SafeHouse Explorer USB Disk Encryption Editor's Review

SafeHouse Explore is a very easy to use file encryption utility that will hide all your private files and folders from curios eyes. Basically, you'll create a storage area on your hard-disk or USB drive to hold all the files and folders that you want to keep private and then you can copy-paste all your data inside this storage area. These files and folders are password protected and hidden from normal view and will only become visible when you enter the correct password. To ensure total protection of your data, the application is using super strong 256-bit advanced encryption.

To start, once the installation is complete, launch the program and then click the “New Volume” button to create the encrypted storage that will contain the files and folder you want to keep private. You can create one large volume to store everything, or you can create multiple volumes - the choice is yours. However, sometimes is useful to create multiple smaller-size volumes for each type of files that they’ll store inside (e.g. one for pictures, one for office documents).

Back where we were, choose the path of the storage file, the name and description. When you're done with this, hit 'Next' to continue. Now choose a volume size based on the amount of data you’ll be storing inside that volume and the space available on the disk. Continue, choose a password for the volume and then hit 'Create volume' to finish. When you'll be asked if you want to open the volume, say 'yes'.

Finally, the volume is ready to be used. Open Windows Explorer (Windows Key + E using the keyboard) and you should see the new virtual drive under My Computer ('Computer' in Windows 7). Just drag and drop (or copy/paste) any of your files and folders into this virtual drive and they’ll get protected using the powerful encryption. Once you have added all the files to the volume, make sure you delete them from the original location. Once you're done, switch back to SafeHouse Explorer and close the volume. You can do so going into Menu File 'Close Volume' or by closing the application.

To access the storage drive, simply open it using the shortcut created on your desktop (if you chose to create one), type the password and you should see all the files and folders. You can also open the storage drive (drives) by going into the location they were saved (if you didn't modify the location, the default is: C:\SafeHouse\) and opening the files inside.

Pluses: The tool is portable so you may run it directly without installation; 256-bit advanced encryption – which is nearly impossible for anyone to crack; it's free!

Drawbacks / flaws:

In conclusion: A very handy tool for people who carry important or confidential files on USB drives or external hard disks but also for those who keep private data on personal computer or office PC.

3.05