We set passwords on files, folders, disks: securely and without unnecessary programs. Setting a password on your hard drive Password protecting your external hard drive

Question from a user

Hello.

Tell me how to password protect the folder in which I have my documents. The folder is on a flash drive, and you have to carry it with you and connect it to different PCs and laptops. I wouldn’t want anyone to see them or copy them to themselves.

A small addition: the password must be placed on the folder, and not on the flash drive itself. Those. to view a specific folder, enter a password, and everything else is free and open for viewing. Thanks in advance!

Good day!

The task is quite doable, below I will give several options for how to put a password on your files (and based on the pros/cons of each method, you can choose the best option for yourself).

One moment!

Some users (especially beginners) set passwords for everything: movies, music, games, etc. As a rule, all these media files that you simply downloaded from the Internet are of little interest to anyone (except you), and it hardly makes sense to protect them (unless you want someone to know that you are interested in them) .

At the same time, we have to observe how lazily they treat passwords, personal data, scans of passports, tax identification numbers, etc. First of all, it is these documents that need to be protected!

To a file (document, notepad)

The simplest, fastest and effective way putting a password on your folders and files means sending them to a password-protected (and encrypted) archive. When you need to gain access to files and folders inside the archive, you need to enter a password for access and use them safely.

On the plus side: you can protect any files in this way: Word/Excel documents, pictures, text files (notepads), scans, etc. Also, archivers are available on any PC/laptop, which means you can open files on any computer!

There are, however, disadvantages: if you forget the password, it is very difficult to open such an archive (in some cases impossible); It is not convenient to work with large files (for example, a video folder).

Below I will look at how to create such an encrypted archive in the popular archivers 7-Zip and WinRAR.

7-Zip

A very popular archiver that allows you to compress files stronger than its competitors: WinRAR, WinZIP, etc. The archiver is free, convenient and designed in a minimalist style (there is nothing superfluous). In general, it rightfully occupies a leading position...

After installing it, you will see a menu of the same name in Explorer: 7-Zip. Now, to create an archive, you just need to right-click on the required file or folder and select from the menu that appears "Add to archive..." (see screenshot below).

1. (1) - must be specified name of your archive and the place where it will be stored. In general, the archive name can be anything, and it can later be renamed, just like a regular file;
2. (2) - archive format. The best compression is provided by the 7-Zip format, which is what I recommend choosing;
3. (3) - SFX archive - self-extracting archive. That is, if you check the box next to this item, an EXE file will be created (as regular program), by running it, you can extract files without using an archiver (a convenient thing for extracting files on any computer, even those without archivers at all);
4. (4) entering a password - the password can be anything, here the archiver does not set any restrictions. However, remember that passwords like “12345”, “God”, “Love”, etc., associated with your name and date of birth, are very easy to hack! Install something more reliable (recommended 6-10 characters, with upper and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters);
5. (5) choosing an encryption method- I recommend leaving the default AES-256, and additionally checking the “Encrypt file names” checkbox. Thanks to this, your files in the archive not only cannot be opened, but you can’t even see what file names are hidden in the archive!
6. (6) - start archiving.

Creating an archive // ​​7-Zip

After the archive is created, you can try to open it. For this action, any archiver (even not 7-Zip) will definitely ask you to enter a password for decryption. If you don’t know it or have forgotten it, then your files will remain inaccessible!

WinRAR

One of the most famous archivers, providing a good compression ratio. Allows you to open and extract files from all the most popular archive formats: ZIP, RAR, ACE, TAR, GZIP, etc.

To create an archive in WinRAR, just right-click on a file/folder and select "WinRAR/Add to Archive" (note: add to archive).

1. (1) - set a name for the archive (Archive name), can be anything;
2. (2) - select archive format (RAR recommended);
3. (3) - select option "Set Password"(password setting) to encrypt the archive.

Then specify the password itself (line "Enter password", i.e. enter a password) and it is highly advisable to check the box "Encrypt file names"(i.e. encrypt file names).

