Folder Lock

Folder Lock is a powerful tool for Windows that lets you encrypt and password protect folders and files.

If you keep sensitive information on a Windows machine, then Folder Lock is a great way to keep that data away from prying eyes. Even if the computing environment isn’t shared, Folder Lock protects you in the event of theft, and it’s a useful tool when transmitting this data to others as well.

Folder Lock can operate as a standalone Windows program, but it also provides integration with Windows Explorer, which is the way most users will access it. This way, the locking, unlocking, encryption, decryption, and other features are simply a seamless aspect of the operating system.

You can lock preexisting folders and files, or you can opt to create a locked folder, which you can then add files to as needed. Integration with other programs is not sophisticated, so you won’t be able to give another app permanent or convenient access to your locked folder, unfortunately. Folder Lock also provides a special type of locked, encrypted folder called a Password Wallet, which is specifically designed to store your passwords, bank data, contacts, and so forth.

Folder Lock can also encrypt and decrypt files and folders, and everything that is encrypted or locked is protected via a password. This kind of protection isn’t limited to just basic data files either. You can protect entire USB flash drives through the Protect USB feature. You can even protect CDs and DVDs that you create. There’s also the option to safeguard email attachments. The receiver only needs to know the password in order to unlock and access those attachments.

Another excellent feature provided by Folder Lock is secure backup. This lets you back up any folders and files from your PC to another storage location, including a cloud server, with the moved data being automatically encrypted and password protected. This is great when you don’t lock files locally but do want them locked remotely with minimal hassle.

Folder Lock also has other useful features, such as a history cleaner, which deletes cookies and the like, and a file shredder, which makes file recovery difficult. The program is not without issues; however, it uses a Windows ME/XP aesthetic that’s simply off-putting by current standards. It also has no support for third-party compression tools. It supports Zip and works well with Windows compressed folders, but you’ll have to go through some extra manual steps if you want to use 7-Zip, WinRAR, and so forth.