All of us have some files and folders that we consider private. They can be anything from our business documents to pictures of friends and family. These are files that we don't want other people using our computer to know about. Most of us get in awkward situations when these files are discovered by unwanted people.
Surely, you can store this information in a hidden folder. The only problem is that anyone can easily search the contents of a hidden folder using Windows Search itself. Encrypting such information can also lead to tricky situations when other users ask about it.
A viable solution is storing this type of content in a password protected folder so that only those people that know the password can access the protected information. There are many folder locking programs available online but the problem is that most of the good ones are paid. Even if you do manage to get a good free one, you will be looked at suspiciously when people see a folder locker in the list of your installed programs or when they see the locked information.
If you too find yourself facing similar problems in similar situations, you can try Folder Protector, a password protector for Windows that is not only free but is also portable meaning that it does not need to be installed. Click on the executable file and the program will start running. I have created this program based on suggestions and feature requests that I have received by email over the last two years.
Download for Windows XP
How to use Folder Protector?
Note: Since this is a CUI (Character User Interface) based program, you need to press the Enter key after each action to execute it.
When you run Folder Protector for the first time, the program will ask you for a password that you want to use. Enter a password that you can remember as this will be the password to your protected folder. You need to press the Enter key each time after entering the password. Then, the program will ask you for a password hint. Make sure to add a hint that may help you remember your password. You need to press the Enter key after entering the password hint.
After you enter the password and the password hint, the program will open a folder named SecuredFILES. This is your protected folder. You can add all your private files in this folder. This folder is located at the Desktop. After adding all your files, you may close this folder.
Then, you can use the menu in the program to lock your folder. To lock the folder, type lock as your action and press Enter. Then, type Y when asked to confirm and press the Enter key. After successfully locking the folder, SecuredFILES folder will disappear from the Desktop and Folder Protector will display that the folder is locked.
Unlocking the protected folder is easy. Type unlock as your action and press the Enter key. Then, the program will ask you to enter your password. Upon successfully entering the password (and pressing the Enter key), the program will display the contents of your protected folder.
Changing the password: Type change as your action and press Enter. The program will ask you for your current password. Upon successful entry of the current password (and pressing the Enter key), the program will ask for your new password. Upon successful entry of the new password, the program will change your password instantly. Then, the program will ask you for your new password hint. Make sure to add a hint that may help you remember your password.
Acknowledgment: This software has been made possible only through the suggestions of readers of this blog, especially Ernell Albert Galido for his idea of using a menu based interface.
Windows Compatibility: This program has been successfully tested on Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.
Support and Development
I will continue to develop this software further. So, your suggestions are invited. If you face any problem while using this software, you can use this support page.
A viable solution is storing this type of content in a password protected folder so that only those people that know the password can access the protected information. There are many folder locking programs available online but the problem is that most of the good ones are paid. Even if you do manage to get a good free one, you will be looked at suspiciously when people see a folder locker in the list of your installed programs or when they see the locked information.
If you too find yourself facing similar problems in similar situations, you can try Folder Protector, a password protector for Windows that is not only free but is also portable meaning that it does not need to be installed. Click on the executable file and the program will start running. I have created this program based on suggestions and feature requests that I have received by email over the last two years.
Folder Protector
Folder Protector offers each user a protected folder that can be opened by entering the password. Unlike most security programs, Folder Protector is small in size (nearly 58KB), does not show up in the list of your installed programs and does not show the folder that it is protecting. These features give an additional advantage that people who do not know that this program was used do not have a target to try and hack their way into. As the software is portable, you can hide it or even delete it after protecting your folder and no one will have a clue that it was used. Then, whenever you need to access protected files, you can re-download the program from this page, enter the password and access your protected files.Important:
1) This program uses a simple method to lock files and should not be used to protect truly sensitive information. It is best to encrypt that kind of information.
2) Do not reset your Windows PC when your folder is locked. Doing that might delete your files.
Download Folder Protector
Download for Windows 10, Windows 8 (8.1), Windows 7 and Windows VistaDownload for Windows XP
How to use Folder Protector?
Note: Since this is a CUI (Character User Interface) based program, you need to press the Enter key after each action to execute it.
When you run Folder Protector for the first time, the program will ask you for a password that you want to use. Enter a password that you can remember as this will be the password to your protected folder. You need to press the Enter key each time after entering the password. Then, the program will ask you for a password hint. Make sure to add a hint that may help you remember your password. You need to press the Enter key after entering the password hint.
After you enter the password and the password hint, the program will open a folder named SecuredFILES. This is your protected folder. You can add all your private files in this folder. This folder is located at the Desktop. After adding all your files, you may close this folder.
Then, you can use the menu in the program to lock your folder. To lock the folder, type lock as your action and press Enter. Then, type Y when asked to confirm and press the Enter key. After successfully locking the folder, SecuredFILES folder will disappear from the Desktop and Folder Protector will display that the folder is locked.
Unlocking the protected folder is easy. Type unlock as your action and press the Enter key. Then, the program will ask you to enter your password. Upon successfully entering the password (and pressing the Enter key), the program will display the contents of your protected folder.
Changing the password: Type change as your action and press Enter. The program will ask you for your current password. Upon successful entry of the current password (and pressing the Enter key), the program will ask for your new password. Upon successful entry of the new password, the program will change your password instantly. Then, the program will ask you for your new password hint. Make sure to add a hint that may help you remember your password.
Acknowledgment: This software has been made possible only through the suggestions of readers of this blog, especially Ernell Albert Galido for his idea of using a menu based interface.
Windows Compatibility: This program has been successfully tested on Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.
Support and Development
I will continue to develop this software further. So, your suggestions are invited. If you face any problem while using this software, you can use this support page.
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