Password Protect Folder Without Using Any Software in Windows

It is very important to hide the confidential data in Windows. Some time the data which are really private need to be secured from the third-party. We have already discussed about the data hiding and file security in previous articles. But this one can take your data protection to a whole new level, a more secured one.

Tip: Secure the folder containing private data without any password protection software.

We shall make a folder locked making password protected also hidden, so that any third-party can not access its contents. There are tons of software, available in the market to hide or lock your folder in Windows. But if some thing can be done without the help of a software then why should you use one? In this article, I’ve described the process to lock the folder by creating a simple Batch file.

How to create the batch file to lock a folder
1. Copy and paste the following codes in a notepad file.

cls
@ECHO OFF
title Folder Softarea
if EXIST "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" goto UNLOCK
if NOT EXIST Softarea 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 Softarea "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 the Password to unlock folder
set/p "pass=>"
if NOT %pass%== Replace this Red portion with your password goto FAIL
attrib -h -s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
ren "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" Softarea
echo Folder Unlocked successfully
goto End
:FAIL
echo Invalid password
goto end
:MDLOCKER
md Softarea
echo Softarea created successfully
goto End
:End

2. Save the file as “Key.bat”. You are done. When you’ll double-click on the Key.bat file for first time, a folder “Softarea” will be automatically created. You can move all your confidential data in that folder.

Now to lock the folder just double-click on the file “Key.bat” again. You will get a confirmation message in Command Prompt. Type “Y” to confirm. Now the folder “Softarea” will be locked and hidden.

If you want to get access to the contents of the folder then again double-click on the batch file, you have created. Immediately you will be prompted to enter your password. After that you can get access to the folder “Softarea”.

By this process you can password protect the folder and no body can get access to the folder without the password. But still there is some risk. If some body is a computer savvy then he can easily retrieve the password from your batch file. He can easily find the password by choosing “Edit” option from the right-click context menu.

So, to prevent from that option you can make an executable file of the batch file. The facility of the executable file is that no body can’t see the source code of an exe file. Here I’ve described the process of converting the batch file to executable(.exe) file.

At first you need a compiler that compiles the batch file to an executable file.

1. Download .bat (Batch FIle) to .exe (Executable File) Converter

2. Now run the application and put the source path of the batch file, then the target executable file name with location.

3. Click on “Compile” button.

That’s all. Delete the batch file “Key.bat”. You can now protect or access the folder by using the exe file (key.exe). Your data is now fully protected.

The above method works in XP, Vista and Windows 7.