Put the password to the PC folders on Windows
As for the operating system Windows, the solutions you can rely on for put the password to the PC folders are many: the simplest solution is undoubtedly to create a compressed archive protected with a dedicated program, which can be accessed if necessary by typing the chosen password. Other solutions, however, involve the installation and configuration of tools that allow encrypt e protect files and folders.
Each of these methods has its pros and cons: for example, there are special programs capable of "forcing" the passwords set to protect compressed archives, which is why there is a probability of recovery even in the event of a lost password. Programs to protect folders after encrypting them, on the other hand, are more difficult to bypass but require a bit more configuration. It's up to you to choose the method that suits you best!
7-Zip
7-Zip is a well-known program for creating archive compressi, which allows you to set a password to be entered when opening the files created with it. How to use? I'll explain it to you right away. First, go to the 7-Zip website and press the link Download in correspondence with the wording exe, depending on the version of your operating system (32 o 64 bit), which you find in the table above. Next, start the downloaded file and press the buttons Yes, install e Close to conclude the setup.
Now, to protect a folder, do it click destroy on it and select the item 7-Zip> Add to archive ... from the menu that opens. The next window allows you to set the parameters for creating the archive: then choose from the menu Archive format the type of compression you intend to apply (7z o zip, as the others will not allow you to protect it), type the password you want to use to protect the archive in the boxes Enter password e Re-enter password (choose a safe one, I explained how to do it in my dedicated tutorial), select the item AES-256 give menu to tendin Crittographic method, finally put the check mark up Crittography and nomi dei files e pulsing sul pulsating OK.
Once the procedure is complete, double-click on the newly created archive to open it, enter the password to extract it and verify that all the files are in place. At this point you just have to delete the original folder containing unprotected files: by pressing and holding the key Shift, right click on its icon, select the item Delete from the context menu and reply Yes notice that appears on the screen. It wasn't difficult at all, was it?
VeraCrypt
Another very useful program for securing PC folders is VeraCrypt: it is a software that, in a few clicks, allows you to create real "volumes" protected by passwords, to be opened and modified exactly as if they were external disks or USB sticks.
To download the program, connected to the dedicated website, click on the button Download that you find on the right and then on the item VeraCrypt Setup xx.exe that you find next to the icon Windows. Start the exe file just downloaded and presses the button Yes, check the box I accept the license terms and, to complete the installation process, click the button first Next twice in a row and then on Install, OK, Finish e No. At this point, start the program by calling it from the desktop or menu Home/Start Screenclick sulla voce Settings> Language, scegli l'opzione cityno and finally click on OK.
To start the creation of the protected "folder", click on the button Create a volume…, tick the box Create a crypto file, presses the button NEXT and select the item CeraCrypt Standard volume. Click the button Select file ... and choose the folder in which to save the new volume, assign a name to the latter by typing it in the appropriate box and click on the buttons Save e NEXT.
In the next window, choose the encoding and “confusion” algorithms (you can safely leave the default options BEA e SHA-12, if you don't know what it is), press the button NEXT, specify the maximum size your volume must have and select theunit of measure (KB, MB, GB or TB) through the appropriate boxes and click on NEXT.
Now it's time to choose one Password safe and that you can remember easily: type in the boxes Password e Confirmation (you can set the check mark on the box Show Password if you want to make sure that the typing has been correct) and click on the button NEXT.
Then you have to choose "how" your folder must behave with regards to saving the files (therefore the file system to use for your volume): if you intend to save files larger than 4GB (e.g. movies or ISO images), check the box Yes, pigia sul pulsating NEXT and select NTFS give menu to tendin File System in the next window, otherwise check the box No, click here NEXT and choose the item FAT: from the drop-down menu.
At this point, it generates a strong encryption key moving the mouse randomly in the program window until the bar becomes green, finally click on the button Format and, when the procedure is completed, on the buttons Yes, OK ed Logout.
Accessing the newly created volume is very simple: open VeraCrypt, select one of the drive letters from the appropriate section (eg. G:), click on your button Select file ... and choose the protected volume you created earlier. Then press the button Monta, type the password in the appropriate field and click on OK. If everything went well, you can access your "protected folder" directly from the section computer o What PC Windows: Double-click the drive letter of your choice and manage the files inside exactly like a USB stick or external drive. This means you can copy files, rename them, move them from one folder to another, and so on.
Once your work is finished, to unmount the volume and lock it you simply have to open the main VeraCrypt screen, select the chosen drive and press the button Disassemble.
Put the password to the PC folders on macOS
Possiedi a Mac and would you like to password protect your folders? Don't worry, it's possible and pretty simple too! Below I will explain how to install VeraCrypt also on the Apple operating system and, in the next section, how to use theUtility disc to create encrypted volumes.
