This article teaches you how to password protect a folder on both Windows and Mac computers.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Windows
Open the "Start" menu
Step 1.
. The icon is located in the lower left corner of the screen; alternatively, you can press the key
Step 2. ⊞ Win
Step 3.
Step 4. Click on
You can find the button at the bottom left of the "Start" menu window.
Step 5. Navigate to the location where the files you would like to hide are located
Just follow the path of the folder column that you can see on the left side of the "File Explorer" window.
Step 6. Click on the "Home" label
It is one of the options on the top bar of the "File Explorer" menu, near the left corner.
Step 7. Select New Item
This option is located on the right side of the "Home" label toolbar at the top of the screen.
Step 8. Click on Text Documents and press Enter.
This creates a new blank text document inside the folder.
Step 9. Open the file with a double click
Step 10. Select Format and click on Word wrap.
This way you make sure that the code you use to protect the folder respects the proper format.
If this option is already checked, skip the step
Copy the string below:
cls @ECHO OFF title Folder Locker if EXIST "Control Panel. {21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" goto UNLOCK if NOT EXIST Locker goto MDLOCKER: CONFIRM echo Are you sure you want to lock this folder? (Y / N) set / p "cho =>" if% cho% == Y goto LOCK if% cho% == y goto LOCK if% cho% == n goto END if% cho% == N goto END echo Invalid choice. goto CONFIRM: LOCK ren Locker "Control Panel. {21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" attrib + h + s "Control Panel. {21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" echo Folder locked goto End: UNLOCK echo Enter password to Unlock folder set / p "pass =>" if NOT% pass% == Your-Password-Here goto FAIL attrib -h -s "Control Panel. {21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" ren "Control Panel. {21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" Locker echo Folder Unlocked successfully goto End: FAIL echo Invalid password goto end: MDLOCKER md Locker echo Locker created successfully goto End: End
To proceed, highlight the entire script, right click and select Copy.
Paste the entire sequence into the text document. Just right-click inside the document window and select Paste.
Change your password. To do this, replace the "Your-Password-Here" line in the script with the password you want to use.
Save the document as a batch file. Proceed like this:
- Click on File;
- Select Save as;
- Click on the "Save as type" box and select All files;
Type "FolderLocker.bat" in the "File Name" field;
Click Save.
Double-click on FolderLocker. This way you activate the code you copied earlier and create a folder called "Locker" inside the one you want to protect.
Move the files to the "Locker" folder. To proceed, simply highlight the folders or files that interest you by clicking the mouse button and dragging the cursor over them; finally, drag the items into the "Locker" folder.
Double-click FolderLocker again. This step opens a command prompt window.
Press the Y key and then Enter. This sequence locks and hides the folder with the files inside.
To access the protected folder you have to double click on FolderLocker and type the password in the window that opens.
Method 2 of 2: Mac
Step 1. Open the Spotlight function
You can find it in the upper right corner of the screen.
Step 2. Type disk utility and press Enter
In this way, open the "Disk Utility" application.
Step 3. Click on File
This menu item is located at the top left of the screen.
Step 4. Select New Image and choose Image from folder.
By doing so, a search window opens.
On some older computers this option may be labeled "Disk Image from Folder"
Step 5. Select the folder you want to protect and click Open
Click on the box located at the top of the pop-up window, select the location where the folder is located (for example Desktop), highlight the folder you are interested in and choose You open.
Step 6. Type a name for the folder
Enter it in the "Save as" text field.
Step 7. Select the "Encryption" drop-down menu and choose 128-bit AES encryption
The option is located within the menu itself.
Step 8. Click on "Image Format"
Step 9. Select read / write
This option allows you to add and remove files from the protected folder at a later time.
Step 10. Click Save
This button is located in the lower right corner of the window.
Step 11. Create the password and select Choose
Type the password you want to set for the folder in the "Password" field and write it again in the verification one to confirm your choice; click "Choose" again to definitively set the password.
In order to continue, the passwords you enter must match
Step 12. Click Save
It is a blue button at the bottom of the window; this procedure allows you to create an encrypted copy of the original folder.
If you gave the image the same name as the original folder, click Replace when asked.
Step 13. Click OK when the system prompts you
You have just created a secure folder that looks like a ".dmg" file.
If you wish, you can delete the original one you used to create the other locked one, as the files are now safe in the ".dmg" one
Step 14. Open the protected folder
Double click on the ".dmg" file you just created; the system will ask you to enter the password.
Step 15. Enter the password you set earlier and click OK
The folder opens as a virtual "drive" on the desktop; once unlocked, the folder window opens and you can view the files.
Step 16. Lock the folder
At the end you can close the protected folder by "disconnecting" the virtual drive in one of these ways:
- Click and drag the icon to the trash;
- Right click on the icon and select Eject "[folder name]";
- Click on the folder's eject button, located next to its name in the "Finder" window on the left.
