How to Password protect a folder in Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7

Do you want to password protect a folder in your computer? Maybe you share your computer with your family members or friends and you have some sensitive files you don’t want anyone else to see or have access to and definitely want to password protect it. The majority of Windows OS do not come with a method of password protecting your files and folders, so if you want to password your sensitive folders, you will need to download a third-party program to password protect your folders.

I have come across so many questions in forums asking for ways to password protect individual folders. So I have decided to write this blog post to answer such questions. Whether you use Microsoft’s Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 the process is the same.

How to password protect a folder using Lock-A-Folder:

A third party application called Lock-A-Folder is just the perfect application you need to lock your individual folders. Lock-A-Folder is a lightweight and easy-to-use application that allows you to password protect any folder on your computer making them invisible and inaccessible to any other person except yourself.

How to use Lock-A-Folder:

1. Download the Lock-A-Folder application (Lock-A-Folder Windows 32-bit) or (Lock-A-Folder Windows 64-bit).

2. Install it on your computer, on successful installation launch the application. It will ask you to create a master password and verify it.

3. Now, Click the Lock a Folder button highlighted in the image below. Then the “Browse For Folder” dialogue will appear, select the location and folder you want to lock and press the OK button.

4. Then you will notice the folder has disappeared from its former location. Then click the “Exit” button.

How to unlock a folder locked with Lock-A-Folder:

Open the Lock-A-Folder application you installed on your computer, it will ask you for your master password. Enter it on successful authentication the application will open.

Click on the folder you want to unlock and click the “Unlock selected folder” button and exit the application and you will notice the unlocked folder reappear on the location from where it was locked at first.

Now i hope you can be able to password protect all your sensitive folders using the Lock-A-Folder application i shared here. If you find above post on “How to password protect a folder in Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7” interesting and useful, please share this post with your friends using the share tools on the left hand side of the browser or the ones under this post. Please if you haven’t liked our Facebook page simply click on the “Like” button on the right hand side of the browser. You can also follow us on Twitter right under the Facebook page. I hope you read my blog post on “How to create an invisible folder in Windows 7“.

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