Download the program to protect files. How to put a password on a folder in different ways. Paid programs to protect folders

PDF file protection is designed to ensure compliance with copyright laws through features that prevent others from copying or otherwise reproducing the file's contents. The owner or author of a PDF file can restrict access to read, print, copy, and edit the document by protecting it with a password. If you need to change or copy text from PDF file but you don't have necessary rights access to the file, then in order to unlock the PDF file you must perform the following steps.

Method 1 of 11: Find out what exactly the installed protection is blocking

">Open the PDF file. If you need a password in order to open a file, then you will need to download a program to crack it. This approach is very resource intensive. Hacking even the most simple passwords may take several days, during which time the computer will be unable to perform other tasks. There is a very small chance that well-protected passwords will not be cracked at all.

Check for protection. If you do not need a password to open the file, you can determine if the file is otherwise protected by the presence of a padlock icon. If the document is protected, this icon will be located at the top (located on the left) of the panel. Click on the icon to make sure the file is protected.

Method 2 of 11: Unprotect a PDF file as the owner or author

1. 
   
   Open a secure PDF file. To do this you can use the program Adobe Acrobat. For this method to work, you must be the author of the document or know the password.


2. 
   
   Click the Secure button. This button is located on the task toolbar. It is easy to recognize due to the presence of a castle image on it.
   


3. 
   
   Change your security settings. If you want to configure security settings rather than unprotect the PDF file, then select the "Permission detail" option located under the Secure button.
   

Method 3 of 11: Using Google Drive

You can also set a password for a folder using special programs, paid and free. In this article we will look at several free programs to protect folders with a password.

Remember, before reinstalling Windows, you must open access to all folders!

The installation process of WinMend Folder Hidden is similar to other programs, so we will not dwell on it in more detail. We only note that during installation, select English language(English), because Apart from this, only Greek is available. Later, in the program itself, it can be changed to Russian.

When you first start the program, you need to come up with, enter and confirm a login password consisting of 6 to 15 characters.

Each time you start the program, you will need to enter your password.

The running program looks like this:

To protect a folder with a password, drag it with the mouse into the program window, or specify the path to it using the “Hide Folder” button located on the right.

You can use the Show and Hide buttons to show and hide files. This way you will protect the selected objects. For example, to display hidden ones you need to run the program and enter your password. You can also “Change the password” to enter the program and “Delete” selected objects from it. The program language selection is located in the lower right corner. This program for protecting folders with a password is simple and straightforward, anyone can understand it.

Now you know how to put a password on a folder or individual file.

We launch the program for setting a password for the folder. When you first start it, it will prompt you to read the license. Click the “I Accept” button license agreement" In subsequent launches it will launch immediately bypassing this window

So, in fact, it was installed without any problems, which is good news. Now we need to select the folder on which we want to set a password and hide it from prying eyes. Click on the big plus sign, which means adding a folder

In the folder overview, I select the same “Documents” folder as in the first method and click “Ok”

Now, having previously selected the folder for setting the password “Documents”, click on the “Lock” button

There is also a special option “Reminders”, in case we suddenly forget set password. The button is in the lower right corner. Just press it and write a hint

So, we installed the hint, click the “Close access” button

Access to the folder is now closed. And by the way, this folder can no longer be found anywhere on the computer (at least for the average user).

Now. To work with a folder, you need to open the program again and double-click on it. A password entry field for the folder will appear. Enter it and the folder appears again in the same place where it was. That is, open “My Computer” or another file manager and go to the place where it was previously located.

The folder without a password is colored light blue.

Now you know how to set a password for a folder. I hope this article will help you keep confidential information safe and sound.

Another disadvantage of the above-mentioned program is the inability to create multiple user profiles. That is, only one user can use the function of hiding information: the second copy of the application (no matter where it is installed) will still call the same storage as the first:(. However, if you only need to hide something personally, then Folder Hidden would be an ideal option!

Installing WinMend Folder Hidden

To install the program we need to run standard installer. However, there are no instructions in Russian, so you will first have to select English:

After clicking the “Finish” button in the last installer dialog box, the program itself will start.

When you first start, you will need to come up with a password (6 to 15 characters) to access the hidden storage and enter it twice in the form that opens. After confirming the password and pressing the button "Ok", we will see the actual working window Folder Hidden:

WinMend Folder Hidden interface

The program interface is English by default, however, Russian localization is also present. To activate it, just click the button "English" in the lower right corner of the working window, and in the dialog that opens, select the item "Russian", then press the button "Ok". Changing the language will happen without restarting the program itself, so we can get started right away:

Working with the program

First you need to click one of the two top buttons: for example, to hide an entire directory (as in our case) - "Hide folder". In the overview window that opens, it is now enough to select the desired folder and press "Ok".

