File Waster

Designed to help you keep your important data private, File Waster is a simple and straightforward Windows utility that can apply password protection to your files, giving you multiple encryption algorithms to choose from.

The application gets quickly installed on the computer, thanks to the fact that there are no special requirements during setup. Afterward, File Waster is set to automatically run every time you boot Windows, but this option can be disabled from the main window.

It's wrapped in a user-friendly graphical interface that reveals all settings put at your disposal, leaving nothing to be found within menus. Multiple selected files or folders filled with files can be dropped in the main window to prepare them for encryption, thanks to the fact that batch processing is supported by the program.

Passwords must be set between 4 and 56 characters as well as confirmed. As a general rule, it's recommended to make the keys as complex and random as possible by opting for many characters of all types: lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols. You can encrypt not only file contents but file names, too.

In addition to a file encryption feature, File Waster comes bundled with a shredder capable of securely erasing files to make sure they cannot be recovered by specialized software. When going for the file wiper, it's possible to select the security level from US DoD 5220.22-M, standard mode, hardware proof, and overwrite once.

We haven't come across any stability issues on Windows 10, especially when taking into account that the app hasn't received updates for a long time. In fact, the program is discontinued, so it will no longer receive updates. Even so, it manages to get the job done as far as encryption is concerned. It's also freeware.