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Encrypting Zip Files

kingdavekingdave Posts: 1,445
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in PC & Mac Hardware and Software #1
Hi all,

Can anyone please explain to me how I can encrypt a zip file (using WinZip) so that it can't be opened at all without entering the password.

To be clear, I don't want to encrpyt the files within the zip file so they can't be extracted without the password, I want to encrypt the actual zip file so it can't be opened. Similar to how you might encrypt a Word file so it can't be opened and without a "Read Only" option.

Thanks

Comments

  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    #2
    This should tell you all you need to know...

    http://kb.winzip.com/kb/13/
  • kingdavekingdave Posts: 1,445
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    #3
    chrisjr wrote: »
    This should tell you all you need to know...

    http://kb.winzip.com/kb/13/

    Thanks. I had read all of that but couldn't find the answer I was looking for.

    I guess what I want to do isn't actually possible :(
  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    #4
    Not exactly sure what you are wanting to do to be honest. Surely the whole point of encrypting a zip file is to prevent someone gaining access to the content without permission? In that they would need the encryption password to decrypt it.

    OK so they can see a list of files if they try to open it but can't get at the files without the password. If you don't want them to see the file list then simply double zip the files. By that I mean you zip the files to create the first zip file. Then zip the first zip file to create a second.

    Then all anyone can see is the name of the first zip file not what actual files it contains. You could even use two different passwords to encrypt the two zip files if you wanted. Though in theory you should only need to use a password when doing the second zip. Without a password no-one can access the first zip file anyway so that doesn't really need encrypting.
  • OrbitalzoneOrbitalzone Posts: 12,627
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    #5
    If you want to password protect the zip file then 7zip is the easiest I've found, install it, right click the file to protect, point to 7zip, click 'add to archive' and there's a place to enter a password and it's done.

    Doing this means when you try to open/extract/unzip the file it needs a password to do so, it does however let you see the file type and name of file but won't allow it to be opened.

    I do this to protect my wageslips and other docs, password protect the zip file so no one can read the contents etc.
  • MaxatoriaMaxatoria Posts: 17,980
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    #6
    if you wish to keep your names of the individual files in the zip a secret then zip it and then rezip it with a password as all they'll be able to see is the original zip file thats password protected so unless you want the NSA/GCHQ to fire up a few servers you'll be fine
  • whoever,heywhoever,hey Posts: 30,992
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    #7
    Maxatoria wrote: »
    if you wish to keep your names of the individual files in the zip a secret then zip it and then rezip it with a password as all they'll be able to see is the original zip file thats password protected so unless you want the NSA/GCHQ to fire up a few servers you'll be fine

    Thats what i was going to suggest, just rezip the zip.
  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    #8
    Maxatoria wrote: »
    if you wish to keep your names of the individual files in the zip a secret then zip it and then rezip it with a password as all they'll be able to see is the original zip file thats password protected so unless you want the NSA/GCHQ to fire up a few servers you'll be fine
    whoever,hey wrote: »
    Thats what i was going to suggest, just rezip the zip.

    Isn't that what I said in post 4 :)
  • MaxatoriaMaxatoria Posts: 17,980
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    #9
    chrisjr wrote: »
    Isn't that what I said in post 4 :)

    sorry boss...going to send myself to /dev/null for a while :o

    got to admit i aint looked at zip security strength for a while so i wonder how strong it is now with all the gpu compute clusters etc
  • d'@ved'@ve Posts: 45,527
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    #10
    Maxatoria wrote: »
    if you wish to keep your names of the individual files in the zip a secret then zip it and then rezip it with a password as all they'll be able to see is the original zip file thats password protected so unless you want the NSA/GCHQ to fire up a few servers you'll be fine

    7-zip will encrypt both files and file names in the same simple operation.

    O/P, if you want to have unencrypted files inside an encrypted container, you'd need something like Truecrypt, so the file created can be mounted and used just like any other drive. Though Truecrypt development has ended so something similar will be needed.
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