Tutorial 05: Data Encryption & Archiving with WinRAR 🔒📚

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Data Encryption & Archiving with WinRAR 🔒📚
Tutorial 5: Data Encryption & Archiving with WinRAR 🔒📚

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WinRAR is an application that brings up memories of my early days of computing. I've used this amazing application since high school, and I'm happy to see that it has stood the test of time.


What is WinRAR ?

WinRAR is a free file archiving application that was published in 1995. It enables you to create 'containers' / 'archives' of your files while at the same time saving valuable space by compressing them.

Consider it a far more advanced version of WinZip. 

While there is a paid license for commercial purposes, the free version will give you full access to all the applications features with no time limit. 

You can create standard unencrypted or encrypted archives.

You can later open the archives to decompress and access your files. 


WinRAR in a nutshell
WinRAR in a nutshell

According to the official WinRAR website, the following are the stand out features of this application:

✅ WinRAR provides complete support for RAR and ZIP archives and is able to unpack CAB, ARJ, LZH, TAR, GZ, UUE, BZ2, JAR, ISO, 7Z, XZ, Z archives.

✅ WinRAR offers a graphic interactive interface utilizing mouse and menus as well as the command line interface.

✅ WinRAR is easier to use than many other archivers with the inclusion of a special "Wizard" mode which allows instant access to the basic archiving functions through a simple question and answer procedure. This avoids confusion in the early stages of use.

✅ WinRAR offers you the benefit of industry strength archive encryption using AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) with a key of 256 bits.

✅ WinRAR supports files and archives up to 8,589 billion gigabytes in size. The number of archived files is, for all practical purposes, unlimited.

✅ WinRAR offers the ability to create self-extracting and multivolume archives.

✅ Recovery record and recovery volumes allow to reconstruct even physically damaged archives.

✅ WinRAR features are constantly being developed to keep WinRAR ahead of the pack.

As a targeted individual whose privacy is invaded in so many different ways, being able to encrypt your files into a container and save space at the same time is golden. Not only do you secure your privacy, you also ensure the integrity of your data.

In this very simple tutorial, I'll be showing you how to achieve the aforementioned. 

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ℹ️ In order to complete this tutorial, you'll need the following:

✅ A computer (Windows 7+).
✅ Basic computing skills.
✅ An internet connection.

ℹ️ For this tutorial, I'll be using Windows 11. The tutorial also applies to older windows operating systems. 

ℹ️ Relevant download links:

- https://www.rarlab.com/download.htm

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To begin the tutorial, please head over to the link above this image. You should see a page that looks like this. Click on the first link where the green arrow is pointing. This will download the latest version of WinRAR to your system. Double-click the file you've just downloaded to begin the installation.
To begin the tutorial, please head over to the link above this image. You should see a page that looks like this. Click on the first link where the green arrow is pointing. This will download the latest version of WinRAR to your system. Double-click the file you've just downloaded to begin the installation.


The first screen that will pop-up will be the terms and conditions / EULA. Just accept that. Then you will be taken to the screen above which is the 'WinRAR settings'. Please make sure you've ticked all the boxes as they are above. This is very important !
The first screen that will pop-up will be the terms and conditions / EULA. Just accept that. Then you will be taken to the screen above which is the 'WinRAR setup' screen. Please make sure you've ticked all the boxes as they are above then press OK. This is very important ! Once the installation has finished, you will be notified with a dialog box. You can press 'DONE' and the dialog box will disappear.


Once the installation has been completed, head over to the folder on your computer where you wish to create an archive of the files. In this tutorial, I've decided to archive a set of images in a folder named 'LESSON 5'. This folder contains 23 images that weight in at 7.65MB in total. So to begin the archiving process, press CTRL + A to simultaneously to select all the files.
Once the installation has been completed, head over to the folder on your computer where you wish to create an archive of the files. In this tutorial, I've decided to archive a set of images in a folder named 'LESSON 5'. This folder contains 23 images that weight in at 7.65MB in total. So to begin the archiving process, press CTRL + A to simultaneously to select all the files.  


Once you've selected all the files in the folder, right click on any file in the folder to bring up the context menu. Go down to the WinRAR option, and then click on 'ADD TO ARCHIVE'
Once you've selected all the files in the folder, right click on any file in the folder to bring up the context menu. Go down to the WinRAR option, and then click on 'ADD TO ARCHIVE'


A dialog box named 'ADD NAME AND PARAMETERS' will pop up. Tick the option that says 'LOCK ARCHIVE', and press the button that says 'SET PASSWORD'.


Another dialog box will pop up prompting you to enter / set a password. Enter a password and confirm it by typing it in the box below the first, and make sure the 'ENCRYPT FILE NAMES' option is ticked too. Press OK when you're done.
Another dialog box will pop up prompting you to enter / set a password. Enter a password and confirm it by typing it in the box below the first, and make sure the 'ENCRYPT FILE NAMES' option is ticked too. Press OK when you're done.



After pressing OK, you'll be taken back to the previous dialog box. When your on this screen, press OK again.
After pressing OK, you'll be taken back to the previous dialog box. When your on this screen, press OK again. And WinRAR will process the files for you. The time it takes to archive and encrypt your files depends on the amount and sizes of files you're compressing. 

Once WinRAR has finished encrypting and compressing the files. You will notice a new file placed in the same folder with the WinRAR logo. Sometimes, the file will appear white. In this case, just right-click on the files and select 'OPEN WITH' and select 'CHOOSE ANOTHER APP' and select WinRAR from the list.
Once WinRAR has finished encrypting and compressing the files. You will notice a new file placed in the same folder with the WinRAR logo. Sometimes, the file will appear white. In this case, just right-click on the files and select 'OPEN WITH' and select 'CHOOSE ANOTHER APP' and select WinRAR from the list.



Once you've done that (or double-clicked on the file), an 'ENTER PASSWORD' prompt dialog box will appear. Enter the password you set into the password field.
Once you've done that (or double-clicked on the file), an 'ENTER PASSWORD' prompt dialog box will appear. Enter the password you set into the password field. 



If you enter the correct password, you'll now see all the files that you placed in the encrypted archive.
If you enter the correct password, you'll now see all the files that you placed in the encrypted archive.

Congratulations for completing this tutorial. You now know how to very quickly and easily encrypt your files into a secure passworded container.

In the next lesson about WinRAR, we'll look at ways of adding more security measures t your encrypted archive. 

Note: If you have any questions or run into any issues, then please feel free to drop me a comment in the comments sections beneath this post. I'll do my best to assist you. 

Dear readers, I hope you've found this blog post useful to you in some way.

Thanks for your time today, stay tuned for the next post, and see you soon !


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Yours Sincerely,

ø§ LøneWølf 🐺

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