The folder we specified will disappear, but will appear in the list Folder Hidden as new entry. To the right of the entry you will see its current status. Now, even if you close the program, all entries with the “Hidden” status will remain invisible until you return to Folder Hidden and do not activate their visibility!

Now let's talk about how to return our folders to their original place. There are two ways in the program change visibility hidden files and folders:

1. Use the buttons on the sidebar (right). In order for the button "Show" has become active, the desired entry must first be ticked (on the left). This method of displaying hidden folders will be especially convenient if you need to open several or even all hidden folders.
2. To display a single entry in a list Folder Hidden just call up its context menu and select the item "Show"(or “Hide”). Here (in the menu) there is another item ( "View Path"), which allows you to quickly navigate to the directory where the hidden file or folder is located.

If desired, while in the main window Folder Hidden, you can change the program login password. To do this you need to press the button "Change password" and in the window that opens enter twice new code access to our hidden files and folders.

You can protect folders and the files in them only if the computer uses a file system NTFS. The administrator has access to all folders of all users, even if the accounts are protected by passwords. At the same time, users working with limited accounts cannot view, much less edit, documents of other users if these documents are stored in the “My Documents” folders. However, any file stored in such a folder can be made protected (private), inaccessible to anyone except those who know the account password.

ATTENTION! Only those folders that are stored in the “My Documents” folder can be made personal (protected). All files in the protected folder are also protected.

To make a folder personal, just select this folder, click right click mouse by its name, select the context menu item Sharing and Security, and then check the box next to the line Unshare this folder. You cannot protect a single file. All files and folders inside the one for which the checkbox is selected become private and protected.

If you disable sharing access to a folder, problems may arise when moving folders and files to another location on the disk: access to this folder may be disabled. This happens because when you move a folder, the folder's access permissions are preserved. The problem is solved by copying the folder or file rather than moving it. After copying, the unnecessary document can be destroyed.

26. Encrypt folders and files

Windows XP has an Encrypting File System (EFS), which makes it possible to encrypt folders and files on NTFS drives. All new files created in an encrypted folder are automatically encrypted by the system. Only the user who encrypted the file can access it. When such a file is accessed, it is automatically decrypted, and when written to disk, it is encrypted again. The user will not even notice that he is working with an encrypted file.

The first time you enable encryption, Windows XP creates an EFS certificate that stores the keys used to encrypt and decrypt files. You should store copies of the certificate on a floppy disk, since if it is lost in the event of a failure, for example due to an unexpected power outage, it will be impossible to use the encrypted files. The certificate allows you to work with encrypted files on any computer if it has the Windows XP operating system installed.

Windows XP Explorer uses green font to indicate encrypted folders and files.

ATTENTION! Compressed files cannot be encrypted, encrypted files cannot be compressed.

In order to encrypt file or folder follow these steps.

Open the “My Computer” window and navigate to the file or folder that you want to encrypt.

Right-click on a folder (or file). A context menu will appear in which you should select Properties to open the Object Properties window.

Click Additionally to open the “Additional attributes” window, in which you need to check the box Encrypt content to protect data.

Click OK to close the Additional Attributes window, and then click Apply to open the Confirm Attribute Changes dialog box.

Click on the "Apply changes to" button this folder, subfolders and files" to select this option.

Click OK. The Confirm Attribute Changes dialog box closes and the Attribute Change dialog box opens. Applying attributes", displaying the progress level of the encryption process.

Click OK to close the Object Properties window.

The first time a user encrypts a file or folder in their My Documents folder, the system creates a certificate file that contains the encryption and decryption keys. The certificate file has the extension .PFX (Personal Information Exchange). All users should keep copies of their encryption certificates. If the certificates on the system are damaged or lost, the encrypted files will be lost.

To create a copy of the certificate(export) follow these steps.

Log into your computer using your username and password (no need to use an administrator password). Then click the Start button and click on the Internet.

In the menu bar of the browser window, select the command Service, and in the list that opens - Internet Options. A dialog box titled “Properties: Internet” will open (Fig. 6). Select a tab Content, and in it – Certificates. The Certificates window will open.

Rice. 6. Part of the “Internet Properties” window

In the “Certificates” window, click the “Export” button to launch Certificate Export Wizards. Click "Next".

Select an item Yes, export private key. Click the "Next" button twice.

