Folder Lock 5.3.5 - User Guide and FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions - Folder Lock

1. How to Set a Password?
   To use the program, type a password, click the set button and then confirm your password by entering it again. Then, place your personal files and folders in the 'Locker' folder it creates. Now switch back to the program and click the lock button to password-protect your files on-the-fly.
   
   Folder Lock offers powerful security. We recommend that you choose a password that is easy for you to remember, but hard for others to guess. Password may contain letters, numbers and symbols.
   
   After entering your password, a Locker folder wills popup. This 'Locker' is used to keep your personal files, folders, pictures and documents so that you can password-protect them by clicking the lock button.
   
   
2. How to Lock any folder or drive on my PC?
   To lock folders anywhere on your computer, click 'Browse' after entering the correct password and select the 'lock folders and drives' option. This will allow you to select any folder you wish to lock. Once a folder or drive is selected it will be locked such that it cannot be deleted, renamed, accessed and will not even be seen. To unlock these folders, click 'browse' and then select the second option 'Unlock'. You can also right-click any drive and lock it through context menu in Windows Explorer. However if you want your files and folders to be protected in real DOS-Mode or Safe-Mode, then we suggest you to keep your files and folders in the 'Locker' folder and lock them up.
   
   
3. How to Encrypt and Shred files?
   To lock folders anywhere on your computer, click 'Browse' after entering the correct password and select the 'lock folders and drives' option. This will allow you to select any folder you wish to lock. Once a folder or drive is selected it will be locked such that it cannot be deleted, renamed, accessed and will not even be seen. To unlock these folders, click 'browse' and then select the second option 'Unlock'. You can also right-click any drive and lock it through context menu in Windows Explorer. However if you want your files and folders to be protected in real DOS-Mode or Safe-Mode, then we suggest you to keep your files and folders in the 'Locker' folder and lock them up.
   
   
4. How to Encrypt and Shred files?
   To encrypt your files and folders simply keep (cut-paste or drag drop) your files and folders in the 'Locker' folder, and click the lock button and select encrypt. This is the highest possible protection since it doesn't only encrypt files but also lock them up using a very secure locking protection. Files are encrypted using a very strong 256-bit BlowFish encryption which is one of the most trusted and fastest data encryption algorithms. Folder Lock can even shred the original files when encrypting, please enable this feature by clicking the advanced options button in the options screen and then click Shred Files to enable this option if very high level of security is required for your files.
   
   
5. How to Lock Removable Disks?
   To protect files on USB Flash Drives, Memory Sticks, Pen Drives and Zip Drives, click 'Browse' and select the option 'Move to portable disk'. Then read the instructions and click the 'Next' button. Now you will be able to select the drive(s) in which you want protection. You can select these drive(s) by clicking the check boxes next to them. After that click the 'Move It' button, this will move the program folder of Folder Lock to that drive. Now you can run the program from that drive and keep the files in the 'Locker' folder it creates and lock them up. Locking files by keeping them in the 'Locker' folder makes them portably secure, unlike the browse option. You can take your removable disks anywhere if you like, once the files are locked inside the 'Locker' on that drive.
   
   In case of Floppy Disks, click 'Browse' and select the option 'Move to portable disk'. Then read the instructions and click the 'Next' button. Now you will be able to select the drive(s) in which you want protection. You can select these drive(s) by clicking the check boxes next to them. After that click the 'Move It' button, this will move the program EXE of Folder Lock to that drive. Now you can run the program from that drive and keep the files in the 'Locker' folder it creates and lock them up.
   
   In case of CD-RW, we recommend you to use CD-RW burning software to copy the program folder of Folder Lock, while the 'Locker' is open, to CD-RW drive and continue locking files in its 'Locker'. It is important that the 'Locker' folder with all files and folders contained in it should be open when you burn the program folder of Folder Lock to a CD-RW or CD-R. Note: Do not burn the files when the 'Locker' folder is locked.
   
   
6. How to use it for multiple users with different passwords?
   You can have multiple passwords for different users by following this procedure. Install the program in C:\Folder Lock1 once setup is complete (do not launch the program, uncheck it, or if you have launched the program, then don't set a password yet.) now run the setup again to install the program in C:\Folder Lock2 Once you've installed the program on two different locations like this. Go to C:\Folder Lock1 and run the Folder Lock.exe Then set a password, let's say "pass1" and then exit the program once the password has been set.
   
   After that go to C:\Folder Lock2 and again run the Folder Lock.exe from this location. Now the program will ask you to enter password instead of showing you the set a password screen. So don't get confused, enter "pass1" (which was the last password used) in it and then click okay. After that click the options button and click "Change Password" and change the password to "pass2", once password is changed, exit the program.
   
   Now Folder Lock1 and Folder Lock2 will use two different passwords. Folder Lock1 will accept "pass1" and Folder Lock2 will accept "pass2" every time. Which means Folder Lock1 will not open its locker folder "pass2" and vise versa.
   
   Similarly, if you install Folder Lock again by running the setup to C:\Folder Lock3 and run the Folder Lock.exe from this program path, the program will ask you the last password you set. In our case, the last password was "pass2" So enter "pass2" and then again go to options and click change password and change the password to "pass3"
   
   Instead of having 'Folder Lock1', 'Folder Lock2' etc. as your main folders, you can have the users' names as the parent folders, to differentiate between each other.
   
   
7. What Level of Security should I choose?
   What level of security you should choose depends upon the kind of files you are protecting. To keep casual files like pictures, movies and other personal information away from kids, friends and co-workers, choose to lock files. If you are protecting financial documents, tax papers or other crucial information from advanced hackers and crackers, you may want to encrypt files.
   
   
8. How to unlock these files?
   To unlock your protected files, run the program, enter your correct password and all your protected files popup in front of you. Now you can either access these files directly or add more files that you need to get protected.