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This tip is about the how to Encrypt Files on a Windows PC. So read this free guide, How to Encrypt Files on a Windows PC step by step. If you have query related to same article you may contact us.
How to Encrypt Files on a Windows PC – Guide
What’s the best way to encrypt files on Windows 10? There are two possibilities. The first can be done in Windows 10 by accessing the properties of a file or folder. It will take a long time, but it is possible. Encrypting your files with WinZip is a faster and superior solution, as discussed later in this article. We’ll look at both strategies in detail in this article.
How to encrypt files (Windows 10)
- Right click on the folder or file you want to encrypt.
- Select Properties from the drop-down menu.
- At the bottom of the dialog, click Advanced.
- Under “Compress or encrypt attributes”, check the box “Encrypt content to protect data”.
- Click OK.
- Click Apply.
- If you choose to encrypt a folder, you will see a new dialog asking if you want to encrypt the entire folder or the folder, subfolders and files. Select your option.
- You will receive a pop-up message asking you “Back up your file encryption certificate and key. ” See your notification area in Windows if the pop-up fades away.
- Connect a USB drive to your computer.
- Click “Back up now (recommended). ” Support up your encryption key is highly recommended. If you lose your encryption key, you may lose access to the file or folder you encrypted.
- Click Next.
- Click Next to create your certificate.
- Click Next to accept the certificate file format.
- Enter your password, confirm your password and click Next.
- Select your USB drive, name your certificate and key, and click Save.
- Click Next.
- Click Finish.
- Store your USB drive in a safe place.
Decrypting a file on Windows
To decrypt your file or folder, follow these steps:
- Right click on the folder or file you want to decrypt.
- Select Properties from the drop-down menu.
- At the bottom of the dialog, click Advanced.
- Under “Compress or encrypt attributes”, uncheck the “Encrypt content to protect data” box.
Before following the steps below, be sure to create a backup of your registry. Modifying the wrong registry key can harm your computer, so try to do this at your own risk and expense.
- Press Windows + R and type “regedit” and press OK. You can also search for “regedit” in the Windows start menu and open it there. Both work well.
- Navigate to the following entry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE System CurrentControlSet Control FileSystem
- Find the “NtfsDisableEncryption” file in the right-hand window and double-click it.
- Change the “Value data” from 0 to 1.
- Click OK and restart your computer.
How to Encrypt Files Faster (Windows 10)
Using powerful compression software with powerful AES encryption offers two advantages. First, it’s much faster. Instead of encrypting a file in 18 steps, you can do it in just three. Second, you get the benefit of reduced file size thanks to compression.
We recommend that you encrypt files on Windows 10 with WinZip – the software with over a billion downloads trusted by people and businesses around the world.
To encrypt files faster on Windows 10, follow these steps:
- Open WinZip and click Encrypt in the Actions panel on your right.
- Drag and drop your files into the NewZip.zip central panel. Enter a password when the dialog appears. Click OK.
- Click the Options tab in the Actions panel and choose Encryption Settings. Set the encryption level and click Save.
Final note
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