Provide a password for the certificate file. This password may not be the same as your login password. Click Next.

Specify the path to the exported file and its name. Click Next and Finish.

Import (enter) a personal encryption certificate may be needed in two cases: the original certificate is damaged or there is a need to work with encrypted files on another computer. A certificate allows a user to work with encrypted files on another computer if that PC is running the Windows XP operating system and using the Windows 2000 interface. Keep all your certificates on media in a safe place.

In order to import personal encryption certificate follow these steps:

In Control Panel, select Internet Options. The “Properties: Internet” window will open (Fig. 6), in which you need to go to the tab Content, Click the Certificates button to open the Certificates dialog box.

Click the "Import" button to launch the Certificate Import Wizard. Click Next.

Specify the path to the saved certificate file and its name (PFX file). Click Next.

Enter your password and set other import options. Click Next.

Check the box Place all certificates in the following store, Click Browse and select a folder. Click OK, Next and Finish.

Each user has some kind of confidential data and he would not want other users to see this data. In fact, it doesn’t matter what kind of files they are, the main thing is that they are personal information that should be inaccessible to others. In this difficult task, the user will be helped by programs for encrypting and protecting files, which we will discuss below.

Some programs have integrated tools for protecting documents with passwords, such as Microsoft Office and WinRAR. But the disadvantage of their protection is that there are many hacking utilities for these programs, with the help of which it is quite possible to hack this protection. What if you need to hide a photo, audio recording or video?!

So, what can be hidden and encrypted with encryption programs? Users usually hide separate files, folders, entire logical partitions hard drive, portable media (memory cards, flash drives, external hard disks), email and much more.

Note that hiding and encrypting files is not a complex, but rather easy operation, which is comparable in complexity to ordinary editing a text file.

In conclusion, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that programs for encrypting and protecting data can be dangerous due to the inattention of the users themselves. A situation may arise that the user himself cannot access encrypted data due to loss or forgetting of the password, any problems with the operating system and other situations. For use of this type software you need to approach it seriously and carefully.

Every user has their own confidential folders and files on their computer that they would like to protect from prying eyes. For example, at home it is necessary to protect a child from information not intended for him, and at work, for one reason or another, it may be undesirable to show other employees some of your work materials. Well, besides, tell me, hand on heart, do you always calmly allow your colleagues to use your work computer or your household members to use your home computer? Hardly... And the reason here lies not only in the desire to limit access to confidential information, but also in the subconscious fear of losing your own materials due to the illiterate actions of other users - that is, for example, when your own child actively begins to master the art of working with files and folders with all the ensuing sad consequences for you. It is worth noting that the need to protect confidential information from prying eyes is relevant not only if such data is constantly stored at work or home computer, but also when transferring them to other users via e-mail on either various media(CD/DVD disks, USB drives, floppy disks, etc.). It often makes sense to also think about protecting folders and files of the operating system and applications from changes, deletion or movement in an unknown direction, which is often managed by insufficiently prepared users. If this is your case, then it is wiser to hide such folders altogether, say, from the eyes of household members, and this action alone can significantly extend the performance of your computer, since hidden folders can be used in the usual way (for example, by launching application programs from the Start menu), but you won’t be able to delete them, rename them, or move them. As for confidential information, it is better to block it - blocked folders will be inaccessible either for viewing or editing, and therefore the documents contained in them will be reliably protected from any changes. If you don’t want other users to be aware that some information is being hidden from them, then you should combine blocking with hiding. Well, if this doesn’t seem enough to you, then no one forbids you to also encrypt the most secret materials.

Protect folders and files with built-in Windows tools

Theoretically, you can hide your folders and files using the built-in Windows features- to do this, just enable the “Hidden” attribute in the properties of the corresponding objects. Folders and files hidden in this way will not be visible in Explorer to other system users, but only if the “Do not show” checkbox is enabled in the properties of the parent folders containing them hidden files and folders." In principle, this may be enough to protect your data from the most unprepared audience. However, objects hidden in this way will be visible in applications that do not use standard dialogue to display files and folders (FAR, Total Commander etc.), therefore such protection is more than unreliable.

A more reliable option for data protection built-in using Windows is to use the EFS encrypted file system (Encrypting File System, EFS), which allows you to encrypt files by enabling the "Encrypt contents to protect data" option for them in Explorer (Properties > General > Advanced). It is impossible to read files encrypted in this way without knowing the password, but the EFS system allows you to protect folders and files only in file system NTFS.

