One of the best utilities to lock folders in Windows 10 is a freeware program called Easy File Locker. Third-Party Utilities: Easy File Locker, Folder Guard & More If it isn’t available on your computer, the ‘Encrypt contents to secure data’ option will be greyed out.ģ. Note: This feature is hardware-dependent and is not available on all devices. Once done, you will see a lock symbol over your folder’s icon. Then, click on ‘OK’ to apply the encryption attributes to the folder. In the General tab, click the ‘ Advanced‘ button and enable ‘ Encrypt content to secure data‘. Right-click on the target folder and select Properties.

Once you encrypt a folder, it will only be accessible via your user account and password. This method won’t add password protection to a folder, but it will make sure other user accounts cannot access the folder. Windows 10 offers yet another native option to encrypt and secure your folders. You can also use a USB flash drive for additional protection.

Once the encryption is in place, you will have to enter your chosen password following every restart to access that drive.

Folder password