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7-Zip doesn't ask me for a password for a ZIP file I encrypted while double-clicking it

Fresh5 days ago
Mar 15, 2026115581 views
Confidence Score1%
1%

Problem

I just tried to encrypt a folder with 7-Zip by a command line, choosing a password, but when double-clicking on the ZIP file, it shows me the files list without asking any password. Is there a way to truly encrypt a folder from the command line?

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Fix for: 7-Zip doesn't ask me for a password for a ZIP file I encrypted while double-clicking it

Low Risk

The ZIP format doesn't allow for encrypting file lists. This means that file lists are viewable by anyone. Only the contents of the files is encrypted, which means that no one can read the file without your password. Due to this, 7-Zip only asks for your password before unzipping. If you need a format that encrypts the file list, use and make sure you check "Encrypt File Names". For the more technical minded, the ZIP specification doesn't allow for encryption of the Central Directory.

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