Click “OK.” A new window will appear asking “Are you sure you want to encrypt converted archives.” Click “Yes.”.

Create your hard-to-guess password and enter it in the password field, and re-enter it in the verification field.

When the popup window appears, select “Compression.”.

Select “Convert Archives,” or use Alt + Q as a shortcut to perform the same action.

In the top left corner, click on “Tools” from the menu.

However, there are several third-party apps that make it easy to password protect your ZIP files. Unfortunately, neither Mac nor Windows have built-in password protection tools for ZIP files. By password-protecting a ZIP file, no one else will be able to access its contents without the correct password. While complete defense does require multiple layers of security, password protection is a great start.

If you’re storing or sharing sensitive information such as medical details, financial information, or private photos in a ZIP file, you can protect it with a password. People typically use ZIP files to send multiple files or folders at once, making it easy to send large amounts of data, like photos or documents.

Let’s start with the basics: A ZIP file is the name for a file format that compresses files without losing any data. To add a layer of protection to your data, we’ll show you how to password protect a ZIP file using the steps below. But just like any other form of data storage, these files are at risk for unauthorized access. Using a ZIP file is a convenient way to store and share large folders and files in one compressed place.

Winzip password protect