Right-click on file you would like to encrypt from other users and choose Properties from the ensuing menu, as shown. Press Windows key + E keys simultaneously to open File Explorer Note: EFS is only available on Enterprise and Professional versions of Windows.įollow the steps listed below to encrypt a folder in Windows 10 using EFS. Although, be sure to set a strong password for your user account as that is the only thing that stands between others accessing your encrypted files and folders. You simply need to log in from that user account to access the files and need not enter the encryption password again. And, all other accounts will be prohibited from interacting with the encrypted file. In layman’s terms, only the user account that encrypted the files will be able to access them. This can be achieved by using the EFS feature which encrypts data on NTFS drives on a per-user basis.

If that is indeed the case, making separate user accounts is the first step followed by denying access to your personal files to other users. More often than not, users are only looking to protect certain files from their privacy-invading siblings or envious colleagues who have access to their computer. How to Encrypt a Folder in Windows 10 Method 1: Use Encrypting File System on Windows Enterprise & Pro Step I: Encrypt File/Folder using EFS Step II: Set & Save Encryption Key Method 2: Use Third-party Encryption Programs on Windows Home Edition Step I: Encrypt File/Folder using 7-Zip Step II: Extract Contents of Encrypted File How to Encrypt Word Documents Pro Tip: How to Encrypt Windows Drives/Partitions Method 1: Use Encrypting File System on Windows Enterprise & Pro # Apart from these native tools, there are also a plethora of third-party encryption applications available on the internet which offer additional features. EFS stands for Encrypting File System and is used to encrypt individual files and folders whereas Bitlocker is used to encrypt entire volumes.

Windows 10 offers two built-in tools for this purpose, namely, EFS and Bitlocker. Depending on what you are looking to encrypt, there are different folder encryption software that can be used.

Encrypt files windows 10