I've joined a Windows 10 Pro test machine to an AD 2012 domain, and when I lock the computer (using Windows + L), and then try to unlock it, I'm asked to put in both my userid and password to unlock it (it behaves as though I'm logging in again. How to Remove Padlock or Lock Icon from Files on Windows 10. If the issue is with your Computer or a Laptop you should try using Reimage Plus which can scan the repositories and replace corrupt and missing files. This works in most cases, where the issue is originated due to a system corruption.
We all have computer files we'd like to keep secret from the world, but not everyone knows how to password protect a folder in Windows 10. Whether you're hiding notes from someone with access to your computer or (hopefully) something less drastic, you're allowed to have some privacy. Fortunately, in Windows 10, you can tuck those unmentionable plans or files in a secret folder that is password protected, and you can do it without buying any additional software. Once you've created a new folder in Windows 10, here's how to password protect it.
How To Unlock Locked Files Windows 10 Free
A note before you start:
We've received comments about issues people have run into with this how-to. So, we went back and performed multiple rounds of testing internally, and can now confirm that following this process closely, step-by-step, works — at least on our end.
But just to be safe, you should first try this how-to using files that you can afford to lose, just in case the method doesn't work for you. Also, make sure you're keeping some record, somewhere, of the exact password you're using to lock your folder. If you lose the password, your files are gone, and since every computer is different, we can't deduce exactly what went wrong on your end.
How To Unlock Locked Files
Also, yes, the FolderLocker file can be reverse engineered by someone who understands the process, but this isn't meant to keep tech-savvy folks out, just nosy family members who you don't trust.
Tips from readers:
Do not use a password with a space, it may create an issue with the batch file.
Yes, files placed in your locked folder can appear in Recent Files list in various apps, such as Microsoft Word.
Here's how to password protect a folder in Windows 10, so you can fill it with files you want to keep secret — and how to lock it, open it and repeat.
How To Lock a Folder With a Password in Windows 10
1. Right-click inside the folder where the files you want to protect are located. The folder you want to hide can even be on your desktop.
MORE: How to Change Your Password in Windows 10
2. Select 'New' from the contextual menu.
3. Click on 'Text Document.'
4. Hit Enter. It doesn't matter what the file will be named. You can delete this text file once the lockable folder has been made.
5. Double-click the text file to open it.
6. Paste the below text into the new document:
cls
@ECHO OFF
title Folder Locker
if EXIST 'Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}' goto UNLOCK
7. Find where it says 'Your-Password-Here' in the document.
8. Replace 'Your-Password-Here' with the password you want to lock the folder with.
9. Click File.
10. 'Select Save As...'
11. Click on the 'Text Documents (*.txt)' menu bar that's next to 'Save as type:'
12. Select 'All Files'
13. Change the file name to 'FolderLocker.bat'
14. Click 'Save.'
15. Double-click FolderLocker.
The Locker folder has been generated!
16. Fill the Locker folder with the items you want to protect.
17. Open the FolderLocker file, because it's time to lock that folder up!
18. Type 'Y' into the screen.19. Click Enter, and the Folder Locker window will disappear, along with the Locker folder itself! Your secrets are safe!
To unlock the folder, double-click 'FolderLocker' to open it.
Enter the password you entered in Step 8, and click Enter.
The Locker folder is back. You can open it to find your hidden files. Repeat Steps 17, 18 and 19 to lock the folder again.
To learn more about how to make use of your laptop, check out our guide for what to do as you set up your new laptop. We've also got instructions if you're trying to figure out how to reset Windows 10 PCs and how to reset your password in Windows 10. Lastly, tired of Windows? We've got a guide that answers the relatively new question of 'Should I Buy a Chromebook?'
More Tips
Windows won’t allow you to modify files that open programs have locked. if you try to delete a file and see a message that it’s open in another program, you’ll have to unlock the file (or close the program).
In some cases, it may not be clear which program has locked a file. Sometimes, a program or background process may have finished with a file, but not unlocked it properly when it was done. In that case, you must unlock the stubborn file or folder in order to modify the file.
Note: Unlocking certain files and deleting them can cause problems with open programs. Don’t unlock and delete files that should remain locked, including Windows system files.
Unlock a File with Process Explorer
You can unlock a file by using the excellent Process Explorer task manager. We’ve covered Process Explorer in detail before, so here we’ll just dive right into how to unlock a file. You won’t need to install it first—it’s a portable app—but you will need to run it with administrative privileges. You actually can do this from within Process Explorer by clicking the “File” menu and selecting “Show Details for All Processes.”
Next, click the “Find” menu and select “Find Handle or DLL.” (Or press Ctrl+F.)
Search for the name of the locked file or folder.
Select the locked file or folder and you’ll see the handle in the details box at the bottom of the Process Explorer window.
How To Unlock Locked Files Windows 10 7zsocao
Right-click the handle and select “Close Handle.” If multiple processes are listed in the search window, you’ll have to repeat this step to close the handle for each process.
You can now delete or modify the file normally.
IObit Unlocker
IObit Unlocker is a useful utility for unlocking files, and it’s free. It even puts a command for unlocking files right on the context menu. After you install the program, you can right-click a stubborn file or folder and select “IObit Unlocker” to open the app with that file selected.
You’ll see a list of processes that have locked the file or folder. You can quickly unlock the file by clicking the “Unlock” button. This method unlocks the file while leaving the process running. Note that this may cause problems if a process expects exclusive access to a file.
Unlock Computer Screen On Windows 10
You can also click the “Forced Mode” checkbox and then click “Unlock” to forcibly close whatever program is locking access to the file. You’ll lose any unsaved data in any program killed this way.
Once the file is unlocked, you can delete, move, or rename it normally. In fact, the IOBit Unlocker application has easy “Unlock & Delete”, “Unlock & Rename”, and “Unlock & Move” options. Just click the arrow to the right of the “Unlock” button.
Restart Your Computer
Generally, a file won’t be locked after you restart your computer—unless the program that locked it is a startup program that locks the file as soon as you log in. If you have a stubborn file or folder and don’t want to use any of the tricks here, you can try restarting your computer. You should be able to delete, move, or rename the file as soon as Windows comes back up.
RELATED:Three Ways to Access the Windows 8 or 10 Boot Options Menu
If the file is being locked by a startup program, you can boot to safe mode to delete it instead. If you’re on Windows 7, press the F8 key during the startup process and select Safe Mode to boot into safe mode. If you’re using Windows 8 or 10, you’ll have to access safe mode from the boot options menu. Delete (or move) the file in safe mode and restart your computer.
There are a variety of other ways to delete locked files. For example, you could use a program to schedule a file deletion when you next restart your computer—the file will be automatically deleted when you reboot. But we’ve found it much easier using one of the methods we’ve detailed here.
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