Want to create secure a text file that no one but you can open? Here are the steps to encrypt and password protect a text file in Windows 10.
If you want to write something quick and easy, a simple text file will do. In fact, I personally have a text file on my desktop that I use to write random things regularly. Though the text file does not contain anything important, I still sync it with OneDrive. This allows me to open the text file, go through the old entries, and wonder what & why I wrote something.
Unlike me, if you are writing something important, like a list of contacts, not-so-important passwords, personal information, etc., you must encrypt and password-protect the text file. Typically, any user in Windows can open a text file without much difficulty. Windows won’t stop them unless you restrict permissions to that user. As such, encryption is a must to protect important data in the text file. Once you encrypt a text file, no one other than you can open it. This is because an encrypted file requires a password to decrypt and show the contents.
In this short and simple Windows how-to guide, let me show how to encrypt and password-protect a text file.
Encrypt & password-protect text file
To create, encrypt, and password-protect text files in Windows 10, we are going to use a free and open-source software called Crypto Notepad. One of the best things about this software is that it is portable, i.e, you don’t have to install it. Moreover, the software is really easy to use.
1. First, download Crypto Notepad from its Github page. After downloading, open the zip file and extract the exe file in it to a folder of your choice. After extracting, double-click on the exe file to open the Crypto Notepad application.
2. After opening Crypto Notepad, select the “File -> New” option. This action will create a new text file.
3. Now, type a password and click “Ok.” This is the password you need to enter to open the text file in the future. Make sure the password is hard to guess but easy to remember.
4. The application asks you to choose a name and location to save the file. So, select a destination folder, type a name in the “File Name” field and click the “Save” button in the “Save As” window.
5. After the initial save, you are free to write anything you want.
6. Once you are done, either press the “Ctrl + S” shortcut or click on the “Save” icon to save the file. After that, close the application.
That is it. With that, you’ve successfully created an encrypted and password-protected text file in Windows 10. Using this method, you can create as many encrypted text files as you need.
Open password-protected text file
To open the encrypted text file, find the saved file and double-click on it. By default, the file may not be associated with the Crypto Notepad application. If that’s the case, you will see the Open With dialog box. Here, click the “More Options” link. Next, scroll down and click on the “Look for another app in this PC” link.
In the browse window, find the “Crypto Notepad.exe” file, select it, and click the “Open” button.
As soon as you do that, you will see a password prompt. Type the password and click the “Ok” button.
If the password is correct, the text file will be decrypted and opened in the Crypto Notepad application.
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That is all. It is that simple to encrypt and password-protect text files in Windows 10.
I hope that helps.
If you are stuck or need some help, comment below and I will try to help as much as possible.
