D'Arcy from Winnipeg
Musings of a Canadian Developer - Silverlight, ASP.NET, BizTalk, Life, and Technology

Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

Sunday, January 25, 2009 3:50 PM


image  This is my Super Secret Stuff folder. It’s a zip file, and I need to pass on my super secret stuff to some super secret person who will be the only person knowing the super secret password to open it.

So I open the zip file in explorer and…um…where’s my “Add Password” option in the file menu?! It’s GONE!

image

It’s also not under any of the other menu items. I’m going to chalk this up to it being a beta, but still…shouldn’t this have been part of Explorer since its been a mainstay in Windows XP and Vista?

[EDIT]

So, it turns out that I was amiss in saying that this feature has been a main-stay in XP AND Vista…its only actually in XP. In Vista, there is no ‘Add Password’ feature for zip files. I found a blog post from a guy who actually contacted Microsoft on it, and their response. I’m thinking that it was a “We don’t want people thinking that a password will be a fail-safe security measure, have their data compromised, then sue us for not telling them that adding a password to the file isn’t going to make their data safe.” Or something like that.

Anyway, Microsoft, here’s one vote to PUTTING IT BACK. I liked having it built into the OS and not having to install another application to handle something that really should just be handled by the file system.

[/EDIT]

D



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# re: Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

Yep, there's definitely an File/Add Password entry in Windows XP when you are exploring the zip folder. I don't know about Vista... 1/25/2009 4:58 PM | Peter Ritchie

# re: Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

Welcome to 2008. This has been gone for years. 1/26/2009 5:11 AM | Joe

# re: Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

@Joe Um, you meant 2009 right? ;) But yeah, too bad that its been gone since XP. 1/26/2009 10:11 AM | D'Arcy from Winnipeg

# re: Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

I also use this feature a lot - I have found a workaround. Save zip file to a memory key, then use the XP Virtual Machine mode to open the file and add password.

Works fine - when you import the file back into Win7 folders, password protection is still active. 5/17/2009 1:05 AM | Phil Gray

# re: Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

I also use this feature a lot - I have found a workaround. Save zip file to a memory key, then use the XP Virtual Machine mode to open the file and add password.

Works fine - when you import the file back into Win7 folders, password protection is still active 5/17/2009 1:07 AM | Phil Gray

# re: Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

or buy a small usb pen and use the bitlocker encryption...?? 10/19/2009 5:27 AM | chip

# re: Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

I just came across this problem today, and it's super annoying. I don't have the version of 7 with the XP virtual machine, so I guess I'll do all that compression on my work XP machine while I still have access to it. I really don't want to install a redundant zipping program just to add a password. 1/25/2010 8:10 PM | phyllis

# re: Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

That is why I am seriously considering just going fully to Linux . . . bad products, bad choices = big fat headache. That is why windows stoped using the original login sound file. Too many people get bad emotions from it.

Chuck this up to lame brain decision making righ next to the MS Internet Toilet - sure you do not need to have a newspaper - but come on already!

run SimpleLobic --> File Not Found 4/14/2010 10:47 AM | John Dough

# re: Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

This sounds pretty interesting. We used a similar software at my tech support job a few years ago. Called "Windows Password Key 8.0".
It works very prefect to regain your password .Also use boot CD/DVD. 4/19/2010 9:51 PM | Anny

# re: Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

It appears there is also no way in Win7 to open a zipped file that does have a password. Had to install WinZip for just long enough to uncompress two files, then delete it again. Ugh. 5/20/2010 8:21 AM | Mary Woodyard

# re: Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

It really is annoying that they don't have this feature. After so many years and so many important features missing... 9/2/2010 3:06 PM | OpenStack

# re: Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

i like to use windows password software:
http://password-genius.com/ 9/20/2010 3:37 AM | rcmichelle

# re: Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

I had same problem but then i installed a freeware caleld 7zip, and then its solved.

this video can showyou how it works
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgJKEHOIPuM

have fun ;)
Paulo 10/5/2010 4:34 PM | Paulo

# re: Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

Yeah, this is another voice to Microsoft: Readd this feature, especially for it must be hidden somewhere in the kernel because my ultimate can open password protected zips and also remove passwords within the context menu.
Maybe its only a question of some registry hacks within the filetypes section, where you can change the context menu behavior and the standard action taken for each type of file content.
Maybe someone works it out. It would be great. 11/16/2010 1:46 PM | falcon

# re: Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

I have to have to keep an XP machine just to password my zip files....sheesh! 3/10/2011 1:03 PM | Dave

# re: Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

'I’m thinking that it was a “We don’t want people thinking that a password will be a fail-safe security measure, have their data compromised, then sue us for not telling them that adding a password to the file isn’t going to make their data safe.” '

It's more likely they got sick of the support calls for lost or forgotten passwords. 9/1/2011 8:26 AM | MikeL

# re: Windows 7 – Adding Password to Compressed Folder Missing

disgusting for Microsoft to be going backwards 1/24/2012 1:58 AM | Ram

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