After this you can start archiving. In general, the password-protected archive is ready - you can use it...

Password protection of Word/Excel documents, etc.

Documents created in Microsoft Office, can be encrypted regular means, without additional programs. It is very convenient when you often need to work with an encrypted document. By the way, you can also put pictures in such a document...

To set a password: open the menu FILE/INFORMATION . Then click on the function "Document Protection" and select what you want: encrypt using password (by the way, in addition to this, the document can, for example, be prohibited for editing, restrict access, etc.) .

Please note that the entered password (if you forget or lose it) is almost impossible to recover! By the way, the office itself is warned about this when it is assigned.

After the document is protected by entering the section "INTELLIGENCE", you will see a key and lock icon appear and a note that a password will be required to open the file. Actually, that’s it, the document is protected!

To folder/directory

It is not always convenient to set a password for a specific file. For example, you have a catalog with pictures, personal photos that you often work with (editing old ones, uploading new ones, etc.), and which you wouldn’t want anyone to see without your permission. In this case, creating an archive every time is not convenient, and you have to resort to other tools. About them below...

♦
Protected Folder

A very convenient utility for protecting and hiding your files and folders from outsiders. To protect a folder with a password, you just need to move it to a window (to the “safe”) - and everything in it will be reliably protected by your password.

Advantages:

1. allows you to protect your personal and important information from theft of programs;
2. there are several levels of protection;
3. very convenient to use: just drag and drop the folder - and it is protected!
4. entirely in Russian;
5. Compatible with Windows 7/8/8.1/10 (32/64 bits).

Very simple and at the same time reliable program to protect encryption and password protection of any folders: be they on a hard drive, flash drive or any other removable media. Each folder, by the way, can be protected with its own separate password. The program is fully translated into Russian and is supported by all popular versions of Windows.

Advantages:

1. there is no need to keep it running all the time;
2. does not install any special drivers to the system;
3. simple, intuitive interface - even a complete novice PC user can understand it;
4. there are hot keys;
5. the program is compact and does not take up much disk space;
6. free for home use.

I’ll show you with an example how you can easily encrypt and close your folder from prying eyes. Install and run the program. Then add a folder (you can use the Ins key).

Now, even if you close or delete the program, your folder will remain inaccessible (an attempt to enter it (if you remember its name and address) will end in an error, as in the screenshot below).

By the way, the folder is not visible even if you boot into safe mode. In general, it is hidden reliably!

To decrypt a folder and the files in it, you need to run the utility again, click on the open padlock icon and enter the password.

To a flash drive

Method No. 1

The easiest way to put a password on an entire flash drive (or disk) is to use a feature that already exists in Windows - BitLocker. Allows you to reliably and quickly protect information on a flash drive

Note! Not all have BitLocker encryption. Windows versions. If you have Windows 7 Ultimate or Enterprise, Windows 8/8.1/10 - most likely you should have it.

To protect a flash drive in this way, connect it to a USB port, open "My computer" (or “This PC”) and right-click on it, select from the menu that appears. Next, follow the wizard's instructions to set a password.

When the password is set, try removing the flash drive from the USB port and then plugging it in again - you will see that access to it is blocked (and its icon has become a closed padlock). Until you enter the unlock password, the information on the media is securely protected!

Unlocking a disk/flash drive

Method No. 2

A very simple and convenient utility for protecting flash drives (works in all versions of Windows). All you need to install protection on a flash drive is to download the utility and copy it to a USB drive (see screenshot below).

Action No. 1 - copied the program file to the USB flash drive

Then you can set a password.

Action No. 2 - launched the utility from the flash drive, formatted it and entered the password

ALL! Now when you connect a flash drive, it will appear empty (only the file will be visible in it USB programs Safeguard).

To see the files on it, you will need to run this file and enter the correct password. If you do this, a disk will appear Z, equal in volume to your flash drive - this is what you need to work with (and it is on this that all your files added for encryption will be located)...

In general, everything is simple, convenient and easy to use!

