# Generating a Unix password file from Windows
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generating-a-unix-password-file-from-windows/403424
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 9, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generating-a-unix-password-file-from-windows/403424 "2007-05-09T18:00:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generating-a-unix-password-file-from-windows/403424/1 "2007-05-09T18:00:29Z")
I want to use a .htaccess file to provide password authentication for a directory on my Linux-hosted web site. Apache ships with tool to do this on Unix but I don’t have access to a Unix box, nor shell access to my hosting account.
Is there a Windows-based utility that will generate/maintain a Unix password file?
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### Author:  [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2007, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generating-a-unix-password-file-from-windows/403424/2 "2007-05-09T18:47:30Z")
You can do it online for one user at a time using [this page](http://www.kxs.net/support/htaccess_pw.html).
You can use the Windows version of the official command-line htpasswd utility by [downloading Apache for Windows](http://httpd.apache.org/download.cgi).
There are also graphical third-party programs, ranging from [free open-source utilities](http://sourceforge.net/projects/apauth/) to [paid commercial apps](http://www.htpasswdgenerator.com/). If you want other _free_ choices, search for “htpasswd” or “htaccess” on [Sourceforge.net](http://Sourceforge.net); if you want more _commercial_ apps, search for those terms on Google.
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### Author:  [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2007, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generating-a-unix-password-file-from-windows/403424/3 "2007-05-09T18:49:03Z")
Also, did you check your web host’s control panel for a directory protection section? Many hosts – especially ones that don’t give you shell access – already let you do that from the web since it’s such a common need.