The Padlock

The Padlock is a compact and portable software application that protects the security of your files and folders by locking them. It comes packed with a simple configuration set that can be tweaked by anyone, regardless of experience.

As there is no installation involved, you can put the executable file anywhere on the hard disk and just click it to run, as well as save it to a USB flash disk or similar storage unit, in order to run it on any machine effortlessly, provided that it has .NET Framework installed.

What's worth taking into account is that the Windows registry does not get updated with new entries, and no additional files are created on the HDD, leaving it clean after removal.

At startup you are required to specify the password that will be asked for each time you access The Padlock, as well as assigned to all protected files and folders. The interface is represented by a single window with a plain layout, where you can lock as many files and folders as you want with the click of a button after dragging them into the main frame. Unlocking them is done in a similar manner.

By default, locked files and folders become invisible. This option can be changed from the "Settings" panel. You can disable The Padlock from automatically exiting when it's idle, as well as change the interface language and master password. There are no other notable options available. When removing the app from the PC, the hidden files and folders are deleted as well, so make sure to unlock them beforehand.

The tool does not put a strain on computer resources, since it uses low CPU and RAM. It has a good response time and applies changes rapidly. No error dialogs were shown in our tests, and the tool did not hang or crash. Thanks to its overall simplicity and intuitive options, first-time users can quickly figure out The Padlock.