How do I password protect a document for emailing?

No encryption is completely safe. But some is better than none. You are never going to totally be able to protect yourself from the crazy expert. Hopefully, if you are like me, there isn't much about you that would concern a crazy expert.

But sometimes you have to send information that does need some level of security. Certainly more security than an email can afford. An expectable option has long been the zip file. On Windows XP, adding a password is fairly simple. But what if you have a newer version of windows, or you need extra security? Well, I faced this problem recently. After hours of trial and frustration, I have a solution that will make it easy on you. 7-Zip gives the easiest interface...easy enough to even teach your dad to use....

In short, install the appropriate version for your computer. (Do I really need to walk you though it? ;) Now pay attention, there are many options, let me give you the easiest steps. Once it is installed, right click on the document that you want put a password on. A few options down will be 7-Zip, choose "Add to Archive" From the menu you need to make one change. Be sure you choose ZIP from the Archive format list. 

Now you can choose a password on the right hand side. Hit OK and you will find the appropriately named zip file in the same folder.

Easy as pie!

How to Password protect ZIP Files (Windows XP)

Windows 7 and Vista played a dirty little trick on those of us depending on using password protected zip files to give marginal security to our confidential emailed documents. But more on that later....

The quick way to do it, in Windows XP, is to right click on the targeted file, Choose "Send to" and Compressed (zipped) Folder. (say yes if it asks you to associate the file...blah blah blah) This would create the zip folder with a copy of our document in it. The next step is to open the zipped folder, click on 'file' and choose Add Password. Easy as pie! Now you can send that confidential material via email (By attaching it) (if you don't know how, ask someone under 30) and still be in compliance with FINRA regulations. (Ya, that's the people who oversee our stockmarkets, financial planners and evil bankers.... well, maybe not the evil bankers)

This brings us to the dirty little trick....You can't add the password in Vista or Windows 7. So what do we do.... ( I will finish this tomorrow, for now, I have a date)

Word 2007 PDF converter

Sometimes I think "PDF" should be a swear word. 


There is not many things more frustrating than figuring out how to save something to this Adobe file format. There are print-to-pdf programs that hurt my brain when I trying to figure them out. So imagine my surprise when I learned that Microsoft had responded (perhaps to Open Office's ingenuity) and made it possible to save documents and spreadsheets to PDF easily and quickly, with the option to NOT make a 40mb file. Microsoft Save as PDF makes it easy on you. IF YOU HAVE OFFICE 2007, Click on the link, download the software, install it. Now you can go to your favorite Office 2007 program, Click the large round "office button," Choose SAVE AS, and PDF to your heart's content.


PDF That!


I will have more information shortly for Windows 2003... and a way to edit those rascally PDF files (my second Open Office reference)