Many users are still waiting to see a Windows version that comes equipped with a feature that offers the possibility to password protect files and folders. Until that happens, you can take for a spin Folder Guard, a stand-alone application that can do that quite easily.
Especially designed to secure directories with passwords, this utility is all about safety from the get-go. The installer creates a restore point, trying to help the user stay on the safe side and offers a possibility of restoring everything to the initial state in case the password is forgotten or another type of accident happens and the stored data is affected.
Configuring Folder Guard is a rather easy task. There's a dedicated wizard to guide you through the whole process, allowing you to set up not only the password for the respective folder, but also one for protecting the application itself.
There's a second way to guard your files though. The program comes with a file explorer you will see right in the main window, so it's enough to browse to your folder and right click it for instant protection. In addition, you can change its attributes and make it read-only, provide full access or restrict access altogether.
In case there's an accident and you lose your password, don't worry. Folder Guard gives you the possibility to create an emergency recovery app that could be copied on a CD or on a USB flash drive so you'll be able to reset the password in no time.
All in all, the application seems to work without glitches and offers a decent set of features to accommodate the needs of every user. Also, thanks to its ease of use, Folder Guard remains one of the best alternatives for those who want to protect their data.

Limitations:
· 30 days trial
· Nag screen

What's New in This Release:
· The user interface has been updated, that will hopefully make Folder Guard even easier to use than before.
· The Permissions command has been removed. If you used on this command in the previous version, you may want to use the Group Policy and Local Security Policy commands of Windows instead.
· The Trusted Programs list now uses the full path to the program's file to determine whether it should be trusted. With this change, if you have added a custom trusted program to the list in the previous version, you will need to add it again, using its full path.
· The protection of the folders on the mapped network drives is no longer offered. If you relied on this feature in the previous version of Folder Guard, you may want to use the built-in network security of Windows to control access to the network drives.
· Folder Guard now automatically handles the proper access to the desktop.ini files of the protected folders, to preserve the custom icons and other customizations of the folders, if a...