Encrypting file folder on Local Computer

 

  1. Using File Explorer, right-click on a file or folder you want password protected

  2. Click on Properties at the bottom of the context menu

  3. Click on Advanced…

  4. Select “Encrypt contents to secure data” and click on Apply

  5. You’l be prompted to back up your encryption key, you’ll need it if you lose access to your encrypted files

To begin, use File Explorer to find the file or folder you wish to protect. Right-click on it and click “Properties” at the bottom of the context menu. From here, press the “Advanced…” button in the Attributes section of the window.

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At the bottom of this pane, tick the “Encrypt contents to secure data” checkbox. Click the “OK” button to get back to the main Properties window. Now press “Apply” and Windows will begin to encrypt your files.

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With the back-up done, your files are now secured. They’re encrypted with a key that’s tied down to your Windows user account. If anyone else tries to access the file – whether from another user account, or by physically removing your hard drive – the contents will appear to be meaningless garbled text.

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When the process completes, you’ll be prompted to back-up your encryption key if you’ve never used the feature before. Click the toast notification and follow the prompts to make a note of your encryption key. You’ll need this information if you ever lose access to your encrypted files, so it’s important you take the time to back it up now.

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You can reverse the encryption at any time by heading back to the Properties window and opening the Advanced Attributes pane again. Just untick the “Encrypt contents to secure data” checkbox and click OK to close the windows. After encryption, you can also press the “Details” button next to the checkbox to see information about the encryption certificate and available recovery procedures.

That’s all there is to it. Once again, we’ll remind you this method isn’t intended for high-security purposes. However, it’s ideal if you’re using a shared PC and just want to keep some files inaccessible to other user accounts on the device. Just remember to lock your account (Win+L) whenever you walk away from the screen – your files will be unencrypted as soon as you login!