- #HOW TO ENCRYPT YOUR LAPTOP WINDOW 8 HOW TO#
- #HOW TO ENCRYPT YOUR LAPTOP WINDOW 8 PASSWORD#
- #HOW TO ENCRYPT YOUR LAPTOP WINDOW 8 WINDOWS#
Now that you have encrypted your first file, Windows EFS will serve you an icon in the system tray in the bottom right-hand side of your screen. Tick the checkbox next to Encrypt contents to secure data.Ī window will pop up asking you whether you want to encrypt the selected folder, or the folder, sub-folders, and files.Ĭhoose either Apply changes to this folder only or Apply changes to this folder, sub-folders, and files.Ī small padlock symbol should appear in the top-right of the file or folder you've encrypted. Right-click the file or folder and click Properties. Locate the file or folder that you wish to encrypt in your file manager. Right-click on your Start button and open File Explorer Now that you have done the preliminary preparation steps, you are ready to enable EFS for specific files or folders.
#HOW TO ENCRYPT YOUR LAPTOP WINDOW 8 PASSWORD#
Check out our article on the best password managers for a list of the best services and the pros and cons of using one. Password managers are very useful if you plan on password protecting your documents as they can generate long complex passwords and save them securely.
This will allow you to access your encrypted files if you lose access to your user account. Get a USB thumb drive so you can save the backup key. Your file encryption will only be as strong as your user password, so make sure it is robust. Using EFS requires your user account to have a password, and unless that password is strong, it might be brute forced by someone with physical access to the computer. This kind of encryption is secure and fast, which means it can be used to encrypt any individual files you need to secure - no matter their size.Įnsure that your Windows user account has been set up with a password that is strong and hard to crack. Windows’ Encrypting File System (EFS) uses secure symmetric encryption using a File Encryption Key (FEK). The easiest and fastest way to encrypt files securely on your hard drive is to use Windows native encryption tool. Encrypting in Windows using built in Encrypting File System Below we will walk you through some of the most popular methods for encrypting on your computer. And, if you want to encrypt Excel databases, you can do that too. If you are looking for a way to encrypt text files such as Word documents and PDFs, you can also encrypt those files inside Microsoft Office. Alternatively, you could use a third party encryption application. There are two main ways to encrypt files on a Windows machine - Windows’ built-in Encrypting File System (EFS) or BitLocker. How can I encrypt files and folders in Windows?
#HOW TO ENCRYPT YOUR LAPTOP WINDOW 8 HOW TO#
In this guide, we will explain how to encrypt files in Windows using native features and third party apps. The solution is to encrypt your files and folders in Windows 10.Įncrypting files on your computer ensures that it will be much more difficult to steal your valuable information, even if your computer is hacked. If a laptop is lost or stolen, it is possible that thieves could access the contents of the hard drive. Read “ How to Use TrueCrypt to Encrypt Your Sensitive Documents” for a step-by-step explanation of how to set up a basic virtual encrypted disk that will make your important files unreadable to prying eyes.If you have important personal or business content such as Intellectual Property on your Windows PC, you may wonder how to ensure that data is secure. If you’re looking to encrypt only a few sensitive documents, we recommend using TrueCrypt, which lets you create virtual encrypted disks where you can protect select files. That’s why we’re going to show you three different methods for using encryption tools on your PC. If you want to protect your computer from this type of attack, you have to encrypt the files that you don’t want others to be able to access. The computer will then boot from the operating system on the disc, bypassing the Windows operating system installed on the PC–and any passwords you’ve set–and giving the intruders access to your hard drives. All they have to do is insert a special disc (such as UBCD4Win or Hiren’s BootCD) into your computer and power it up. Snoopers and thieves can easily access files and passwords on your computer, even without your Windows password.