Anti-Copy Protection

fair
key review info
application features
  • Prevents files from being copied
  • (3 more, see all...)

I said it before and I’ll say it again: no matter how strongly you feel that your computer is protected against any malevolent forces, the security enforced will never be enough. If a firewall and an antivirus/antispyware solution are concerting for the security of your machine, this does not mean that your files are safe as these will keep them away from unauthorized online access. But if the attempt takes place from the very keyboard of the computer then you should use additional enforcement such as data encryption.

 

But these are more elaborate forms of securing your files. Denying copy actions on the files on the hard disk would be one of the simplest ways to make them stick locally and stop their transfer to a different device, and M File Anti-Copy has been developed with this very purpose in mind. Once activated, it should prevent any type of copying of the files, including the trivial copy/paste combination.

 

It is a light application that weighs under 1MB and comes with the easiest installation procedure requiring minimum effort on your part. Once the operation is complete you will be asked to define a password that will be used to activate the file copy protection.

 

From the main application window you can activate/deactivate the protection or exit the program. As the software cannot be uninstalled the regular way, from Windows uninstaller applet (it will not be listed), you are provided with the necessary info on how to remove it from your computer (navigate to Tools menu and choose Uninstall). Additional details offered in the main screen include the current date of the computer and the current state of the application (activated/deactivated) as well as the version installed.

 

Because it is a single-purpose program, M File Anti-Copy is not at all complex and the list of options available is reduced to enabling the display of the splash screen on startup, minimizing it to system tray and starting it with Windows.

 

Additional options include uninstalling the application, changing the master password and copying files while the program protects this function. The latter action is achieved by simply browsing to the file you want to copy, selecting the destination and pressing the "Start Copy" button.

 

It all sounds good so far, but unfortunately our testing uncovered a set of issues that may spoil the illusion of preventing your files from being copied to a different location. After tinkering with it for a while and trying it with different variables, our conclusion is that the program is partially working. To be more specific, once activated, it does keep your files from being copied, but only if you use Windows Explorer. A different file manager will allow you to perform the operation with a single drag and drop. However, if you are attempting the old copy/paste method, using the context menu or the keyboard, it will result in utter failure.

 

Gaining access to unhindered file copying is not as comfortable as pressing the adequate button and typing in the password. This activity turns into a chore as the application needs to log the current user off in order to complete the operation. If you choose not to log off, you will notice that the main screen shows that protection against copying is inactive. This is misleading because you will still be unable to move your files to a different location until after logging off.

 

Furthermore, uninstalling the software is also faulty. As I said before, you cannot remove it unless you access the Tools menu from the interface and choose the "Uninstall" option. However, do not make the mistake and remove the app while its protection is active because you will just subject yourself to unnecessary strain and waste some time.

 

But, in case you decide to proceed to uninstalling M File Anti-Copy against my advice, prepare for failure because the application will not completely remove itself and the protection will still be enabled. A computer restart will not solve the problem and the only way I could find around the issue was stopping its process. If you are not familiar with this procedure, simply open Task Manager and end the "Core.exe" process.

 

Once this is done you will be able to delete the leftover files in the installation folder and everything should work fine.

 

The purpose of the application sure is a handy one, but there are just too many downsides for it to make it to a software must-have list. Also, going around its protection is just a matter of not using Windows Explorer. It is free, but it does not do too good a job.

 

The Good

 

Everything from installing the program to actually using it is piece of cake even for the absolute noob. You can clearly see when the typed password is the right one.

 

Copying to clipboard is also blocked.

 

The Bad

 

Its protection is not fully extended because using a different file manager will let you copy the files with a single drag and drop.

 

The application allows you to uninstall it even if its protection is active and in this case further attention is required as you have to end its process in order to remove the copy protection.

 

The Truth

 

M File Anti-Copy is provided to the users free but it does a poor job with what it is supposed to do. Enforcing the anti-copy protection for all the files is faulty unless you stick to using Windows Explorer only. Installing a different file manager would overpass all security provided by the software by copying the files with the trivial drag and drop.

 

Here are some snapshots of the application in action:

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user interface 3
features 1
ease of use 3
pricing / value 2


final rating 2
Editor's review
fair
 
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