An analogue of a similar utility: Rohos Mini Drive.

ADDITION

You can also create a virtual encrypted disk (something like an image) to connect and view which you need to enter the correct password. This technology makes your files as secure as possible from outsiders. In addition, you can store absolutely any type of file on such a disk.

Examples of programs: TrueCrypt, CyberSafe, Rohos Disk, etc.

PS: don't forget your passwords! Otherwise, make the files so secure that you won’t even be able to look at them yourself...

In many cases, modern users personal computers there is a need to protect personal data - if several people have access to the computer and access to it is open, if available external hard disk with your data. In these cases, a good solution would be to set a password. In this article we will take a closer look at how to set a password on hard drive.

Let's consider working in the operating systems Windows 7 Ultimate, Professional and higher.

The first thing you can use if you need to protect your data is to use the built-in Windows function Bitlocker, which will reliably protect your disk. To do this you need to follow a few simple steps:

• Go to the Control Panel and find the “Bitlocker disk encryption” button there.
• In the window that appears, opposite the icon of the disk that we want to protect, click the “enable Bitlocker” button.
• In the next window, carefully select the password removal methods. The simplest one is the first one – “Using a password to unlock the disk”.
• You need to choose the option of saving a special recovery key, which will need to be used if the password is suddenly lost. Maybe, optimal solution will “Save the password to a file” and store the recovery key, for example, in your cloud.
• If you have an operating system installed Windows system 8 and higher, there will be a choice of several more items: “Specify the part of the disk for encryption” and “Select the encryption mode to use.”

Encryption of the disk will begin and after it has finished, access to the disk will only be possible after entering the password you specified. An image of a lock will appear on the image of the encrypted disk in Explorer.

When using the Bitlocker function, you need to be extremely careful, since if you lose your password and recovery key, you will be able to work with this disk only after it full formatting, in which, accordingly, all data will be deleted. It is also necessary to remember that when reinstalling Operating Systems If you did not decrypt the disk before starting the reinstallation or did not copy the certificate to a replacement hard drive in advance, you will no longer be able to access your data!

Protect your drive using third party apps

In addition to the Bitlocker function, which actually encrypts the data on the disk, there are third-party applications that can both encrypt your disk and lock the disk without actual encryption, but using a password protection function.

You can use programs such as Disk Password Protection, Lockngo or Folder Lock.

With the help of various programs and utilities, access to the disk or part of the data is completely blocked for third-party users. The main thing is that when choosing and using such programs, be careful about saving your passwords and study all the possible options offered for unlocking the disk and data, so as not to lose access to them yourself.

Protecting your disk using an archiver

It is also possible to close your data using any archiver that can archive not only part of the data, but also the entire hard drive. For example, WinRar will do this task perfectly. To do this, in the Explorer menu, right-click on the icon of the selected drive, then in the drop-down menu, find the “Add to archive” item.

Before starting archiving, click on the “Set password” button and enter the password in the new window. Then start archiving. After the data is archived, password protected, the original files can be deleted, and then all new data can be added to the archive under a password. But you need to take into account that when closing the data in this way, the lists of files and folders remain visible, as they are shown in the archiver window before entering the password.

What is the result? If a hard drive with personal data really needs to be protected from prying eyes, then it is most reliable to use the built-in Bitlocker encryption system. And once again, when working with passwords and encryption, you need to be extremely careful, since there is a possibility of losing all your own data. Don't lose your passwords!

Setting a password on your computer's external or internal hard drive is quite simple. This procedure does not require special skills or knowledge. You just need to use the Bitlocker program. This utility installed on Windows 7, 8 and 10. With its help, you can provide code protection not only to partitions of your media, but also to any flash drive or other external drive.

By installing the code using the method described below, no one will be able to access the portable or built-in hard drive, even if the device is installed in another PC. That is, even outside your system, all data and files will be protected, provided that you install a strong encryption.

