Windows 7 / 10: Password-protecting folders – how to do it

If you share your PC with other people, it is safer to protect certain data with a password. This guide shows you how to password-protect entire folders in Windows 7 and Windows 10.

Windows 7 and Windows 10: Protect folders with a password

In the following instructions, we use the WinRAR tool. This works for Windows 7 as well as Windows 8 and Windows 10.

• Download and install the free program WinRAR.
• Open the programme and navigate to the desired folder here.
• Right-click on the appropriate folder and select the option Add files to archive….
• Here, click on the Set Password… button. and enter a password that is as secure as possible. Watch the video below to learn how to easily create a secure password.
• Confirm the process with OK and also close the second window with OK.
• The archive is now packed and can then only be opened and unpacked with the password.

Encrypt folder with 7-Zip

Alternatively, other archiving programmes can also be used to encrypt folders in Windows. This can be done free of charge with 7-Zip, for example:

• Download and install 7-Zip.
• Open the programme, then navigate to the folder you want to encrypt.
• Right-click on the folder. First select 7-Zip and then Add to an archive…
• Set a password in the Encryption section. Then click OK to create an encrypted and password-protected archive.