Therefore, to protect personal folders and files, it is much better to use specialized utilities. These solutions will allow you to more securely hide folders and files (they will not be visible if you disable the "Do not show hidden files and folders" checkbox), as well as block access to them and even encrypt the data itself.

Programs for hiding, blocking and encrypting folders and files

There are a lot of programs on the market for hiding/encrypting folders and files, and the level of protection implemented in them differs markedly. Some solutions only provide for hiding folders and files and/or blocking them (it happens that similar options are available for disks). Others additionally support full file encryption (Table 1), which ensures data protection even when downloaded to another operating system or installing the disk on another computer. We do not set a goal to identify the best of existing solutions, since everything here depends on the tasks facing the user, but simply as examples we will give the most attractive, in our (obviously subjective) opinion, diverse tools. Here, by the way, it is immediately worth noting several nuances. Firstly, it is quite possible that by default protected data will be inaccessible to other users only when normal loading OS, and when booting Windows V safe mode(SafeMode) access to them will be open. This can be explained very simply: in a safe Windows mode loads only the drivers necessary for the system to operate, and skips all additional ones (including those responsible for hiding data), which leads to a similar result. So it is possible that to protect data in SafeMode, you will need to make some settings in the utilities (usually just enable the corresponding checkbox). Secondly, other users will be able to access hidden or blocked data by booting into another operating system if several are installed on the computer, but the protection program is configured in only one. There is another way - rearrange HDD with protected information to another computer as an additional one, boot into it, after which you can easily access the data. WITH external media(USB, flash, CD-RW, etc.) are even simpler - just install them on another computer - and the protection is gone. However, in real life, quite often such protection (if, for example, we are talking about a hard drive, there is only one OS on the computer, and you know for sure that other users will not be able to connect it to another computer) may be quite sufficient. In addition, if you accidentally forget the password to your data (we are all guilty of this), you will always have a reliable way to access it on another computer. Well, if you have top-secret materials stored in your arsenal, and the attackers who are eager to get to them are professionals, then you can’t limit yourself to just hiding or blocking the data - you need to encrypt it. Encrypted data cannot be read either when booted in SafeMode or when booted into another OS or on another computer. But if you manage to forget the password to the data, then you can safely “give up” on these top-secret materials - no one, including you personally, will be able to get to them.

Table 1. Functionality of solutions for hiding, blocking and encrypting folders and files (click to enlarge)

Universal Shield 4.3

Developer: Everstrike Software
Distribution size: 1.86 MB
Spreading: shareware Universal Shield is a very convenient tool for protecting personal files, folders and drives (including network drives) by hiding and encrypting them (seven encryption algorithms are supported, including AES with a 256-bit key). It is possible to hide files that match a specific mask (say, C:*.doc). It is possible to set different access rules (read, write, visibility and delete), which allows you to choose a variety of combinations of parameters - for example, you can make files accessible for reading and writing and prohibit their deletion. This access option allows you not only to prevent the deletion of personal data, but also application files, which is often no less important. If no activity has been performed on the computer for a certain period, the data can be blocked automatically. For greater security, it is possible to use a special Stealth Mode, which hides all user-visible information about the installation of Universal Shield - the program shortcut on the desktop and in the Start menu, as well as the corresponding folder in Program Files. Access to the program in this mode is possible only by pressing a pre-agreed key combination. There is support for "trusted processes", which allows you to backup files, checking them for viruses and similar operations in a protected state. Access to program settings requires entering a master password. The demo version of the program is fully functional for 30 days, the cost of the commercial version is $34.95. You can protect data in two ways - using the wizard that automatically starts when you first load the program (then it can be activated by the File > Universal Shield Wizard command or the Wizard button ) or manually. If the choice is made in favor of the master, you will have to perform several operations sequentially. First, select a protection option - that is, indicate to the program whether the data will be hidden or encrypted, or whether it will have limited access options. And then, in two steps, the data to be protected is selected, during which you can not only explicitly specify it, but also use file masks. Protecting data manually is no more difficult - the Protect button and the File > Protect Object command are responsible for this operation. For example, by clicking on the Protect button, you will have to define the data type (disk, folder, file or mask) on the left side of the window that opens, and on the right side, specify the protected object itself on the disk and configure its protection parameters. Adjustment of the installed type of protection is made through the properties of the object (Properties button), and refusal of protection is done by normal removal object from the program window. Temporary removal of protection is carried out from the utility itself by pressing the Locked button or using hot keys (the latter is much faster and more convenient).

