How to set password on already existing winrar archive and encrypt it also?

passwords encryption compression archiving winrar

124,856

Solution 1

You can do it by using this method . Tools > Convert Archives > Compression > General > Set Password > then click ok and save . :)

Solution 2

This is not possible as the password is generally used as the hash/similar for the file, so, anything that changes it will require an intensive operation to change all files.

The fastest and easiest thing by far is to extract all files and create a new archive with the security set.

Not saying it isn't possible to do what you want, but I haven't seen the option to do it.

124,856

moritzebeling

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

moritzebeling over 1 year

Not when creating new archive, but on existing archive. I would also like to know how to do that in other archiver.
moritzebeling almost 13 years

I added file to archive and set password which casused everything to update. Now archive is password protected, but has unnecessary file. I removed it and archive remained protected.
Ramhound almost 13 years

@Boris - Technically what you did was exactly what you DID NOT want to do. You actually did create a new archive it was just invisible to you.
moritzebeling almost 13 years

Then where is the old archive? In temp directory?
Matias Nino over 11 years

Nice! Talk about a BURIED feature!
Apache over 10 years

Hahahahahahahaha.... what the ... :D
Jan Doggen over 9 years

That is not the answer to the question; this just sets how archives are made 'from now on.'
fadelm0 over 7 years

I don't know if this was different in earlier versions, but I found the 'set password' button under 'general' not the 'advanced' tab. Still, you got me more than half the way there!
sancho.s ReinstateMonicaCellio over 7 years

Works great. Note that WinRAR 3.42 has another password option under File->Password (I don't know what this does).
Jon Grah about 7 years

This also works with .zip archives in WinRar :) Also remember to check 'delete original archives' so that you can replace the original with encrypted version. Otherwise, you must manually delete the unencrypted version.
Black almost 7 years

And thats why nobody buys WinRar, why do they hide the options so hard?
Ray Woodcock almost 6 years

Slight clarification (or possibly a slightly different method; not sure): Double-click on the RAR file (in e.g., Windows Explorer). That opens a WinRAR session. In that session, select the RAR file > top menu > Tools > Convert archives > Compression button > General tab > Set password > enter new password > OK > OK > Yes (I'm sure I want to encrypt converted archives) > OK > enter old password > OK > Close.
Brian Sanchez about 5 years

thank you so much!.. this works like a charm! =)
JasonXA about 2 years

This is the correct answer. The picked answer actually recompresses the archive, so it's not what OP wants. Neither what I want... been looking to set a password to a 60GB archive that took 12 hours to make without recompressing it... and it's not possible. Since I have no choice, it'll end up as a rar in a rar situation.