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Friday 8 May 2009

How to password protect any file in Windows XP

Certain applications, such as Microsoft Word, enable you to password protect your files. Nevertheless, the zip functionality that is built into Windows XP enables the user to password protect any file by compressing it using a password. If you have an alternate compression application, such as WinRar installed then you can also use that to password protect files on any version of Windows.

To do so, right-click on the file you wish to password protect and select 'Send to...' From the sub-menu that pops up select 'Compressed (zipped) folder'


This will create a zip file with the same name as the original file.

Right-click on this zip file and select 'Explore'. This will open the file in a new window. From the 'File' menu select 'Add a password'.

Type the password in twice and click OK

Delete the original file, and for extra safety, empty your 'Recycle Bin'.

You may see the following message if you have another compression application installed. If so, just click 'Yes', and carry on as above.

16 comments:

DJYano said...

Very good post. I always put a password on my homework. Because my computer is a shared computer. So i don't want anybody to open the file.

Cool post.

Mohammad Mustafa Ahmedzai said...

Pretty useful post!
I liked this functionality offered by zip archives companies like winzip and winrar. I gues you can also do the same to ordinary folders by adding small code to notepad and saving it as .bat saving this file into the fodler will lock the folder content.

Regards,
Tips and Tricks : WinXP, Internet, Blogging, GEC O Level

Another Blogger said...

Yup, I always looking for this one. I worked with sharing PC that anyone can used that PC. Thanks for the posting!

The Single Black Woman said...

I was just trying to figure out how to password protect files on my Mac last night.

I get that this is for Windows XP - but do you think you could do a post for OSX?

Borkiman said...

Thanks for all the comments.

SBW: I am afraid that I have little experience of OSX. Although a quick search on the web suggests that there is no password protection facility built into OSX, so you would have to find some sort of third-party encryption application.

Wongsk said...

Normally i just right click,select properties,Advanced and choose encrypt content to secure data.

This tip is quite new for me.

Thanks.

pcmemoirs said...

This is quite useful. I tried to find a way to password protect files few years ago but I gave up quickly. I didn't want to use third party applications. Now that I see how you did it, it's pretty easy :)

Borkiman said...

W: Thanks. That looks like a good way to secure files on shared computers.

P: Thanks for the comment.

Bhing said...

I like this one! I've been wanting to know how to protect my files by putting a password and I found your blog..This is very nice! Thank you for the information..

Uninterruptible Power Supplies said...

More helpful post

Thanks

Karen, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry" said...

I've been wondering to to password protect my files on my home computer since I got it in 2007! Thanks for this info. I'll share it in my "Things I Learned this Week" post tomorrow at www.zemeks.blogspot.com with a link back here.

Technology Professional said...

Thank you for sharing. This is a very useful post. I am also looking for this.

Unknown said...

Check out my blog on PC Tools

www.PCToolsWiki.Blogspot.com

Borkiman said...

Thank you all for the kind words.

huri said...

yes, that is good

Anonymous said...

thank you very much blees you