
Below are some free and commercial solutions. If you need to password protect or encrypt data you frequently use, you need to install a third-party program that allows you to protect your files and folders. File and folders frequently used or accessed

If you want both your file names and contents to be hidden, move all the files into a single folder and password protect that folder. Users can still view a list of the files within a compressed file. However, password protection for the compressed files is not possible without the use of a third-party software program. Windows Vista and Windows 7 users - Windows Vista and Windows 7 includes a compression utility. This utility can also be used to compress and password protect files. Windows ME and Windows XP users - Windows ME and Windows XP comes with a compression utility. When the archive is created, you can encrypt the contents by specifying a password. Other security solutions for protecting your files and folders in Windowsįile and folders not frequently used - An easy way to password protect files is to create an archive of the files using a compression tool. If you want to encrypt folders outside of this folder, see the other security solutions section below. You cannot encrypt any folders outside of this folder. For example, if your name is Bob, you must encrypt the following folder, or a folder within it:

This option should be below Prefix 'shortcut to' on new shortcuts and above Show 'View workgroup computers' in NetPlaces.
