A Free EFS Alternative
You might need a stronger level of protection than EFS offers. Download the free True-Crypt encryption utility; also see "Get a Cloak of Invisibility With Free Hide Folders" below for another encryption alternative.
Lock it all up in Vista's BitLocker: Encrypting your entire hard disk makes it harder for malware to infect Vista's system files, while also making it tougher for snoops to decrypt your files. The BitLocker feature in the Ultimate and Enterprise versions of Vista encrypts the entire partition that the OS is installed on, and stores the encryption key in your PC's Trusted Platform Module chip, or on a USB flash drive. Since USB drives have become ubiquitous, and since most of us lack systems with a TPM chip, the flash drive option is the most attractive. Unfortunately it's disabled by default.
To enable this option, click Start, enter gpedit.msc in the Start Search field, and press <Enter> to launch Vista's Group Policy Object Editor. In the left pane, navigate to and select Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, BitLocker Drive Encryption, and double-click Control Panel Setup: Enable advanced startup options. Next, select Enabled, check Allow BitLocker without a compatible TPM, and click OK.
Exit the editor.
Now whenever you launch the BitLocker Drive Encryption applet in Control Panel, it won't complain about the missing TPM module, and it will offer a new 'Turn On BitLocker' link. BitLocker requires that you be able to boot from your USB drive, and it also must have an additional nonencrypted partition. For further information, click the applet's What should I know about BitLocker Drive Encryption before I turn it on? link.
Get a Cloak of Invisibility With Free Hide Folders
Sometimes the best way to keep people from prying into your personal folders is to keep the folders' existence secret from the get-go. That's easy to do with Cleanersoft.com's Free Hide Folders. The program lets you make any folder (and its subfolders and other contents) completely invisible with a just a little pointing and clicking. (Note that in Windows Vista, the program may not completely hide some known folders, such as Music in the Documents folder.) Free Hide Folders is password protected, so you're safe even if the bad guys know you're using the product. It also lets you back up your folders' hidden states in case you have a system problem. And as the name says, it's free.
Submit your Windows-related questions and tips to scott_dunn@pcworld.com. Windows Tips pays $50 for each published item. Scott Dunn and Scott Spanbauer are contributing editors for PC World.
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