Can you password protect folders?

As I found here --> http://recomhub.com/blog/how-to-password-protect-folders-on-mac-os-x-el-capitan/

Password Protect Folders on Mac OS X El Capitan:

1. Open Disk Utility under “Applications/Utilities”. Go to “File/New/Image From Folder”.
2. Go to the folder you want to password protect and select “Image”. From the next window select the image format as “Read/Write”, and encryption as “128-bit AES”. Click “Save”.
3. Type in a password, or click the “Key” icon to generate automatic password. Make sure you uncheck “Remember Password”. Click “OK”.
4. The encrypted disk image will then be created. Double click the image to open it, and enter your password. Don’t select “Remember my password.”
5. The disk image will mount in Finder and you can move and remove files and folders to the image like you would any other folder.
6. When you’re finished using the folder click the “Eject” button so it’s protected again.

funkysnail wrote:

But... Once you do this you can't add to that folder...

When you create an image from a Folder, it is a fixed size and only large enough for the folder chosen.

If you wish to add items to a disk image, create a Sparse Disk Image or a Sparse Bundle Disk Image. Then move your files/folders into the mounted disk image.

You can choose the maximum size you want, encrypt it, and make it read/write. The image itself will only take up as much space as you put inside of it (deleting items will not automatically reduce the storage size). You can add files until you fill up the space you originally allocated (or the host disk runs out of space).

In your example of a USB Drive, you can create a Sparse Disk Image nearly the size of the free space on the USB stick. There is a small amount of overhead used by the image, so you can't make it exactly the size. If you add files outside the mounted image on the USB Stick, that will just limit how much you can put into the Disk Image.

The difference between a Sparse and Sparse Bundle is Time Machine compatibility. In a Sparse Disk Image, the image is a single file so any changes made to the mounted drive will mark the entire image as changed and Time Machine would back up the entire image for each and every small file change on the mounted image.

A Sparse Bundle Disk Image is actually a lot of small files ("stripes") so that when you change something on the mounted image, only the affected stripes are marked as changed so only those are backed up again, not the whole image.

But... Once you do this you can't add to that folder...

Does anybody know of a way that you can create the folder, encrypt it and then once you have authenticated, edit it!

It's not just a hassle to keep going over the same process each time you edit the folder, but if the folder is saved on a USB or external drive and you use that device across different OS's / platforms, you can only assess data, you can't save more to the folder.

If anybody knows of a way to do this, either in via this process or any other, I'd love to know how you do it?

A tank of thank in advance,

J. 😉

You can't choose files to image, only folders. Or, create an encrypted image from scratch, then move the file into he encrypted disk image.

There is no way to encrypt a file only. You create an encrypted disk image, then put the files into the mounted image.

Hello,

Once I have set up a password and protected the folder, how can I remove it?

I was trying to see how this works and have successfully put a password on my folder but that's not the folder I am wanting to protect -- it was just a trial to see how this works. Now how do I remove it?

Thanks!

Once I have set up a password and protected the folder, how can I remove it?

Using the tools in macOS/OS X, there is no way to password protect a folder. So, there is nothing set on the original folder that needs to be removed. It will still be unencrypted. The disk image is a copy of that folder.

If you deleted the folder you used to create the image, create a new one and copy the files from the mounted disk image into the folder.

There may be a way to decrypt the image using hdiutil in the Terminal, but I don't know how.

Just tested this. You can use the Convert command in the Images menu to convert the encrypted disk image to an unencrypted disk image.

After taking a scolding from Bob the Fisherman, on why i posted this answer trying to find (Somewhere on the answer page Seeing Mavericks - not knowing if it would work the same way with High Sierra---- and seeing the answer's solution described "way above my ability" I posted this as a new question.) I hope this answers Bob the Fishermans question.

Perhaps he was 'nicely (?)' suggesting that if i would have continued on here i would have found the next answer response to benefit me. I hope now he might see my answer he will know what is in my NOT so dumb mind!

"after reading one response about password protecting a folder- two things-

1. I found the answer given was very complicated for a non-technical person.

2. I am using High Sierra, and didn't know if that answer was correct for this version.

Thank you!"

Clickhereand follow the instructions. Don't add the encrypted image's password to the keychain.

(141928)

You need to create a secure disk image and put your files there see Create a secure disk image topic here...

Disk Utility (El Capitan): Create a disk image

I followed the instruction above. When I choose the file I would like to password protect then click Image, nothing happens.....

What to do .....

Please advise.

Thanks!

I was able to create a blank image and drag the file I want to password protect to it.

Thanks for your help.

Cheers, that sounds like the perfect solution.

I'll give it a try! Excellent explanation, many thanks!

Can we protect album folders with passw

http://recomhub.com/blog/how-to-password-protect-folders-on-mac-os-x-el-capitan/