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Tips »3 Ways to Encrypt and Decrypt Files and Folders in Windows 10
Windows includes an advanced security feature called Encrypting File System (EFS), allowing users to store encrypted files and folders, protecting them from unauthorized access. Other user accounts cannot access your encrypted files, making EFS the strongest protection in Windows for individual files and folders without encrypting the entire drive.
1. Right-click on the file or folder and select Properties from the context menu.
2. In the Properties dialog, click the Advanced button on the General tab.
3. Check the option Encrypt contents to secure data.
Decrypt files and folders: Clear the Encrypt contents to secure data check box and click OK.
4. If prompted, choose either Apply changes to this folder only or Apply changes to this folder, subfolders, and files as needed.
When you first encrypt a file or folder, you may be prompted to back up the file encryption key to avoid losing access to encrypted data. Encryption is disabled for a folder if you compress it, move it to a ZIP archive, or copy it to a location that doesn't support NTFS encryption with EFS.
1. Press Win+X and hit A to open Command Prompt (Admin).
2. Execute the following commands as needed.
To encrypt a file or folder, type: cipher /e 'PATH' (Replace PATH with the full address of the file/folder including the extension).
To encrypt a folder and its contents, use: cipher /e /s:'PATH'.
To decrypt a single file, run: cipher /d 'full path to the file'.
To decrypt a folder: cipher /d 'full path to the folder'.
To decrypt a folder with subfolders and files: cipher /d /s:'full path to the folder'.
iSumsoft FileCarer is a reliable file encryption software that encrypts various files on Windows, hiding and permanently deleting sensitive files. It secures specific files or folders without leakage.
1. Install iSumsoft FileCarer and open it on Windows 10. Select Encrypt on the left pane.
2. To encrypt a folder, click the folder icon. To encrypt a file, click the file icon. Check the box for the files to encrypt.
3. Enter a password and click Encrypt. The files will be encrypted.
This encryption protects files against unauthorized access. To access the encrypted file, enter the correct password for decryption.
1. Choose Decrypt on the left and click the file icon to select the encrypted file.
2. Enter the password and click Decrypt. The file will be decrypted.
