By Sophia | Last Updated
"There are many significant documents in my pen drive so that I want to keep them secure and do not want others to check or view them. Is there any way I can lock or encrypt the pen drive with password on my Windows computer?"
It is common for us to deal with the routine work via the USB flash drive or pen drive. We get used to storing data in the flexible pen drives and take it anywhere. But there is a security issue on the pen drive data—how can you prevent others from viewing your documents or files in the pen drive? Yes, you can protect or lock a pen drive with password so that others cannot access it without your permission. In this article, you can learn 3 ways to lock pen drive with password in Windows 11/10/8/7 computer.
It is the most convenient and fastest way to encrypt a pen drive with pen drive lock software. Here iSunshare SafeUSB Genius is recommended to protect your pen drive data from unauthorized access. This easy to use pen drive lock software enables you to encrypt, unlock, lock and decrypt the USB flash drives, memory sticks, thumb drives, pen drives, and external hard drives within minutes. Moreover, you can use SafeUSB Genius to hide all data in the pen drive so that others are unable to reach them even they get your pen drive.
Download iSunshare SafeUSB Genius now and encrypt your pen drive without BitLocker to preventing information leakage.
Step-1: Install iSunshare SafeUSB Genius on your computer and then connect the pen drive to your PC.
Step-2: Run the software and your pen drive will be detected automatically. If there are several USB drives connected to your PC, you need to choose the pen drive you want to encrypt from the drop-down list.
Step-3: Hit on the Encrypt button on the main interface to encrypt the pen drive.
Step-4: Input the password you want to put on the pen drive and confirm it. After that, go to click the Encrypt button and the software will start encrypting the pen drive instantly.
Soon, the successful prompt comes and your pen drive is encrypted and locked. Now, everyone can only see an empty pen drive, of which your data is protected and hidden in the pen drive.
Tips: How to Check the Locked Pen Drive Data?
If you want to access and manage the protected pen drive data, you need to unlock the pen drive in two steps.
1. Open this software, select the locked pen drive and click the Unlock button.
2. Enter the encryption password and click the Unlock button. In no time, all encrypted data will be mounted to a virtual disk, where you can view, copy, delete, modify the USB data.
BitLocker is the Windows built-in feature which can help to protect the pen drive with password without installing any application. But it is unavailable on Windows11/10/8/8.1/7 Home edition. Here Windows 10 Enterprise edition is used to set as an example.
Step-1: Access This PC and then right-click the pen drive. Then choose Turn on BitLocker from the list.
Step-2: Check the box before the option—Use a password to unlock the drive. Then enter the password twice and hit on the Next button.
Step-3: Select the way you want to back up the recovery key and click the Next button.
Step-4: On Choose how much of your drive to encrypt screen, tick the option Encrypt entire drive and click the Next button.
Step-5: Tick the Compatible mode option and then hit on the Next button to continue.
Step-6: The final step comes and you can hit on the Start encrypting button to password protect the pen drive.
Generally, the pen drive will be unlocked on this computer after BitLocker encryption. After the computer restarts, it will be locked automatically. And you need to use the password or recovery key to unlock it.
You can encrypt specific contents of your pen drive with WINRAR. In this way, you can continue to use the pen drive to store data and keep the sensitive data secure with password-protected RAR file.
Step-1: Get WINRAR document on your computer. You can download it from the official website and install it on your computer.
Step-2: Connect the pen drive into your computer and choose the files or folders to encrypt. Once the data is selected, right-click and choose Add to archive option. If you are going to lock all files and folders in the pen drive, it is better to place them in the one folder.
Step-3: Name the archive and select the archive format. Then, click on the Set password option.
Step-4: Enter the password twice and then check the box of Encrypt file names. After that, click the OK button.
Step-5: Go back to the archive settings window and click the OK button. In no time, all files will be compressed to a RAR file with password protection. You can delete the previous files and folders after the RAR file is created.
After that, all files in the pen drive is encrypted in a RAR file. If you want to manage the content, you need to enter password to unlock it. In case you forgot the RAR password, keep it in mind or write it down on your notebooks.
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