How to add a password to a zip file on Windows 11

WinRAR is a freemium model application which costs nothing to use the basics, but premium features are available by subscription. You can then send the password to the intended recipient of the file by a separate WhatsApp message (which is end to end encrypted) – this making the process achievable.

The easiest way to password protect a ZIP file on Windows 10 is probably to use a third-party software package like Win-RaR or 7-Zip, which allow the user to add a password to a file or folder at the instant of compression. Additionally, the EFS facility isn’t available on Windows 10 Home versions, only via the Professional upgrade. Only people with the key will be able to access the folder and files, but of course, you must send the key, which is, in itself, slightly insecure and obviates somewhat the point of the exercise. You can either use Windows’ Encrypting File System (EFS), which generates a decryption key that effectively substitutes as a password. To password protect a zip file on Windows 10, the native operating system doesn’t offer the facility of password protection for zipped files and enclosing folders, but there are workarounds. Let’s look at the various ways it can be done: How to add a password to a zip file on Windows 10: Even though the process in itself isn’t that complicated, assigning a password to a zip file is never as simple as a right-click or tap and hold. Password protected zip files can be created on Windows and Mac computers, and even on Android and iPhones. Let’s look at these one at a time: How to password protect a zip file It depends upon what device and operating system you’re using to create and / or receive and open the zipped folders – and there are several ways that the process can be achieved. ZIP files are great ways of compressing individual files, or folders containing multiple files, to send by email – but keeping them secure is a task in itself.

Creating password protected zip file