Securing your files by encrypting them requires a little more time and effort. First, in the same way as discussed above, configure basic parameters protection (Protect button). And then the protected object that appears in the utility window is additionally encrypted (Encrypt button) indicating the encryption algorithm and password. Decryption is performed by clicking on the Decrypt button, and, of course, is impossible without knowing the password.

Additionally, Universal Shield allows you to restrict access to special Windows folders (My Documents, Favorites, Control Panel, etc.), protect the desktop from changes (so that users cannot delete, add or change shortcuts and icons on the desktop), restrict access the control panel and prevent the date and time on your computer from being changed. This can be done through the wizard, or by using the File > Security tricks command.

There is a cheaper, simplified version of Universal Shield, Lock Folder XP (1.38 MB; $24.95), which limits the ability to protect drives, folders and files to hiding them. In addition, this utility does not support trusted processes and the use of hot keys is limited (however, the main function of quickly enabling/disabling protection is present), as well as limited functionality in terms of regulating access to special Windows folders and system settings. Setting up data protection in Lock Folder XP is possible through a wizard or manually - in both cases you will need to determine the type of data to be hidden and indicate which, for example, folders you want to hide. The Locked/Unlocked button or pressing the Ctrl + Win key combination is used to temporarily enable/disable protection.

Folder Guard 8.1

Developer: WinAbility Software Corporation
Distribution size: 3.29 MB
Spreading: shareware Folder Guard is a simple and convenient solution for restricting access to folders and files, as well as preventing access to a number of Windows settings. Restricting access to personal data is carried out by hiding it, setting read-only access, or blocking it. Hiding is implemented in two options - you can make folders and files hidden or assign folders as empty (Empty). In the second case, the folders will be externally visible, but when opened they will look empty, although in reality they will contain information - this protection option is reasonable in relation to standard Windows folders, the complete hiding of which will tell other users that the information on the computer is blocked, which is undesirable. Protected folders will not be accessible to other users of the system even when Windows boots in safe mode, however, for this you will need to enable the corresponding checkbox in the settings. Access to the settings of the program itself is provided only by entering the master password, in case you forget given password there is a function to restore it using free utility Emergency Recovery. The ability to operate the program in Stealth Mode has also been implemented, in which its own shortcuts and files will be hidden. The demo version of the program is fully functional for 30 days, the cost of the commercial version depends on the license type: personal license - $29.95, business license - $59.95.

You can protect your data using a wizard that starts automatically when you load the program (of course, it’s easy to disable the wizard from starting), or manually. When working with the wizard, specify a folder with documents, determine whether to set a password for access to the folder, set the visibility option for the folder (visible, hidden or empty) and determine the level of access to it ( full access, no access, "read only"). To control the level of access to files of a certain type, the use of file masks is additionally allowed. When protecting manually, the procedure will be the same, with the exception that you will have to perform them yourself - first select the folder of interest in the program window, and then set all the required settings by clicking on the corresponding buttons in the program window (Read-Only, No Access, Visible, etc.) or by selecting the necessary commands in context menu. To remove the protection, you will have to perform the same set of actions, but in reverse order.

It is possible to set different restrictions for different users (the corresponding users will first have to be added using the Protect > User List command) - this is very convenient, since there will be no need to regularly remove protection in case of manual work on the computer. It is possible to configure a list of “trusted programs” (Protect > Trusted Programs) - that is, an antivirus, backup program, etc., which will allow you to carry out the corresponding operations without removing protection. The key combination Ctrl+G and the Toggle Protection button are responsible for switching from protected mode to normal mode. In addition to protecting folders and files, Folder Guard can also protect basic settings OS from adjustment (command Protect > Permissions). In particular, block access to the properties of the taskbar, Start menu and a number of other windows, prohibit saving display properties (if they have been changed), block changes to folder properties and settings Internet Explorer, do not show icons on the desktop. And also prevent changes in parameters critical to the operation of the system by closing access to the control panel and setting a series of bans: on access to system registry, adding/removing printers, using the Run command, etc. You can also hide it in My Computer, Explorer, and standard dialog boxes Open/Save certain drives and block burning of CD/DVD discs. Different users may have different sets of such restrictions.

There is a cheaper version of Folder Guard - MySecretFolder (1.35 MB; personal license - $24.95, business license - $3.95). This utility easier to use than Folder Guard, but its capabilities are limited to hiding and locking folders, and installed settings protection will be the same for all users. Setting up data protection in MySecretFolder is quite simple - you just need to specify a folder, select a protection option for it (hiding or blocking) and click on the Protect button. Temporary disabling of protection is carried out using the Unprotect button.