Advantages and disadvantages of Bitlocker

Among the advantages of this program for setting a password are:

• Simple and intuitive interface.
• Support from various manufacturers, including WD and Seagate.
• There is no need to download the program from the Internet (it is included in your operating system by default).
• There is no need to specifically go into bios.
• The process of saving the code takes a few minutes.

The utility has almost no drawbacks, but it is worth saying that:

• Each time you use the drive, the system will prompt you for a code.
• If the combination of numbers is quite complex or long, it is extremely inconvenient to constantly re-enter it. However, we will tell you about a way to solve this drawback.

Of course, if you urgently need password protection, then the above disadvantages do not play any role, because security is the most important thing.

Setting a password

To put a password on removable hard laptop disk needed:

Pay attention to the item “Automatically unlock the drive on this computer.” If you check the box next to it, you will not have to enter the code every time when viewing hard drive partitions.

In this case, the encryption will be requested only when installing the drive into another device. That is:

• If you want to ensure the protection of your data from other users living in your home, then you do not need to check the box.
• If there are no such people, but you are worried that someone else will take out the hard drive and read it using another device, then it is recommended to check this box.

But to do this, you need to use our Bitlocker utility to protect the partition on which Windows is installed.

The next step is to save information to recover the cipher in case you forget it. It is not recommended to skip this step, since if it is lost, you will have to tinker with its removal.

And so, we need:

• 1. Print.
  2. Save to a flash drive.
  3. Save to PC.

• Select the appropriate option and click “Next”.

I would like to pay attention to the process of saving data for subsequent recovery of the lost cipher. It is quite stupid to save them on the same computer or laptop whose drive is being encrypted. The best option is to record to external media or another PC. Take care this file from loss and prying eyes.

To finish setting the password you need to:

If the hard drive is large, the procedure may take a long time. When the code is installed, an image of a lock will appear on the hard drive icon.

Now you know how to protect an external or internal hard drive with a password and can do it yourself at home. Once the process is complete, open the locked partition to check that everything is working properly.

In this article I will tell you how to put a password on a hard drive or flash drive. In this instruction we will not use any third party programs, everything will be done using the built-in Windows tools. And this circumstance gives us hope about the reliability of the method.

How to put a password on a hard drive/flash drive using BitLocker

Bitlocker is a utility that is included with Windows 7 and older. With its help you can protect hard drive partitions or flash drives. If you set a password using the described method, you will not be able to access the data on the media, even if it is removed from the computer and moved to another one. That is, even outside your system, your information will be protected if, of course, you have a strong password.

Bitlocker protects information on your hard drive/flash drive and sets a password to access it. The data will remain protected even if the device is connected to another computer.

To set a password on your hard drive/flash drive, do the following:

• Right-click on the hard drive/flash drive partition and go to the “Enable Bitlocker” line.

Check the “Use password to unlock” checkbox. Write your password below and repeat it. Come up with strong password, and don't forget it. After that, click the “Next” button.

If you check the “Automatically unlock this computer’s drive” checkbox, you won’t have to enter a password to view your hard drive partitions. The password will only be needed when installing the media into another computer. This means that if you want to protect your data from prying eyes that live in your home, then you DO NOT need to check the box there. If you don't have such eyes at home, but you are afraid that someone might take out your hard drive and read it somewhere else, then check this box. However, to do this, you first need to protect the partition on which Windows is installed using BitLocker.

• The next step is saving data to recover your password if you suddenly forget it. I recommend not skipping this stage, as you are taking a risk in this case. Before you put a password on your hard drive, figure out how you will store the data to recover it. They can be printed, saved to a file on your computer or on a flash drive. Select what you need and click “Next”.

It would be stupid to store a password recovery file on the same computer. Therefore, it is better to write it to a USB flash drive or save it on another computer. Protect this file from unauthorized access and loss.

• Click the “Start Encryption” button and wait until the process completes. If the disk is large in volume, then this may take a long time. At the end, the disk icon will take on the appearance of a padlock.

Now you know how to put a password on your hard drive. Try opening the encrypted partition to make sure everything works as it should.

