Why isn't it possible to Encrypt and Compress a Folder on Windows? (2024)
You can encrypt a compressed file but compressing an encrypted file should be useless. I'm going to give you an insanely oversimplified version but you should be able to get the idea.
Griffin is the coolest ever. Griffin is the coolest ever. Griffin is the coolest ever. Griffin is the coolest ever. Griffin is the coolest ever. Griffin is the coolest ever. Griffin is the coolest ever. Griffin is the coolest ever. Griffin is the coolest ever. Griffin is the coolest ever.
For simplicity purposes it'll we'll say the compression software does the following. It'll recognize there is a pattern in the text in this case "Griffin is the coolest ever." It'll take that patter and assign a numeric value to it we'll say 0. Then to compress it it goes "Griffin is the coolest ever." = 0. Text = [0][0][0][0][0][0][0][0][0][0]. This works because in language we use a lot of the same words / phrases / patterns. The actual software is far more advanced.
The problem comes if you try to compress encrypted information because of how seemingly random encrypted information should appear. If we encrypted the earlier text we should get something along the lines of
Compression can't do much here because there aren't any patterns ... or at least shouldn't be considering I just ran my hands over the keyboard.
Also it's important to note that the compression should be loseless. Some compression methods, especially those that involve sound will cut out unwanted information such as sounds that are too high or too low for humans to hear. This is fine for sound but if you're compressing a report you probably don't want random sentences missing.
It's also worth noting that the current understanding is that compression weakens the security of encrypted information although it seems that there is a debate about this to be had.
The Encrypting File System (EFS) on Microsoft Windows is a feature introduced in version 3.0 of NTFS that provides filesystem-level encryption. The technology enables files to be transparently encrypted to protect confidential data from attackers with physical access to the computer.
The encryption file system might be disabled by default. This will cause the encryption option to be greyed-out. Users will have to enable it manually using the Windows registry.
Compress first. Once you encrypt the file you will generate a stream of seemingly random data, which will be not be compressible. The compression process depends on finding compressible patterns in the data. Compression before encryption is surely more space efficient but in the same time less secure.
It is not possible to use Windows to password-protect a folder in Windows 8 or Windows 10. You will need to download third-party software or use a zipped folder. If you elect to use third-party software, be sure you download it from a reputable source.
Right-click (or press and hold) a file or folder and select Properties.Select the Advanced button and select the Encrypt contents to secure data check box. Select OK to close the Advanced Attributes window, select Apply, and then select OK.
The grayed out "Encrypt contents to secure data" option usually indicates that the feature is not available on your device. In Windows 11 Home, you can use the device encryption feature to encrypt your files and folders. Here's how to turn on device encryption: Press the Windows key + I to open Settings.
Here's how on Windows 11. On Windows 11, you won't find a feature to add a password to a folder to protect your files because your account already uses a password and encryption, and you should be the only one accessing your profile.
rar or . 7z archives) only works well when there is non-random data that it can simplify. Good encryption on the other hand intentionally tries to make the data appear random, so compressing encrypted data doesn't really make sense. The file should be compressed first, and only then it should be encrypted.
For storage efficiency consideration, compression before encryption is better, usually, encrypted text is less compressible. For security consideration, encryption before compression is better, usually, compression algorithm is well known, and some “magic” string can used to attack.
NTFS file compression and file encryption are mutually exclusive because of the way NTFS compression is performed. You can use only one of these options at a time on a file.
Navigate to the folder or file you want to encrypt. Right-click the item, click Properties, then click Advanced.Check Encrypt contents to secure data.Click OK, then click Apply.
Right-click a file or a folder, and click “Properties.” Click “Advanced” and tick the “Encrypt contents to secure data” box. Click “o*k,” “Apply,” and then “o*k.”
If you encrypt files and folders in Windows, your data will become unreadable to unauthorized parties. Only someone with the correct password, or decryption key, can make the data readable again.
Windows built-in encryption is done transparently at the filesystem level. The encryption key is stored in your account profile encrypted with your login password (this is why there's the warning when you change your password). So logging in unlocks the key, which then makes your encrypted files available.
To encrypt a USB for Mac, you will need to make sure the format of the drive is "HFS+" (How do I do that?) as this is the only format OS X supports for encryption. If you need to format your USB, save the work elsewhere first as formatting will completely erase the drive.
Sign in to Windows with an administrator account (you may have to sign out and back in to switch accounts). For more info, see Create a local or administrator account in Windows.
Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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