On many occasions we can see that simply using a password on our computer does not provide us with sufficient security to keep our files protected and to keep them out of sight. Therefore, we tend to find a way to hide our documents or files in various ways, one of the simplest options being using a password for it.
The way to protect our files with a password not only gives us better security that no one can easily access them, but also guarantees that they cannot be deleted or altered. So if you are looking for a way to place and hide your folders, here we show you how.
Index( )
- Considerations prior to protecting folders on your computer
- How can you protect the folders on your computer without external programs?
- With Windows
- Using a Mac
- What external software can be used to protect folders on your PC with a password?
- What is the way a folder can be hidden on your Windows or Mac computer?
Considerations prior to protecting folders on your computer
It must be taken into account first, that protecting your folders does not guarantee complete security to the files that are within it. Well, the process of protecting the folders will be facilitated depending on the version of Windows that we have on our computers, since in the most recent versions the option of being able to put a password directly on them was disabled .
In the same way, the password that we want to place must be taken into account since it must be secure enough to avoid problems with other people being able to easily enter our files. Also not forgetting the password that we have placed in our folders, since it is almost impossible to access without it or modify it once we have forgotten it.
How can you protect the folders on your computer without external programs?
The way to protect our computer folders will vary depending on the operating system of this, since the way to put a password in Windows varies from the way it maintains the Macs. Likewise, this process will change depending on the version of Windows we have, since the process for Windows 7 is completely different from Windows 8 and 10.
With Windows
For Windows 7 what you have to do is look for the specific folder that keeps all the stored information that we want to protect. We will have to select this folder and go to the properties of the menu of this one, in the options that have arisen you will have to click on ‘General’ and then on ‘Advanced’.
There you must choose to ‘Encrypt content to protect data’ and then accept to later write your username and the password that has been chosen for it. In the case of the most up-to-date versions, this process cannot be done so there are only two ways to protect the files inside a folder: using external applications or by compressing the files in a zip format.
To do this we must select all the files within the same folder, then we must compress the files in a zip format . After having modified the name at our convenience and where it says ‘Set password’ we will write the password that will protect the files. Finally, we will select accept and delete the original files from the folder.
Using a Mac
First we will enter the menu of our Mac, we will select ‘Applications’ in the menu on the right side so that a list will be displayed where we will click on ‘Utilities’ and then on ‘Disk Utility’. There the file menu will be chosen to be able to choose ‘New’ to choose the option of ‘Disk image from folder …’ , thus emerging a pop-up window where we must select the folder in question that we want to protect with a password.
When selecting it we will go to the bottom of the screen where it says ‘Image’ and we will click there. In the new pop-up window we are going to place the name we want for the folder and in the drop-down menu we must choose ‘read’, then where it says ‘encryption’, ‘AES 128-bit encryption’ will be selected and we will write the password to later save the changes , thus leaving the folder locked.
What external software can be used to protect folders on your PC with a password?
One of the tools that we can use to lock our folders in Windows is by downloading applications or software with this function. One of the most recommended is Folder Lock , which is a paid program that serves not only to protect folders but can also protect files in the cloud and completely destroy files that we no longer want to have on the computer. You can download VeraCrypt or 7-zip, these softwares are good alternatives for this same use.
What is the way a folder can be hidden on your Windows or Mac computer?
The best thing about hiding folders is to be able to do it with the naked eye without using any program or downloading an application for it. In order to make a folder invisible on the desktop and nobody suspects it, we must create the folder in question and enter all the files inside it. If you want greater security, you must convert them into a zip file with a password beforehand.
With the folder located on the desktop, we will right click on it and select ‘Properties’ in the pop-up window that has appeared. Then, in the options that have emerged, we are going to click on ‘Customize’ to change the icon of the folder. To do this, you only have to select this option, moving the horizontal bar to the invisible icon that appears in the icon options to choose from and accept the modified changes.
Now in order to make the name of the folder invisible we are going to right click on it and in the options menu that has been displayed we are going to click on ‘Rename’, we will delete the name of the folder and holding down the ‘key Alt ‘we will write 0160 . In this way, when we click anywhere on the screen, we will see that neither the folder nor the name will be visible.
For more such interesting article like this, app/softwares, games, Gadget Reviews, comparisons, troubleshooting guides, listicles, and tips & tricks related to Windows, Android, iOS, and macOS, follow us on Google News, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.