How to put a password on a folder, file or flash drive. We password protect everything! How to put a password on a flash drive - simple and effective options How to put a password on files on a flash drive

Have a good time everyone. Today I will show you how to put a password on a flash drive using the built-in capabilities of Windows. If you have Seven Ultimate or Eight PRO installed, then this function called BitLocker, you have it.

I do not guarantee the presence of this program on other versions of Windows. It’s definitely not on Windows Starter!

Get straight to the point!

Insert the USB flash drive and immediately open the Computer section.

We find where our USB device will be displayed and right-click on it. In the context menu, select Enable BitLocker.

Check the box Use password and enter it twice. The password must contain both letters and numbers. After installation, click Next.

In the next window we are asked Save recovery key to file. You will need it just in case you forget your password. I recommend choosing the second option Save to file.

Then you need to specify a location on your computer where you can save this key. In the future, the recovery key needs to be hidden in a safe place (if you don’t want someone to hack the password for your flash drive).

When the key is saved, we will be transferred back, where the Next button will already be active.

At the next step, you need to indicate which part of the disk you want to encrypt; I recommend choosing the first option. In general, everything there is in Russian, so you can read it.

Now you can start encryption. To put a password on the flash drive all you have to do is press the button Start encryption.

How long will it take? Depends on the size of the flash drive and the amount of occupied space. My 16 GB USB drive was encrypted for about half an hour.

In the same way, you can put a password on the disk, but as you probably already understood, setting the password will take many hours. If I waited a long time with a 16 GB flash drive, I can imagine what will happen with a 500 GB hard drive. Well, you understand :)

Although I have a small plan for how you can put a password on a disk with important data and at the same time reduce the encryption time.

1. You need to create a separate partition on your hard drive with a capacity of about 15-30 gigabytes. I described how this is done in the lesson: .
2. Move all important files that need to be password protected to a new partition.
3. Put a password on the disk using the method described in this lesson.

We created a small disk, right? This means that encryption will not take many hours. If your partition is 30 gigabytes, then accordingly password protect the disk you can do it in 2-3 hours.

I wish you luck with setting passwords on flash drives and disks.

A large number of people prefer to store confidential data on a flash drive and carry it with them. What if she gets lost or worse, kidnapped? Information falling into the wrong hands can cause a lot of trouble. Take care of how to put a password on a flash drive when storing something really important on it.

Content:

What is the most effective way to protect data on a flash drive?

The most reliable way to store truly important information is to keep it under the supervision of armed guards deep underground. And in the case of an electronic drive, it must also be disconnected from the network (Internet). The method is exaggerated, but this is not a joke. However, the real world and the constant need to have access to the necessary data does not allow the use of such methods. For this reason, various methods have been developed to restrict access to information.

Encryption has become most widespread, since with the right approach, encryption does not allow an attacker or a random person to gain access to the data. Encryption tools using modern long-key algorithms, provided the user uses a complex password, provide effective protection. The use of such protection will be discussed.

How to put a password on a flash drive without additional programs

The question of how to password protect a flash drive without using special programs is quite relevant. It happens when at the right time there is simply no opportunity to use special services. software. There are two possible options.

First way. You initially took care of purchasing a flash drive with hardware encryption. For such devices, third-party software is not required; when connecting to a USB port, you need to enter the PIN code on the keyboard located on the body of the flash drive itself. Disconnecting from the port will result in automatic blocking. It is important to remember that repeated incorrect password entry will result in permanent blocking of all stored information. Toshiba Encrypted USB Flash Drive is one of the representatives of this class of devices.

Second way. Use of improvised means.

Timely concern for protecting data on your phone’s flash drive can come back a hundredfold, since users increasingly trust confidential data to devices they always carry with them (such as phones). Full encryption of the phone's memory is standard for Android versions above 4.0, and for an external memory card - starting from version 4.1.1, but in inexpensive models such information protection may not be available.

If you have a non-budget class phone, you can enable encryption in the settings, section “Security”, for which the screen lock with a password must be active, otherwise encryption will not be available. Starting from the sixth version of Android, this option will be enabled initially, which, by the way, has already been implemented in iOS (iPhone).