VeraCrypt
As I have already mentioned to you, one of the solutions you have available is VeraCrypt, the program we have just seen for Windows. Before proceeding with the actual installation, however, you must equip your operating system with the application FUSE For macOS: to proceed connected to your website, press the icon FUSE for macOS xxx that you find on the right and wait for the program to be downloaded to your computer.
Once the download is complete, open the file, double-click the icon Fuse for macOS, press the button three times Continue, Then Accept, Continue e Install, type your password when prompted, click on the button Install software and then on the buttons Ok e Open Security & Privacy System Preferences. At this point, click on the button Allow that you find below, close the window System Preferences, presses the button Close in the FUSE installation window and finally on the button Move.
Now you can proceed with the installation of VeraCrypt: connect to the dedicated web page and click on the link VeraCrypt_x.xx.dmg, wait for the file to download to your computer, open it and double-click the icon VeraCrypt_installer.pkg. At this point, press the button twice Continue, Then Accept e Install, enter your password when prompted and press the buttons again Install software, Close e Move.
Finally, call VeraCrypt from the folder Applications of your Mac and use it exactly as I explained in the section dedicated to Windows, replacing the Finder a Computer / This PC and disk number to the drive letter. However, I must warn you that, in this case, the program is only available in English.
Disk Utility
If you think that the procedure with VeraCrypt is too long, you don't intend to install third party programs on your computer or you don't chew English very well, know that you can get a very similar result using theDisk Utility already present in your computer's operating system. What you have to do is create an encrypted volume (therefore password protected) and save all the files you want to protect inside it.
To proceed, start Disk Utility from the folder Applications> Utilities on your Mac or by calling it from the folder Other of Launchpadclick sulla voce Fillet that you find at the top left, then on the items New Image> Empty Image ..., then set the menus as shown below.
- Save as e Your name - type the name you want to assign to your volume.
- located in - choose the location to save the volume and its data.
- Sizes - set here the maximum size that your archive can reach, according to your needs.
- Size - select the item Mac OS extended (journaled).
- Partitions - select Single Partition - Apple Partition Map.
- Image format - select Sparse Bundle disk image.
- Encode - select the item 128-bit AES.
After selecting the type of encoding, type the Password with which you intend to protect your volume in the field Password and digitize again in the field Verifica, then click the buttons Choose, Save and then end.
Once the procedure is complete, go to the location where you saved your "protected folder", open it by doing Double-click on it and type the password you set in the box provided, then click on the button OK.
At this point the encrypted volume is opened in the Finder, you can handle it exactly as you would for an external drive or USB stick: for example, with a simple operation of Cut / Paste you can move files inside it, you can rename them, create new folders, move files from one folder to another and so on. When you're done, remember to unmount the volume by clicking ⏏ next to the volume in the sidebar of the Finder, or by right-clicking on the icon located on the desktop and selecting the item Eject from the menu that opens. Simple, right?
Put the password to the PC folders on Linux
You're using the operating system Linux? Don't worry, putting the password to the PC folders is not difficult even in this case: you just need to know the right tools! First of all, I want to tell you that you can use VeraCrypt for the creation of encrypted volumes, in the same way as I explained to you in the section dedicated to Windows. If, on the other hand, you are looking for something more specific, I recommend that you turn to the open source program EncFs, which allows you to create an encrypted volume in which to save all files to be protected.
To install it on Ubuntu, open a terminal recalling it from the view Activities of GNOME or the Dash of Unity, type the command inside it sudo add-apt-repository ppa: gencfsm followed by Submit, type the administrator password followed by Submit, then type the command sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install gnome-encfs-manager, press Enter, then S and twice Submit, and finally close the terminal once the installation procedure is finished. Do you have another distribution? No problem: you can find dedicated packages on this website.
Once the installation procedure is completed, restart your computer and call the program from the application list of your operating system. Press on the green button + that you find at the top, type the Password choice in the fields Enter password: e Reenter password:, then click the button Crea and wait for the confirmation message. Note: You can customize the name of the encrypted volume or the mount point by ticking the appropriate boxes and typing the desired parameters in the fields.
Now, to access the newly created volume, double-click the icon on the Desktop or in the left sidebar of Fillet. You can use the encrypted volume exactly like an external disk or USB key: you can move the files to be protected inside it with a simple operation Cut / Paste.
When you have finished, dismounts the protected volume by clicking on (I.e. corresponding to it in the File sidebar, or right-click the icon on the desktop and select the item Eject give the menu check if you press.
To re-mount your protected "folder", click on the icon folder with key found in the GNOME top panel, select the name of the archive you want to mount and, when prompted, type the password. Easier done than said!
How to put the password to the PC folders