Hard drive - popular modern device, which allows you to expand your computer's memory without opening system unit. Modern external hard discs can fit into any handbag, which means you can always have large amounts of information at hand. If you store confidential information on your hard drive, then best way Protecting it means setting a password.
Password - universal remedy to protect information, which is a key that can consist of any number of letters, numbers and symbols. If the user enters the password incorrectly, then, accordingly, access to the data stored on the external hard drive cannot be obtained.

How to set a password on an external hard drive?

We have already covered this on our website before. Moreover, the question of the correct one was also considered. Below we will talk about how to apply a password for this device.

Setting a password using built-in Windows tools

Setting a password in in this case used successfully both for regular USB drives and external hard drives, which are characterized by large volumes disk space. The main advantage this method is that you will not be required to download and install third-party programs.

Connect your external hard drive to your computer, and then open Windows Explorer. Specifically, we are interested in the “This Computer” section, which displays all connected drives to the computer. Right-click on the external hard drive and in the displayed context menu go to the point "Enable BitLocker" .

The utility will start launching on the screen. After a moment, a window will appear on the screen in which you will need to check the box “Use a password to unlock the disk” , and in the lines below indicate twice New Password. Click the button "Next" .

Next, you will be asked to select the option of saving a special recovery key. You have three options to choose from: save to your account Microsoft, save it to a file on your computer or immediately print the key on a printer. In our opinion, the second option is most preferable, since you can upload this file, for example, to the cloud, and at any time, if the password is from external hard the disk will be forgotten, open it.

The next setting item asks you to configure data encryption. You can either select to encrypt only the occupied disk space, or encrypt the entire disk.

Please note that if you choose to encrypt the entire disk, you need to be prepared for the fact that the encryption process may take many hours. Therefore, if you do not have a lot of time, it is also recommended to open the hard drive modern computers, we recommend choosing the first encryption option.

The final setup step is to select an encryption mode from two available: new encryption mode and compatibility mode. Considering that we are working with external hard drive, check the option "Compatibility Mode" , and then move on.

Actually, this completes the BitLocker setup process. To start the password process, all you have to do is click on the button "Start encryption" and wait for the process to complete.

Having opened the disk twice, a miniature window will appear on the screen in which the user will be asked to enter the password for the connected external device. hard drive.

Setting a password using archiving

Many users do not trust the data encryption process because this way you cannot access the entire drive. Therefore, we will use this method in a slightly different way - we will place the information saved on an external hard drive in an archive without compression, i.e. An external hard drive, if necessary, can be used without a password, but to access the information stored in it, you will need to enter a security key.

To set a password using archiving information, you will need almost any archiver program. In our case, we will use the popular tool WinRAR , which you can download from the link given at the end of the article.

As soon as the archiver program is installed on your computer, open the contents of the external hard drive, select it with a simple keyboard shortcut Ctrl + A, or select certain folders and files in case you need to hide not all information on the external hard drive under a password. After that, right-click on the selection and select the item in the context menu that appears "Add to archive" .

A window will appear on the screen in which you will need in the block "Compression method" select option "No compression" , and then click the button "Set password" .

In the window that appears, you will need to enter a password of any length twice. Below, if necessary, you can activate encryption of the data contained in the archive (without activating this item, the names of folders and files will be visible, but access to them will be limited).

When the creation of the archive is completed, the root folder of the hard drive, in addition to the files, will also contain the archive you created. Now files on the disk, except the archive, can be deleted.

When you try to open the archive, a window will appear on the screen asking you to enter a password. Until the archive password is received, access to information will be limited.

What's the result?

The most efficient storage method confidential information- usage standard means BitLocker. This is a wonderful utility, which, perhaps, cannot be found with analogs that are superior in quality. The second method, which involves using an archiver, can be considered the most preferable, since it does not restrict access to the external hard drive, but only to the information that you want to password-protect.

Of course, there are still a lot of information encrypting programs, but we did not focus on them, since the two methods described in the article are the most optimal for most users.