The feature encrypts the entire drive, not individual files – so once Windows starts, everything on the drive is decrypted and made available to everyone. This offers full-disk encryption with the keys tied down to a TPM, a hardware module dedicated to certificate storage.īitLocker operates at a different level to file-based encryption, solving different problems. Enabling Windows' BitLocker feature (Pro and Enterprise edition only) can also give peace of mind if you want all your files to be encrypted.
If you need stronger protections, you might want to consider investing in third-party software that's specially designed for this purpose. Just remember to lock your account (Win+L) whenever you walk away from the screen – your files will be unencrypted as soon as you login!
However, it's ideal if you're using a shared PC and just want to keep some files inaccessible to other user accounts on the device. Once again, we'll remind you this method isn't intended for high-security purposes. After encryption, you can also press the "Details" button next to the checkbox to see information about the encryption certificate and available recovery procedures. Just untick the "Encrypt contents to secure data" checkbox and click OK to close the windows. You can reverse the encryption at any time by heading back to the Properties window and opening the Advanced Attributes pane again. If anyone else tries to access the file – whether from another user account, or by physically removing your hard drive – the contents will appear to be meaningless garbled text. They're encrypted with a key that's tied down to your Windows user account. With the back-up done, your files are now secured. You'll need this information if you ever lose access to your encrypted files, so it's important you take the time to back it up now. Click the toast notification and follow the prompts to make a note of your encryption key. When the process completes, you'll be prompted to back-up your encryption key if you've never used the feature before. Now press "Apply" and Windows will begin to encrypt your files. Click the "OK" button to get back to the main Properties window. From here, press the "Advanced…" button in the Attributes section of the window.Īt the bottom of this pane, tick the "Encrypt contents to secure data" checkbox. Right-click on it and click "Properties" at the bottom of the context menu. To begin, use File Explorer to find the file or folder you wish to protect. It goes without saying you should invest in purpose-built encryption software if you're storing really sensitive information on your device.
Windows has built-in support for basic password protection, letting you keep your files safe from prying eyes.īefore we get started, we should offer a warning – while this method is simple and effective, it's not intended for large-scale or mission-critical use.
Once the temporary ownership file is deleted, you will be able to open/edit your Excel File, without encountering “File is Locked for editing by another user” message.If you've got files you'd rather others couldn’t access, locking them up with a password can be the simplest way to get peace of mind. On File Explorer screen, navigate to the Location of the temporary ownership file ~$ and delete this file.įor example, if the file is example.xls, the temporary ownership file will be named as ~$. So, when you try and access the app from anywhere on Windows. The folder and the software will then be locked. You can even select the Program Files folder to lock all the apps inside it. Right-click on the Start button and click on File Explorer.Ģ. The Windows software are generally installed in C:/Program Files or Program Files (x86), so you can just head over and locate the software you want to lock.
The only way to fix this issue is to locate the temporary ownership file on your computer and delete the ownership file.ġ. If the file does not close properly, the temporary ownership file remains open in the memory, leading to “ File is Locked for Editing by another user” error. This happens due to the way Microsoft Office creates a temporary ownership file whenever a Microsoft Office File is opened and automatically deletes the temporary ownership file as soon as the File is closed. Unlock File Locked on your ComputerĪs mentioned above, Excel, Word and other Microsoft Office files can get locked, even if they are not being shared with other users. Once the open file is closed, the blocking user will be removed from the File and the File will become unlocked. On the next screen, expand the list of Open Files > right-click on the Locked File and click on Close Open File option. Back on “Add or Remove Snap-ins” screen, click on OK to Add the selected Snap-in.ħ.