If standard tools are unavailable, Google Play search will offer a good selection of programs for data protection. “SSE encryption” has good reviews, which, among other things, has additional functions such as a text encryptor and a password manager. After installation, you will see an intuitive interface prompting you to select the data to protect.

The situation is somewhat simpler with older Symbian-based phones. In Nokia (it’s the same with phones from other manufacturers), go sequentially to “Menu” - “Settings” - “Protection” - “Protection level”, where select the desired option.

How to password protect a flash drive using programs

This is not to say that the choice of software for data protection is meager. In addition to independent developments, every reputable flash drive manufacturer offers its own solution. The general configuration principle is present, if not in all, then in most of these utilities. Let's look at how to set a password on a flash drive using the program as an example.

Download the program from the manufacturer's website and install it.
Connect the flash drive to your computer.
Launch the program, select “Encrypt USB drive”.
Come up with a good password and enter it in the appropriate fields.
In the "Disk Settings" section, specify the required size of the protected partition. The peculiarity of the program is that it does not encrypt all data, but creates a special section for these purposes.
After the input has been specified, you can click “Create Disk”.

Now all data will be reliably protected and hidden from view. You can access them through the main menu of the program or using an executable file created on an unprotected partition (Rohosmini.exe).

The best programs for password-protecting flash memory cards

Not all specialized programs are good for data protection. Some have obvious flaws with stability or reliability. Below we will list and briefly discuss four programs that have already proven themselves to be positive.

The use of flash media for storing information is becoming increasingly popular, because they have a number of undeniable advantages over outdated CD and DVD drives. The flash drive does not take up much space, is easy to use and has a fairly large amount of memory. That is why the question: how to put a password on a flash drive is relevant these days. After all, it can store personal data, important documents and, in general, any other information that you would not want to show to other people.

In this article I will tell you how to set a password on a flash drive using the built-in BitLocker program, or using the free USB Safeguard program.

BitLocker

You can set a password on a flash drive using built-in Windows tools. The BitLocker program is used for this. Go to the “My Computer” folder and right-click on the flash drive on which we will set a password. Now in the context menu select the item "Enable BitLocker".

If you didn’t find this item in the context menu, it doesn’t matter. Go to “Start” - "Control Panel".

In the upper right corner, select “View” - “Category”. Then follow the link "System and Security".

In the next list, select the item "BitLocker Drive Encryption".

Select the disk partition that corresponds to the flash drive, I have it (G:), and click on the button opposite it "Enable BitLocker".

In the window that opens, put a tick next to the item "Use password to unlock disk". Next, enter the created password, the length of which must be at least 8 characters, otherwise the program will not allow you to continue, and click “Next”.

In the next window, the program offers to save the disk recovery key, this is in case you forget the password. Select an item "Save the recovery key to a file" and select a location on the computer where it will be stored. It’s better if this is the folder where people go least often. Click "Next".

Do not remove the flash drive during encryption. My 1GB flash drive was half full and took 3 minutes to encrypt. Therefore, if your flash drive is larger, be prepared that the process will take a little time.

Now, the flash drive is password protected. Every time you plug it into your computer, a golden padlock will appear next to the disk. We open the flash drive and see that the BitLocker program asks for a password. Enter it and click "Unlock". When the flash drive is unlocked, a silver padlock will appear in the My Computer folder next to it.

If you want to delete or change the password on a flash drive, right-click on it and select from the context menu "BitLocker Management". The following window appears in which you can perform several necessary actions.

USB Safeguard

The USB Safeguard program allows you to set a password on a flash drive. Its clear functionality is suitable for both advanced and novice users. You can download USB Safeguard from the official website: http://www.usbsafeguard.com/download.html. You will be offered two versions to download. The first one is free, suitable for those who have a flash drive up to 2 GB. The second one is paid and allows you to set a password on a flash drive whose volume does not exceed 16 terabytes.

I will install the first – free – version. I click on the “Download now” button and save the installation file.

Now copy the downloaded installation file to the root of the flash drive and run it from the flash drive. The installation of the program is carried out as usual: constantly click “Next”, then “Finish”. Considering that most flash drives are in FAT format, during the installation process the program will offer to format it in NTFS - we agree. Please note that formatting will delete all files from the flash drive, so it is better to copy everything to your computer in advance.

