If you want to make sure that the files on your hard drive are kept private, you will need to password protect the folders you wish to secure. There are numerous methods of doing this, and this article will delve into each one. The more you learn about how to password protect your folders, the easier it will be to keep your files out of the wrong hands.

  1. Disk Utility

The first method that you can use to password protect certain folders on your Mac computer is to use the Disk Utility feature.

  • Open up the Disk Utility app on your computer. You can find it in Spotlight or the Applications folder.
  • Navigate to File, then New Image, and Image from Folder. You may also simply press the Shift, Command, and N buttons on your keyboard at the same time.
  • Next you will need to choose the folder that you want to put a password on.
  • Choose a name for the folder you want to password protect as well as the location it will be saved.
  • Select the 128-bit AES Encryption option and fill in the password you want to use.
  • Select the Image Format you want to use. There is Read Only, Compressed, Hybrid Image, and Read/Write.
  • Click the Save button.
  • Wait for the encryption process to finish. This could take a few minutes. When you receive the confirmation message, navigate to the location where you saved the image.
  • Type in the password in the window that appears. You will now be able to view the contents of the protected folder.
  1. Macpaw Hider

There are numerous third-party apps that you can use to password protect your Mac folders, and Macpaw Hider is one of the best. This app will allow you to protect folders and individual files with a password of your choosing. You will even be able to choose the encryption method that you want to use. It has a very user-friendly interface that you shouldn’t have any problems navigating.

  1. OpenSSL

OpenSSL is a utility that is already on your Mac computer that can be used to password protect your folders. This is a great way to ensure that your files stay private at all times.

  • Launch the Terminal on your computer and type in “openssl aes-256-cbc -in ~/Desktop/Photo.jpg -out ~/Desktop/Encrypted.file”
  • Next type in “–in ~/Desktop/folderyouwanttoprotect”
  • Type in the password when you are prompted on the Terminal screen.
  • Confirm the password when you are asked to.
  • You will now be able to see your encrypted file or folder on your desktop.
  1. Concealer

You can also use Concealer, which is a powerful tool that is built into every Mac. It will allow you to encrypt any files or folders you want to protect. This tool uses 256-bit encryption, so you can be completely certain that your folders will be safe from prying eyes. You can choose the password you want to use.

  1. Encrypto

Encrypto is another third-party program that you can use to password protect files and folders, and you can get it in the App Store.

  • Install Encrypto on your computer.
  • Launch the program and drag the folder you want to protect into the window beneath the down arrow.
  • Type in the password you wish to use for your folder.
  • Once you have entered an adequate password, click the orange Encrypt button. The encryption process will take a few minutes.
  • When the folder has been encrypted, drag the archive to a safe location on your hard drive.

Can you password protect a folder on a Mac?

Use Disk Utility to Password Protect Folders on Mac. You can password protect a folder through an encrypted disk image. This will create a new DMG file and require you to use a password to unlock it. Select the folder you want to password protect and choose either encryption option from the drop-down menu.

Can you add a password to a folder?

Locate and select the folder you wish to protect and click “Open”. In the Image Format drop down, select “read/write”. In the Encryption menu select the Encryption protocol you would like to use. Enter the password you would like to use for the folder.

How do you password protect files on a Mac?

You can give a PDF a password that everyone must enter to open the file. The password is used to encrypt the file. In the Preview app on your Mac, open the PDF that you want to password–protect. Choose File > Export, then select Encrypt.

How do you password protect a folder on a Mac without Disk Utility?

Encrypt The File Or Folder

Then after that, type in the password that you have set earlier. Choose the Encrypt button located in the Hide And Encrypt. You can also drag a file and then press the “Encrypt” button. By this time, the file won’t be seen by others.

How do I encrypt a file with a password?

You can protect a document by using a password to help prevent unauthorized access.
  1. Click the File tab.
  2. Click Info.
  3. Click Protect Document, and then click Encrypt with Password.
  4. In the Encrypt Document box, type a password, and then click OK.
  5. In the Confirm Password box, type the password again, and then click OK.

Why can’t I password protect a folder?

One of the reasons why you can’t set a password to a folder is because your account is already protected from unauthorized access with a password and even encryption if you use BitLocker to encrypt your entire device.

How do I encrypt a folder?

If you are using a single account, see the other security solutions section.
  1. Select the file or folder you want to encrypt.
  2. Right-click the file or folder, and click Properties.
  3. On the General tab, click the Advanced button.
  4. Check the box for the Encrypt contents to secure data option.
  5. Click Apply and then OK.

How do I send an encrypted folder?

What happens when I encrypt a folder?

If you encrypt files and folders in Windows, your data will become unreadable to unauthorized parties. Only someone with the correct password, or decryption key, can make the data readable again.

Why would you encrypt a file?

File encryption helps protect your data by encrypting it. Only someone with the right encryption key (such as a password) can decrypt it. File encryption is not available in Windows 10 Home.

How do I hide a folder?

How to make a hidden file or folder on a Windows 10 computer
  1. Find the file or folder you want to hide.
  2. Right-click it, and select “Properties.”
  3. In the menu that appears, check the box that’s labeled “Hidden.”
  4. Click “OK” at the bottom of the window.
  5. Your file or folder is now hidden.

How do I hide a folder on my laptop?

Select the Start button, then select Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization. Select Folder Options, then select the View tab. Under Advanced settings, select Show hidden files, folders, and drives, and then select OK.

How do I hide a folder on my Mac desktop?

Go the to the location where you want to hide stuff, hold down the “Command” key and click to select all the files and folders you want to hide. Once you’re finished, simply drag them into the Terminal window. The command prompt will paste all the locations you just dragged behind the chflags command.

How do you create a folder?

Create a new folder when saving your document by using the Save As dialog box
  1. With your document open, click File > Save As.
  2. Under Save As, select where you want to create your new folder.
  3. In the Save As dialog box that opens, click New Folder.
  4. Type the name of your new folder, and press Enter.
  5. Click Save.

How do I hide pictures and videos on my laptop?

Hiding files in Windows is pretty easy:
  1. Select the files or folders you want to hide.
  2. Right-click and choose Properties.
  3. Click the General tab.
  4. Click the checkbox next to Hidden in the Attributes section.
  5. Click Apply.

How can I lock a folder of pictures on my laptop?

Password–protect a folder
  1. In Windows Explorer, navigate to the folder you want to password–protect. Right-click on the folder.
  2. Select Properties from the menu.
  3. Click the Advanced button, then select Encrypt content to secure data.
  4. Double-click the the folder to ensure you can access it.