How to Password Protect Notepad File: 2 Easy Ways

Most Windows operating systems include Notepad, a basic text editor which helps write and modify text files. While it is a tool for creating and editing text documents, it does not have built-in password protection features. However, there are some step-by-step processes to password-protect a Notepad file.

Also, you can read about how to enable and fix Notepad not opening on Windows 11.

Can you lock Notes in Notepad on Windows?

Notepad has no built-in feature to lock or password-protect individual notes or files from external access. It is a basic text editor designed for simple text editing tasks and does not have advanced security features like encryption or password protection.

However, users can download third-party programs from the app store to add password protection to individual files or folders on their computers. You can use these programs to password-protect your important notes created in Notepad or any other text editor.

Alternatively, you can use a cloud-based note-taking application like Microsoft OneNote or Evernote, which offers built-in password protection and encryption features to secure your notes.

How can password-protect Notepad files?

1. Password protect Notepad file with Windows File Encryption

1. Navigate to the Notepad file and right-click on it, then select Properties from the drop-down menu.
2. Click on the Advanced button under the General tab.
3. Check the box for Encrypt content to secure data, click the OK button and select Apply in the Properties window.
4. Click on Encrypt the file only option from the new dialog box and select OK.

The above steps will allow users to encrypt the target Notepad file, adding a security key to be required every time it is opened.

Users can now move the file to devices that support NTFS file format and FAT32 encryption. You can read about how to encrypt files and folders on Windows PCs.

2. Use of a third-party app to passwords protect the Notepad file

Users can resort to third-party file and folder password-protect apps to protect Notepad files on their devices.

Most third-party password protection software in the store is either free or paid-for apps.

Therefore, the go-to software that will help you encrypt your Notepad files and avoid any viruses is WinZip, as it can easily lock up any files on your PC with strong password protection.

You only need to install the software and start protecting Notepad files with its enhanced file security and powerful compression tools.

For more support, check out our guide about the best password manager with emergency access for your device.

In addition, you may be interested in our guide on how to add a dark Notepad to Windows 11. Also, we have a detailed article on how to recover Notepad documents in Windows 11.

Should you have further queries on this or other topics, kindly drop them in the comments section.