We have already told you that in certain circumstances and types of use of a computer, the protection of certain contents is something basic. We must bear in mind that we are dealing with more and more sensitive data on our computer, so we must avoid at all costs that all of this falls into the wrong hands. A method that has been used for years and that is very effective is to protect certain personal folders.
This is something that we can carry out, as we will see below, through certain specific applications for all of it. Next, we are going to give you a series of software solutions that will be very helpful for these specific tasks. You will find some more complete than others, or extremely simple when configuring them. We cannot forget that these programs should be within the reach of any user, even new ones, since these security measures are useful for everyone.
Therefore, you only have to choose the one that you like the most from the options that we are going to show you, or at least the one that best suits your needs and types of use.
Folder Protect
We can start with Folder Protect, one of the programs to protect folders with a password created by the Kakasoft company. It is an excellent solution to protect the information of your directories with password. It will help us to avoid the leak and possible violation of our data as well as resist, according to the company, virus attacks and even ransomware problems. It has two versions, one free and one paid. The paid version is priced at €52.85, which corresponds to a lifetime license and also for 3 teams. It adds 256-bit AES encryption, plus a login password to prevent accessing the program without your master password. We can get it through the .
Let’s delve into its interface. Initially we find a rather austere design. It is mainly composed of 2 points. The first, the directory that we are going to protect, and, on the other hand, the password that we are going to give it. If we open the drop-down on the right, it opens two possibilities to prevent you from losing the information if you lose your password.
We like
Folder Protect is a very easy to use application with which we can protect access to any folder through a password. Also, if we forget it, we can receive it through the email associated with the license that allows us to use the application without limits.
We do not like it
It is not a free application and its price is somewhat high compared to other solutions, although since it can be used on up to 3 computers, we can share the license with other friends and pay a third of what each one costs.
VeraCrypt
VeraCrypt through a freeware license helps us encrypt our documents, files, partitions and other media with powerful algorithms such as: AES, Serpent and Twofish, etc or even a combination thereof. In addition, it allows you to create a virtual media that will have to be authenticated initially before starting Windows.
It is currently in its version 1.25.9 corresponding to February 2022. In this case, it is possible to think that it has not had or will not have more updates. But we also know that if something works and you have reached the point of development that you want, it is only necessary to correct the possible bugs that we find.
As we have said before, it has a freeware license that allows us to use it without restrictions and completely free of charge. We can get it for the different operating systems from your .
Positive points
VeraCrypt is one of the best solutions to protect folders and drives with encryption completely free of charge and without any purchases inside. The last update is from the beginning of 2022, so it is not an application abandoned by its creator.
negative aspects
It is not updated regularly, so it is not a good option if we want to use an application that is updated periodically, since it is a completely free project.
Folder Lock
NewSotwares brings us the Folder Lock tool, which has the ability to encrypt directories in seconds. Other of its many functions that it has is the function of protecting our external media, whether they are USB memories, external hard drives, etc.
Further we can highlight that Folder Lock has a file shredder, in which we will be able to select the destruction algorithm that we want, which as advice and for normal use with the one that comes by default would be more than enough. Add a password manager that will be very useful for us.
Folder Lock is in its version 7.8.0 and although it has a free version, its full version costs $4.95. The design of its interface as we see below is quite friendly for any type of user. We can get it through the following .
stands out for
With Folder Lock we can not only protect the contents of folders, but we can also protect USB drives, encrypt files and much more. The application is updated regularly, so if we have a problem, we can access the website to find a solution through the support section.
Needs improvement
The free version has so many limitations that it is absolutely useless. The paid version only allows us to use it on a computer, so we cannot share it with other friends to pay at least and save some money.
Protect your directories with Windows
If you are a user with an advanced level and also do not want to install third-party programs to protect folders with a password, you can do it with the following method. Yes, it is true that we do not protect it with any type of encryption, simply with a password and a program that we create, but, for a first level of security, it is more than enough. To do this, we create a text document with the notepad with the name we want in our case “hidden” and we add the bat extension at the end, leaving “occulto.bat” as a result.
The program consists of the following lines of code:
Where we find “Encrypted Folder” we must replace it with the name of the directory that we want to protect and also, we must replace “SOFTZONE” with the password that we want to protect the directory.
We can see that the file has been saved as a program as we see in the following screenshot.
Once we open the mini-program that we have created, it will ask us if we want to hide the directory that we have designated inside. We will give “S” and it will be in charge of hiding it with the password that we have decided.
And if, on the other hand, we want to carry out the reverse operation, we simply have to reopen the program, enter our password and again and our directory will be available again.
However, we need to do one for each directory that we want to protect. And although it is not the best solution to protect our files, nor does it protect us against ransomware as in the other alternatives, we should not install any other third-party program that we may be wary of. This option is compatible with any version of Windows available, therefore, we can consider it as an added bonus for those people who are still on versions prior to Windows 10.
IObit Protected Folder
We continue with IObit Protected Folder. Developed by IObit, it offers us a much more visual experience than the rest. From its installation, it accompanies the user through its interface, initially asking him to fill in the password with which he wishes to protect the start of the program and its files, as well as a hint in case he forgets it. Also, as if that were not enough, once we finish installing the program, it opens a tutorial on the protection process. We can buy it for €19.95 from its
FolderGuard
This time we bring a tool from Winability Software, giving us the ability to protect our directories or hide them as needed. Also, unlike the rest, we can encrypt the directories we want with a different password. With a starting price for two computers of $39.95 we can have version 20.1 of this software through the .
LocK-A-FoLdeR
With less than a megabyte in weight, Lock a Folder is a free tool that can satisfy the needs of the most demanding users. You simply enter a master password that the program requires at startup and add the directories you want to protect. The rest is taken care of by this practical tool that, if that weren’t enough, consumes a very small amount of resources. We can find it.
Anvi Folder Locker
To finish this list we bring you Anvi Folder Locker, another of the best-known programs to protect folders with passwords. This will be in charge of encrypting our most personal folders and files. With a very simple user interface, it offers us the possibility of hiding all our most sensitive information through a master password, which will be requested when starting the program for the first time. If there is something that we don’t like in particular, it is that once we install this software, it forces Windows Explorer to be restarted, something that did not happen with the other alternatives. We can download the software.
As we can see, this is just a sample of all the possibilities that we can find in the market, whether paid or free. What is true is that currently we must be careful with our personal information and give greater importance to what information we keep on our computers and how we protect it from possible attacks and spies.
The best solution for folder protection
As is the case with most software industries, sometimes choosing the most appropriate title for each case will be quite complex. This can occur largely due to the enormous availability of solutions in the same direction, as is the case at hand. Therefore, at this point we recommend trying some in order to choose first-hand the one that best suits what you really need.
From these lines, if we have to highlight one of these programs, we will opt for the so-called VeraCrypt. This is a solution that has been with us for a good number of years, so it has improved based on experience. To all this, we must add that we have a free version to save us spending money. At the same time, it should be noted that the protection function is quite customizable for those who want to delve a little deeper into these tasks.
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