.IO.Path]::GetTempPath() + [Guid]::NewGuid().ToString()
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $tempFolder -Force

# copy new zip file to a tmp folder
Copy-Item $sourcePath -Destination $tempFolder

# add password to zip file
[System.IO.Compression.ZipFile]::CreateFromDirectory($tempFolder, $zipPath)

# delete tmp files
Remove-Item $tempFolder -Recurse -Force

Summary

1. Simple requirements → Use Windows built-in tools (method 1).
2. Strong encryption needs → use 7-Zip (method 2).
3. Automated scripts → Create ZIP with PowerShell and encrypt it manually (Method 3 combined with Method 1/2).