Zip Up Files to Hide Your Secrets [How to]

Zip files are a great way to pack up a collection of files to send them to other people, usually in an email. At least three or four times a year, I run into someone who doesn’t know how to zip up a collection of files in Windows. I ran into three people in the last two weeks at work.

Years ago, you had to have a third party tool such as WinZip to create and open zip files. In 2001, Windows XP was released with built-in zip capabilities. Microsoft decided to call these “compressed folders”.

Not only is it easy to use the built in zip features in Windows, it’s also possible to password protect zip files so that others can’t open the files inside them. However, even though a zip file is password protected, you can still see a list of files inside it. I have always hated that, but I found a way around it.

Here is how to hide all of your top secret files in a zip file (or compressed folder).

First, let’s create two zip folders. You’ll see why we need two of them shortly.

To create a zip folder, right click into any folder or in an empty place on your desktop, and choose “New” “Compressed Folder”.

Let’s choose “Stuff” and “Top Secret” as the names of the new zip files.

Now we can add some top secret files to our “Stuff” folder. I’m going to add a JPG picture to it here. I’ll open up “Stuff.zip” by double clicking it, then drag the JPG file into it.

Now let’s add the “Stuff” zip file to the “Top Secret” zip file.

Now we need to add a password to the “Top Secret” compressed folder.

You’ll have to type your password in twice to confirm it.

That’s it. The next time anyone opens that zip folder, all they’ll be able to see is a file named “Stuff.zip”. If they try to open it or extract it, they’ll have to know the password you’ve set.

As you can see, all of the files inside the Stuff.zip are hidden. That’s why we needed two zip files.

As a final cleanup step, you can delete the older copies of “Stuff” and the JPG. These are safely and securely inside the “Top Secret” zip folder now.

These techniques will work in all versions of Windows released after XP, as well as XP itself.

Here are some other ways to use zip files:

1. Compress and Zip Files Online Without Any Software
2. How to Fix Default Zip File Behavior
3. Open Zip Files Online
4. Repair Corrupted Zip Files
5. Unzip or Extract Files Online

Here are some other ways to hide files:

1. Lock And Hide Files & Folders
2. Windows Scripts: Show/Hide Hidden Files and Folders In Windows
3. Password Protect and Hide Personal Folders
4. Hide Drives From My Computer

If you have your own special way to hide secret data, let us know in the comments below.

Don’t miss these Related Posts:

• Lock And Hide Files & Folders
• Password Protect and Hide Personal Folders
• Windows Scripts: Show/Hide Hidden Files and Folders In Windows Explorer
• Recursively Delete Files in Folders and Sub Folders Using Command Prompt
• Hide Applications Windows Quickly With Window Hide Tool

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