How to Lock/Protect Folders in Windows

Hiding files and folders is one question I am constantly being asked about in IT. It seems there is a lot of data out there that people simply do not want others to see. I’ve previously written several articles on hiding and locking files/folders:

You would think that would be enough, but I’ve realized that this type of service is constantly changing. Some programs become obsolete and other methods to hide data previously written about are not common knowledge and can be cracked.

In this article, I will show you another useful program to lock files and folders in Windows. It’s free, very light-weight, and works very well for it’s intended purpose.

Easy File Locker will prevent people from opening, reading, modifying, deleting, moving, or copying any locked file or folder that you specify. It can even hide files and folders so that no user and no program can see it.

Also, what I like about this program is that it will even hide files and folders while in Safe Mode or when browsing from the command prompt. It’s very secure and you cannot uninstall the program or launch it without knowing the correct password.

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Once you start the application, the first thing you want to want to do is setup a password for the program so that it cannot be modified or changed. Click on System and then click on Set Password

Make sure you type in something that is long and complex. You don’t want someone guessing your password or using a program to perform a brute force attack.

Now click on Edit and choose Add File or Add Folder to secure either a file or folder in Windows.

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Now go ahead and choose the file or folder that you want to hide or lock down. Once you select it, a new window will pop up where you can select the security permissions for the file or folder.

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You have four options here and I give a short description below:

Accessible – The file/folder can be browsed using Windows Explorer or an application or via the command prompt.
Writable – The file/folder can be edited, meaning new files can be added or current files can be modified.
Deletable – The file/folder can be deleted.
Visible – The file/folder will be visible in Windows Explorer, an application, or the via the command prompt.

You can mix and match these permissions in any way you like. You can have a folder be visible, but not accessible. Or you can make the file/folder hidden, not writable and not deletable!.

That’s pretty much it! Using the program is simple and as long as you have a complex password, it’s not easily hackable! So if you are looking for a free and simple way to hide folders and files on your computer, check out Easy File Locker! Enjoy!