How do I password protect my files and folders in Windows?

Microsoft Windows Vista, 7, and 8 users

Unfortunately, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 do not provide any features for password protecting files or folders. You need to use a third-party software program to accomplish this.

If you want to encrypt a file or folder, this can be done by following these steps:

1. Select the file or folder you want to encrypt.
2. Right-click the file or folder and select Properties.
3. Click the Advanced button.
4. Check the box for the "Encrypt contents to secure data" option.
5. Click Apply and then Ok.

Note: If the "Encrypt contents to secure data" option is not selectable and grayed out or you do not see the option at all, you have a version of Windows that does not support this feature. It is also possible that the hard drive where the files are located is not formatted as NTFS, as this is a requirement for the encryption feature.