AskAdmin

AskAdmin provides you with a fast and easy method for blocking programs and other types of files from being executed. It comes in handy for parents who need to deny their kids access to certain installed applications or for anyone who wants to protect private data.

In order to lock one or more files, you simply have to drag and drop them to the main window. The files are automatically blocked, but a Windows Explorer restart might be required for the changes to take effect (if so, you are prompted to restart explorer.exe).

What the application actually does is calculate the MD5 hash code of the input file and modifies the group policy, so that the access to the respective hash value is restricted.

When double clicking on a file that can also be found in the main window of AskAdmin, you are notified that opening is blocked by your system administrator. No password is required to access the banned application, so each time you want to use it, you have to manually unblock the data.

On the downside, the group policies are enforced at system level. As such, copying the data on another computer automatically removes all the restrictions, enabling anyone to open the locked file. However, this only works with files that do not require setup, therefore installed programs can be protected without any worries.

The main interface is intuitive, comprising just a few buttons for locking and unlocking the files you want to protect. Thus, making a file accessible again is just a matter of a button’s push.

To conclude with, AskAdmin is a great choice for putting a lock on installed programs, enabling you to prevent other computer users from accessing them. And since all of this is done without having to deal with complicated encryption settings, it is definitely worth a try.