How to Protect Folders With Passwords

On Windows

1. Open Start

   . This icon is in the bottom-left corner of the screen. You can also press ⊞ Win to open Start.

2. Click

   . It's in the lower-left side of the Start window. Doing so opens the File Explorer.

3. Go to a location with files you'd like to hide. You'll do this in the column of folders on the left side of the File Explorer window.

4. Click the Home tab. It's at in the top-left side of the File Explorer menu bar.

5. Click New item. This option is on the right side of the Home tool bar, which is at the top of the File Explorer window.

6. Click Text Document, then press ↵ Enter. Doing so creates a new, blank text document in your current folder.

7. Double-click your text document. This will open it.

8. Click Format, then check Word Wrap. This ensures that the code you use to lock the folder will be properly formatted.

   1. If there's already a checkmark next to Word Wrap, skip this step.

9. Copy the script 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 

   1. To do this, highlight the entire script, right-click it, and select Copy.

10. Paste the script into your text document. To do this, right-click the text document window, then click Paste.

11. Edit your password. To do this, change the "Your-Password-Here" line of text to the password you want to use.

12. Save your text document as a batch file. To do so:

    1. Click File.

    1. Click Save As.

    1. Click the "Save as type" box and select All Files.

    1. Type "FolderLocker.bat" into the "File name" field.

    1. Click Save.

13. Double-click FolderLocker. This will run the code you copied earlier, which creates a folder entitled "Locker" in your current folder.

14. Move your files into the "Locker" folder. To do so, highlight the folders by clicking and dragging your mouse across them, then click and drag the files onto the "Locker" folder.

15. Double-click FolderLocker again. Doing so opens a Command Prompt window.

16. Press Y, then press ↵ Enter. This will lock and hide the folder with your files in it.

    1. If you want to access your locked folder, you'll have to double-click FolderLocker again and then enter your password into the pop-up window.