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Chuckumer's avatar
Chuckumer
Iron Contributor
May 16, 2025

How to password protect rar file on windows 11?

Normally, I don't use the password protect for creating new .rar files. But at this time, I need to password protect rar because there are private and important data sheets to be sent to my client. M...
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BriannaNelson's avatar
BriannaNelson
Iron Contributor
May 16, 2025

The rar command line tool for Windows 11 and Windows 10. This CLI utility is a powerful file archiver that supports ​​RAR, ZIP, and other formats​​ with strong ​​AES-256 encryption​​. The command-line version allows automation, scripting, and advanced compression/encryption options.

You can run the following command to password protect a rar file on Windows:

rar a -hpYourPassword -r encrypted.rar "C:\FolderToProtect"
  • a = Add files to archive.
  • -hpYourPassword = Encrypt data & filenames (AES-256).
  • -r = Recurse subfolders.
  • encrypted.rar = Output filename.
  • "C:\FolderToProtect" = Files/folders to compress.

The free command-line tool is ideal for ​​automated, secure archiving​​ with ​​AES-256 encryption​​.

Best Practices​​
✔ ​​Use -hp (AES-256)​​ instead of legacy ZIP encryption.
✔ ​​Encrypt filenames​​ (-hp flag) for full security.
✔ ​​Use strong passwords​​ (12+ chars, mixed symbols).
✔ ​​Test extraction​​ before deleting originals.

For maximum security, combine RAR with ​​7-Zip (AES-256 in .7z format)​​ if RAR compatibility isn't required. This is safest way to add password to a rar file.

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