How to create a Password Protected Folder in Windows 7

This tutorial will guide you through the steps required to create a password protected folder in Windows 7 – without installing any additional 3rd party software.

9/27/15 Update: although the screenshots will be different, the method outlined in this tutorial to create a password protected folder does work in Windows 8.

Background and Limitations

While the steps below will guide you in creating a hidden and password protected folder, this method is not 100% secure. It will deter the average computer user enough, but an advanced user will be able to access the contents of this folder. If you want to create a truly secure and encrypted place to store files and folders that absolutely nobody will ever be able to access, see the tutorial How to Securely Store Files in Windows (which requires installing software, but it’s completely free). You may also want to consider simply password protecting a .ZIP file.

Creating a Password Protected Folder

  1. Create a new folder and name it whatever you would like.
  2. example folder on the desktop

  3. Open the folder, right-click on a blank area in it, then select New -> Text Document from the pop-up menu.
  4. windows contextual menu with new text document highlighted

  5. Open the text file you just created by double-clicking it and copy/paste in the following text:

    cls
    @ECHO OFF
    title Folder Private
    if EXIST "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" goto UNLOCK
    if NOT EXIST Private goto MDLOCKER
    :CONFIRM
    echo Are you sure you want to lock the folder(Y/N)
    set/p "cho=>"
    if %cho%==Y goto LOCK
    if %cho%==y goto LOCK
    if %cho%==n goto END
    if %cho%==N goto END
    echo Invalid choice.
    goto CONFIRM
    :LOCK
    ren Private "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
    attrib +h +s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
    echo Folder locked
    goto End
    :UNLOCK
    echo Enter password to unlock folder
    set/p "pass=>"
    if NOT %pass%== PASSWORD_GOES_HERE goto FAIL
    attrib -h -s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
    ren "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" Private
    echo Folder Unlocked successfully
    goto End
    :FAIL
    echo Invalid password
    goto end
    :MDLOCKER
    md Private
    echo Private created successfully
    goto End
    :End

  6. In the above code, replace the key PASSWORD_GOES_HERE with the password you want to use to unlock the folder. For example if you want the password to be 123456, the line should look like:

    if NOT %pass%== 123456 goto FAIL

  7. Save your new file in the .bat format with the complete file name being locker.bat. To do this, make sure to change the Save as type: to All Files (*.*).
  8. windows save as menu
    click to enlarge



  9. In the folder you created back in Step #1, double click the locker.bat file and there will now be a new folder named Private where you can put anything you want.
  10. folder named private

  11. Upon exiting, double click the locker.bat file again. It will prompt you to answer whether you want to lock your folder or not. Press Y and the private folder will disappear.
  12. windows command line
    click to enlarge

  13. In order to retrieve the Private folder, all you have to do is double click the locker.bat file and enter the password which you set in Step #4 and the folder will appear again for you to access.
  14. windows command line with password
    click to enlarge

  15. That’s it!

Again, this method is not truly secure. How to Securely Store Files in Windows will take you through the steps to create a really secure folder (using free software).


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Home » Security » How to create a Password Protected Folder in Windows 7

71 thoughts on “How to create a Password Protected Folder in Windows 7”

  1. The tutorial was clear on how to do one by one step, even better than most of videos online.
    Very helpful too.
    Thank you!

  2. Worked great for me, many thanks! It is for the “average computer user”, which I am and most people around me are, so I feel secure.

  3. Thank you, this is awesome. Now I can hold my homework in a file without getting them deleted lol :P

  4. OMG ! It works………..!

    It’s reaLLy very awesome……….I’m haPPy nw..

    thanks a lot……………..

  5. One problem I saw with this.

    If you have the sidebar preview active, when you single click on the locker file, it shows the contents (i.e. the code) that has the password written into it. If one were to read the code, they could easily find out your password.

    Any way to fix this?

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