Folder Lock is a Windows file protection program that encrypts files in virtual drives, hides selected folders and stores private records. Its lockers can hold data locally or within supported cloud storage, while separate tools handle portable encrypted containers, file shredding and Windows history.
Folder Lock’s Desktop Locker
The Desktop Locker appears in File Explorer as a virtual drive. Files and folders copied or moved into it are encrypted automatically with AES-256, so the locker becomes a working location for protected documents rather than a collection of individually password-protected files. Its storage grows as data is added, without requiring a fixed allocation in advance.
Folder Lock’s Encrypt control closes and hides the virtual drive. Decrypt makes it available again after signing in, allowing access through File Explorer. Copying a file into the locker also leaves the original wherever it was stored.
Cloud lockers
Folder Lock includes lockers for Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive. These combine file encryption with the chosen service’s synchronization, allowing encrypted data to travel through an existing cloud account. The cloud service supplies the storage; Folder Lock protects the contents placed in its locker.
Encrypted files can be synchronized between linked devices, including PCs and the companion mobile apps. A cloud copy also provides a way to restore locker data following local loss or deletion. The Free edition supports two linked devices and a locker size of 1 GB; Pro supports five devices and removes that locker size limit.
Shared folders
Pro adds sharing with other Folder Lock users. The sender chooses a folder inside a cloud locker and adds recipients by email through the Share panel. Folder Lock applies access permissions to those users, who open the shared content with their own account passwords instead of receiving the sender’s password.
Sharing involves both Folder Lock permissions and the cloud service’s sharing controls. Recipients need a registered Folder Lock account and an account with the service carrying the files. For example, sharing a Google Drive locker folder requires granting permission in Folder Lock and sharing that folder through Google Drive.
Portable lockers
A portable locker packages protected files into a single encrypted container for carrying on a USB drive, storing on optical media or sending as an attachment. Unlike the expanding Desktop Locker, creating this container involves choosing a name, storage location, password and maximum capacity.
Portable lockers are a Pro feature. They offer a separate password for the container, making them suitable when the encrypted collection itself needs to move. Handing someone a portable locker also requires giving them its password to open the contents.
Folder hiding
The Protect Folders tool in Pro works on existing files, folders and drives without placing them in an encrypted locker. It uses a kernel-level driver to hide the selected items from File Explorer and block access, including in Windows Safe Mode.
The items remain protected at their existing locations, while a locker stores encrypted content behind a virtual drive.
Encrypted records
Folder Lock’s Secrets area stores structured information as well as files. Wallet templates provide fields for bank accounts, payment cards, identity documents and other personal records. Password entries use categories such as email accounts, Wi-Fi credentials and software keys, keeping the login details attached to their subject.
Private notes are organized in named folders and encrypted along with the other Secrets records. This area is included in both Free and Pro, and uses AES-256 encryption for wallets, passwords and notes. It suits information entered directly into the program, while lockers handle existing documents and folders.
Privacy cleanup
The Safeguard area also includes Shred Files and Clean History in both editions. Shredding accepts selected files and folders for permanent deletion, and can wipe empty drive space to address remnants of previously deleted files.
Clean History targets traces of Windows activity, including Quick Access entries and Run history. Users select the history categories to remove and run the cleanup manually; Folder Lock can also clear history on exit.