In the next window you need to enter the password for the flash drive. We come up with it, enter it, confirm, in the last field you can enter a hint, you will see it if you forget the password. Click "OK".

Now remove the flash drive and insert it back into the computer. Open it and run the file “USBSafeguard”.

That is, the program creates another protected virtual disk Z: on the flash drive. The capacity of this disk is the same as the capacity of a flash drive. When writing a file to the Z: drive, the space on the flash drive will also decrease.

Files that you do not want to protect access to, simply copy directly to the flash drive: in my case it is the G: drive. If you want the file to be protected, copy it to the Z: drive.

Thus, when you connect the flash drive to your computer, you will have access to open files on it. But to open password-protected files, you will need to launch the USBSafeguard program and enter the password. Only after this you will have access to the protected Z: drive.

Now you can put a password on the flash drive. Just choose one of the described methods and I’m sure everything will work out and your personal files and documents will be protected.

If your USB drive doesn't have encryption software pre-installed, the easiest way is to use the Windows BitLocker tool. To do this, right-click on the drive partition, select “Enable BitLocker” and set a password. If this item is not in the context menu, activate the utility through “Control Panel” - “System and Security” - “BitLocker Drive Encryption”. Unfortunately, the program is not available on all versions of Windows (for example, Windows 7 Home Premium does not have it), but you can use third-party software to encrypt USB drives.

CyberSafe Top Secret

The CyberSafe Top Secret program is used not only to protect USB flash drives, but also to encrypt files and folders, hard drives, emails, etc. To set a password on the drive, the free version of the application is enough. The main feature of the method: you can open a flash drive protected in CyberSafe Top Secret only on the computer on which this program is installed. Other devices do not recognize the file system of the secure USB storage device.

1. Install the CyberSafe Top Secret application on your computer. In the side menu, select “Encrypt partition”, find your flash drive in the list and click “Create”.

2. A window will open in which you need to set a password for the USB drive and define the file system. Be careful: if you change the file system of the flash drive, it will be formatted. We recommend that you back up your disk data before encrypting it.

3. You can also specify how much memory will be accessible without a password. By default, protection is applied to all partitions of the drive at once. To change this, uncheck “Use all available device size” and set the required limit.

USB Safeguard

The free version of the USB Safeguard program allows you to set a password on flash drives up to 4 GB. You must run the utility directly from the drive. If your flash drive has a FAT file system, the program will offer to format it to NTFS, so be sure to back up your data before encrypting the drive.

1. Install the program from the flash drive by clicking “Next” as usual. If you are prompted to format to NTFS, agree. In the window that appears, enter a password that will protect the flash drive and a hint.

2. The program will prompt you to specify the letter of the virtual disk, which will become a mirror of the encrypted drive. Now, when you connect a flash drive, a protected partition will appear in the list of disks, access to which will only be possible with a password.

Rohos Mini Drive

Another free program for encrypting USB drives is Rohos Mini Drive. The application selects a section on the flash drive that will be accessible on any PC after entering the password.

1. Download and install Rohos Mini Drive. In the main program window, select “Encrypt USB drive”.

2. Set a password and configure the parameters of the protected disk: its size, file system, encryption algorithm and letter. You can encrypt all or part of the memory.

In this article I will tell you how to set a password on a flash drive using the built-in BitLocker program, or using the free USB Safeguard program.

BitLocker

If you didn’t find this item in the context menu, it doesn’t matter. Go to “Start” - "Control Panel".

In the upper right corner, select “View” - “Category”. Then follow the link "System and Security".

In the next list, select the item "BitLocker Drive Encryption".

Select the disk partition that corresponds to the flash drive, I have it (G:), and click on the button opposite it "Enable BitLocker".

USB Safeguard

I will install the first – free – version. I click on the “Download now” button and save the installation file.

Now remove the flash drive and insert it back into the computer. Open it and run the file “USBSafeguard”.

Files that you do not want to protect access to, simply copy directly to the flash drive: in my case it is the G: drive. If you want the file to be protected, copy it to the Z: drive.

Now you can put a password on the flash drive. Just choose one of the described methods and I’m sure everything will work out and your personal files and documents will be protected.