ProtectFile

ProtectFile is a handy tool which helps people protect items from their hard drive or any connected removable drive (e.g. USB flash drive), with just a few clicks.

The installation process does not offer to add other third-party products and runs smooth. After wrapping it up, you come face to face with a minimally-designed and intuitive UI, which enables anybody to easily find their way around it, be they experienced or not with computers.

This software program uses an AES (256) algorithm in order to protect your files from prying eyes, and also adds an entry in the Windows Explorer context menu. The latter feature enables you to manage items in a more efficient manner.

Passwords will have to be input twice, while it is also possible to keep a copy of the unprotected items (will be kept in the same location) and save passkeys for encrypting the next file.

Removing the protection can be achieved by opening the appropriate part of the utility, selecting the PF file, providing the correct password and clicking the “Remove protection” button. You can also force ProtectFile to open the file after the decryption is complete.

This app is perceived by Windows as a background process, which means it is not going to burden the computer’s performance, and you can run it alongside other tools, without facing issues.

Limited Help contents are provided, yet seeing how easy it is to use, it becomes apparent they are not actually necessary.

ProtectFile proves to be an efficient piece of software, with a non-obtrusive and intuitive interface, Windows Explorer context menu integration and good response time. Nevertheless, power users might find it a bit too simple.