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How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac

This wikiHow teaches you how to password-protect a zip archive using WinRAR for Windows, and macOS's built-in zip tool. Install WinRAR on your PC. If you don't already have this free archive tool, see Use WinRAR to learn how to get it.
Method 1 of 2:

Using WinRAR for Windows

  1. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 1How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 1
    Install WinRAR on your PC. If you don't already have this free archive tool, see Use WinRAR to learn how to get it.
  2. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 2How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 2
    Press ⊞ Win+E. This opens the File Explorer.
  3. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 3How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 3
    Browse to the folder with the files you want to zip.
  4. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 4How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 4
    Select the file(s) and/or folder(s) you want to zip. To select more than one file and/or folder at a time, hold Ctrl as you click each file or folder name.
  5. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 5How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 5
    Right-click the highlighted file(s). A context menu will expand.
  6. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 6How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 6
    Click Add to archive…. This opens a WinRAR window called 'Archive name and parameters.'
  7. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 7How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 7
    Name the file. You can type a different file name by erasing the default under "Archive name."
    1. Leave ".zip' at the end of the file name to show that it's a zip file. For example, archive.zip.
  8. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 8How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 8
    Select ZIP under 'Archive format.'
  9. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 9How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 9
    Click Set password…. It's at the bottom-right corner of the window. A password entry window will appear.
  10. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 10How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 10
    Enter and confirm a password. You must type the password exactly the same into both blanks.
  11. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 11How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 11
    Click OK. It's at the bottom-left corner of the password window.
  12. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 12How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 12
    Click OK. It's at the bottom-center part of the archive window. This creates the zip file and protects it with the password you entered.
Method 2 of 2:

Using Zip for macOS

  1. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 13How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 13
    Open a Terminal window on your Mac. You'll find Terminal in the Applications folder in a sub-folder called Utilities.
  2. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 14How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 14
    Type zip -er at the command line and press ⏎ Return. This tells your Mac to create an encrypted zip file.
  3. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 15How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 15
    Type the name and location of the zip file you want to create, followed by a space. Make sure to end the new file name with '.zip' to show it's a zip file.
    1. For example, if you want to create a zip file called Archive.zip on your desktop, type ~Desktop/Archive.zip and then type a space.
  4. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 16How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 16
    Type the name of the folder you want to zip and press ⏎ Return. Type this right after the space after the path to the new zip file. You'll then be prompted to enter a password.
    1. For example, if you want to zip a folder on your desktop called Samples, type ~Desktop/Samples after the space and press ⏎ Return.
    2. The entire command would look like this ~Desktop/Archive.zip ~Desktop/Samples.
  5. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 17How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 17
    Type a password and press ⏎ Return. This is the password you'll need to enter when unzipping the archive. A confirmation message will appear.
  6. How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 18How to Protect a Zip File with a Password on PC or Mac Picture 18
    Re-enter the password and press ⏎ Return. This compresses the folder and files into a password-protected zip file.
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