If you have sensitive files on your computer, it's a good idea to protect them. We show you four different ways to slap a password on your files and keep them safe from prying eyes.

Windows XP Professional:

Log in with your user account. Browse to the folder you wish to encrypt — right-click with your mouse on the folder and select "Properties". A new window pops up — click on the "Advanced" button. Tick the box next to "Encrypt contents to secure data". Click on "OK". (Note: if someone knows your user account password, they will be able to log in to your account and access this folder.)

Office:

Office 2007 users: open the file, click on the office icon in the top left corner, move to "Prepare" and then click on "Encrypt document". You'll then be prompted to supply a password. Choose a password, type it in, click on OK, retype it when prompted to confirm, and click on OK again. Save your document. The next time you try to open this file, Office will prompt you for the password you provided.

Office 2003 users: open the file, click on "Tools" and then on "Options". A new window pops up — click on the "Security" tab. In the box next to "Password to open", type in your password. Click on OK at the bottom. When prompted to retype your password, type it in again to confirm. Click OK. Save your document. The next time you try to open this file, Office will prompt you for the password you provided.

Archive folders:

If you have a selection of files that you want to protect and move around between computers, it would be simpler to make an archived file and password protect that file. You can download a third-party archiver like WinZip, but Windows also comes with a built-in archiving tool, so rather use this. (Note: if you have WinZip installed, these instructions below won't work.)

Browse to the folder with the files you wish to encrypt. Right-click on the folder, click on "Send to" and then on "Compressed (zipped) folder". A new archived file will be created with all the files in your original folder inside. Open this new file and then click on "File" and "Add a Password". A new window pops up, prompting you to type in a password of your choice in the first field, and then to confirm it in the second field. So type it in twice and then click on "OK". The next time you try to open this file, you will be prompted for the password you provided. You can move this archived file around between computers.

Third party encryption:

A Google search will give you many third party encryption options — some free, some not. Commercial options will generally give you better protection, but to get you started, try the free utility AxCrypt.

Keep in mind:

It will be a good idea to keep backups of your sensitive files somewhere in case you forget your password. A portable hard drive or memory stick that you can lock away safely will work well to this end.

Also keep in mind that if someone really wants to get access to your files, chances are they'll be able to figure out a way to do that. So if you have really sensitive information, it's advisable to invest in proper protection. The tips above will, however, give the average home user enough peace of mind.

Do you know of other, better ways to protect your files on your computer? Please share them by leaving a comment below.