Free Folder Hider 10.9

There's a lot to like about this tool that secures folders, but Free Folder Hider turns out to be a name open to interpretation. In the literal sense, it's accurate, since you can hide a single folder for free, but if you want to protect more than one, you'll have to pay up.

Free Folder Hider requires set up of a password for accessing the program, so you're protected from the very beginning. The main user interface offers self-explanatory buttons for adding folders to the private folder list, opening the folders, locking the private folder, and finally, removing folders from the private list. More information about a button is found with a quick mouse roll over it. And a help feature offers even more back up should you need it. Once we entered our password, we were able to quickly add a folder to the private folder list, where it was immediately protected. However, when we tried to add another file to the private list, a window popped up telling us that we had to pay to protect more than one folder at a time.

This program's trial limitation totally caught us off guard, and we would have preferred a more direct approach, with the publisher acknowledging that this was a trial version. This is a field with a lot of options to choose from. Go with one that lets you know up front what you're getting into.

Almost every computer user keeps files that are personal, private and confidential, or important to be preserved as undeletable. You may have files that are inappropriate for kids or other family members, or files with valuable information that can be stolen. Such files and folders need security protection so that intruders or unauthorized users cannot access, read, view, copy, move or delete them. Folder Hider can hide and password-protect your files, folders, pictures, and documents in seconds. With Folder Hider, you can keep all the data you want to secure in a Privacy Area.

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Folder Latch 4

Folder Latch allows you to protect and lock your folder and files from unauthorized users. Tested up to 3.5 GB. Before you use it make sure you have valid permissions to that folder, subfolders and all objects within. Also try it with a test folder first. Folder Latch is easy to use and freeware, you can lock your folder in few clicks. Please note that we cannot recover your lost password.

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Parental Lock Guard 1.2

This tool for controlling your child's PC usage offers some nice tools for a free product but isn't quite perfect. Before you can use Parental Lock Guard, you'll have to restart your machine; since the program lacks help files, it took us a while to figure this out. The application lets parents specify the amount of time the PC can be used per day but won't let you configure usage rules for more than one day at a time. You can have the program display a timer showing the user how much time she or he has left, but this isn't mandatory. If your child tries to restart the machine after Parental Lock Guard has turned it off, she or he will need to enter the correct password within 10 seconds or the PC will again shut down. The concise interface features well-labeled icons for easy configuration, and the utility operates stealthily behind the scenes; not only must you call it out of hiding with a hot-key combination, but you also can obscure the Task Manager so young computer geniuses can't use it to disable the program. In addition, Parental Lock Guard can restrict access to certain files and folders. You will find a tool for monitoring Web sites visited and for blocking specified URLs, but this feature appears to work only with Internet Explorer. Parents who are short on cash and don't need a full-blown monitoring suite are likely to find some value in this



PC control software for guarding your PC. It can not be stopped in any usual way (without administrator's password) known to the large people population. Protect your PC from entire-day working, Internet not suitable materials, your folders viewing, renaming, deleting, and from starting certain applications. Administrator has all rights to control the PC. Others are second-class users. All mistakes will result in computer's shutting down.

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Folder Locker - dirLock 1.4

The program keeps your personal folders out of sight, but a few security gaps prevent it from being a more rock-solid choice. DirLock's extremely simple interface isn't password-protected and negates the inclusion of a help file. A simple browser or drag-and-drop capabilities to secure folders would be helpful. At the onset, it isn't clear how to protect folders, but an Options visit reveals that the only way to lock (or unlock) folders is to integrate it with Windows. In testing, this added an easily accessible context menu option that quickly locks folders or brings up the password dialog box to gain access to locked folders. This program doesn't offer encryption algorithms like other applications in its class, so we wouldn't recommend using it to conceal highly sensitive data. Despite the absence of a Help file or user guide, DirLock proved to be a fairly straightforward way of protecting folders, and this freeware should suit the needs of most casual computer users.



dirLock is a simple but easy to use program that lets users lock/unlock any folder on a NTFS volume. DirLock is designed for users who keep their computer turned on/logged in for others to use it. So using this app you'd be able to lock individual folders instead of just locking the whole computer. It also has features to hide any folder. Version 1.4 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.

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Folder Guard My Lockbox 1.2

This small, easy-to-use freeware tool efficiently protects a single folder from prying eyes. During install you easily set your protected folder and password. After that you could get by with never using My Lockbox's options dialog again. A single shortcut opens the program and a click on a tray icon will lock your folder and close the application.

My Lockbox simply hides a folder and all its contents from view. The program protects a single folder whose size is limited only by the space available on your hard drive. You can simply drop files into the protected folder, lock the folder using the handy tray icon, and the files disappear from view. It takes only a few seconds to make basic option changes in the program's multitabbed options dialog. You can quickly change the folder location in a single step, or the password in two. Altering the option's hot key take only a press of your intended key combination. Setting the program to auto-update is just as easy.

Similar applications often fail when shortcuts open files hidden in the protected folders. That isn't the case with this freeware application. Every user with a desire to create a well hidden folder on their system will find My Lockbox fits their need.

My Lockbox is a freeware software application that allows you to password protect whatever file on your computer. The protected folder (lockbox) is hidden from any user and application of your system, including Administrator and System itself. It is impossible to access the lockbox not only from the local computer, but also from the net.

The program is extremely easy to use. You can set the lockbox location and the password during the setup procedure. After the setup is done, lockbox will be hidden and locked until you enter the valid password. My Lockbox Control Panel allows you easily change basic lockbox parameters: lockbox location, protection status, password

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Folder Access Pro 2

What's worse? Unreliable security or no security at all? That's the question posed by Folder Access Pro, an underpowered utility that claims to protect your data by locking your folders with a password. Compared to simple encryption programs, Folder Access Pro is very quick and very easy to use. You only have to right-click a folder in Windows Explorer to lock or unlock it without opening the main program window. However, Folder Access Pro doesn't encrypt the folder, and savvy users can hack the protection with several mouse clicks. They merely need to stop the program with any process-exploring utility, including Task Manager. At that point, locked folders are as good as open. Folder Access Pro scores points for its freeware price, and it might do for keeping out small children or clueless users, but it's very poorly suited to any situation wherein security really matters.



Folder Access Pro is a new security tool that lets you lock your files and folders with your personal password. Now nobody but you can access your most sensitive information. Locking folders and files also effectively protects you from malicious programs such as viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. All you have to do is drag the file or folder you want to lock to the Folder Access Pro window.

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