Windows encrypt files

If you have an external hard drive then you should know that there is a way to encrypt the files on this device. Check out our how to encrypt an external hard drive page information about how to do this. The software we have recommended in this article lets you encrypt the data on your local hard drive. However, you may also want to encrypt your internet traffic to gain digital privacy online.

This allows your ISP to keep records of all the websites you visit. It also allows your ISP to gather your metadata.

Local network administrators can also analyze and track your internet traffic when you use public WiFi hotspots, and both ISPs and WiFi providers may collect data about you and share it with the government. Looking for something? Written by Ray Walsh. What should I encrypt? Encrypting in Windows using built in Encrypting File System The easiest and fastest way to encrypt files securely on your hard drive is to use Windows native encryption tool.

Plug your USB thumb drive into your Windows computer. Click the EFS icon in the system tray. Click Back up now recommended.

On the Certificate Export Wizard click Next. Leave the default settings on the Export File Format screen and click Next. Click Next. On the next screen click Browse and select your USB thumb drive.

Click Save. Click Finish. Click OK. Remember Once the backup key has been exported, keep the USB drive safe. This is a free open source encryption tool that uses a strong AES cipher and robust SHA for the handshake algorithm. Veracrypt will let you encrypt single files inside an encrypted container secured with a passphrase.

It will also let you encrypt partitions, and on Windows it supports full disk encryption. This is an open source encryption tool that is available either for free or via its paid premium plan. Folder Lock. This is a popular program that lets you encrypt files and folders on the fly. You can use it to encrypt drives, as well as shred and permanently delete files. GNU Privacy Guard. This program helps you encrypt files or folders into an archive using secure OpenPGP standard.

It is both free and open source. This is another free open source program that lets you use password protection, alongside encrypting files and folders into compressed archives. This allows you to store data securely and make better use of space on a hard drive.

How to encrypt an external hard drive If you have an external hard drive then you should know that there is a way to encrypt the files on this device.

Then click the Cancel button to stop this action. Step 5 In the lower-left corner of the screen, enter the password twice. Gilisoft File Lock Pro is a software to lock folders on a flash drive, external USB drive, internal hard drive, and more. This tool can hide files, folders, and drives. Iobit Protected Folder Iobit Protected Folder is a software that provides the security of files and directories.

This application allows you to set permission to folders. It offers enhanced privacy and protection mode Encrypt USB Flash Drives The best defense against unwanted access to your personal information is to employ a mix of software and hardware encryption.

The simplest way to do this is by using encrypted USB flash drives, which help you to encrypt your personal data, especially when you are traveling. The disk encryption method protects the entire drive at once. If you want to use a hard drive as an encrypted hard drive, you will be asked to enter the password or key when you insert it. If you cannot provide the password or key, nothing on the hard disk will be accessible. This type of encryption helps you secure your data in some cases like someone has stolen your laptop computer, someone tries to copy your data, or someone has ripped the hard drives out of your servers.

VeraCrypt is easy to use utility for on-the-fly data encryption. This latest file encryption software helps you to create a virtual encrypted disk within a file or encrypt the entire storage device with a later feature of pre-boot authentication. Skip to content. Report a Bug. Previous Prev. Changes the file extension to a. AXX suffix, and the file can only be opened with AxCrypt if you provide the password used to encrypt it. The software is very intuitive to use and is invoked from its own sub-menu in Windows Explorer.

To do this, right-click the 7-Zip File Manager icon and then click Run as administrator. Cannot encrypt single files but it can protect partitions or entire drives.

Veracrypt is a fork of its popular predecessor, TrueCrypt which is no longer maintained but still widely used. If you do not want to use third-party software, an interesting alternative from Laptop Mag is to create a FolderLocker to password-protect Windows 10 folders. It is rather a drawn-out process initially but once you have set up a FolderLocker, you can easily drag and drop files into it.

Also see: The best free apps to encrypt your files before uploading to the cloud. Encryption will also make it difficult, if not impossible, for hackers to access this data if it falls into the wrong hands. No encryption is percent un-crackable, but trying to do so is often just not worth the effort or within the means of criminals. However, if you use your computer for work or other people have their own accounts on your machine, your data is vulnerable.

Good security and encryption practices can help safeguard it. If you do not want certain information to appear on the internet or would shred it if it were a hard copy, chances are those files or folders should be encrypted.

If you have encrypted files that may contain illegal data or provide information to help law enforcement agencies to investigate a crime, the law can force you to decrypt them yourself. Every day I process personal data and documents. It has to meet the requirements of GDPR. I had never worked with something so good. Now I want to buy a higher version, but I do not know where to do it.

Please do not offer me another solution. My work requires it. I followed the EFS steps all the way and everything worked as described. However the file can still be opened by anyone when emailed to them.

So not sure how this helps with encryption. Hello Carl. This confused me too. I hope this link will answer your question. I have Windows 10 Pro.

According to your EFS instructions, after step 7, Confirm Attribute Changes, a Back up your file encryption key pop-up message will appear. In my case absolutely nothing appears—nothing happens at all.

There is no message in the Notification area either. The folder is not encrypted. I guess this is another example of Microsoft idiocy. Hello Carl and apologies for the delay in replying. Let us try a couple of idea unless you have already done so.

Instead of waiting for the pop-up message, click on the EFS icon in the system tray, if there is one. Try and export the key using certmgr. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Your Location:. Your Internet Provider:. This information can be used to target ads and monitor your internet usage. It offers outstanding privacy features and is currently available with three months extra free.

Comparitech uses cookies. More info. Menu Close. We are reader supported and may receive a commission when you make purchases using the links on our site. Looking to improve your security by encrypting your files or even your hard drives in Windows? We will walk you through every step so you can keep all of your sensitive data safe. Penny Hoelscher. The third option to encrypt files and folders in Windows is to use third-party software. For some operating system editions like Windows 10 Home, this is the only option.

Before you start to encrypt files and folders in Windows Keep the following information in mind before you encrypt your data in Windows: Encrypted files are not completely resistant to hacks Encrypted files are not percent secure. Create backups Always make unencrypted backups of your files in case you lose your passwords. Related: Encryption Resources: A big list of tools and guides How does Windows encrypt files and folders?

BitLocker BitLocker encrypts an entire volume on your hard drive or a removable device , no matter who is logged in. Expand Security devices.