Transparent Lock Screen

good
key review info
application features
  • Adjust transparency
  • (4 more, see all...)

If you want to keep others off your system without turning it off, you can do it with a keyboard shortcut. ClearLock does pretty much the same thing, and, as its name suggests, it will apply a transparent lock so that you can see what happens on the desktop.

This application is unlike the regular programs designed to replace the regular logon screen in Windows with whatever picture you want or the regular Lock function in the operating system and instead aims at disabling input to your computer and nothing more.

ClearLock is free of charge and requires no installation. All the settings you make to it are saved in its own folder, so you can run it in portable mode as well. It supports both 32 and 64-bit systems and works on both XP and Windows 7, so it can be used by quite a large number of users.

In its simplicity, the application does not sport an interface, you simply run the executable and it will dim the desktop and lock it. When you launch it for the first time you’ll have to define a password. At a first look this is all the program can do: run it to lock access to your computer. However, ClearLock is a bit more complicated than that, as it sports a configuration panel that can be activated from Windows Command Prompt.

Even if this sounds like a daunting endeavor, it is not. Just run ClearLock.exe /config in the command prompt and you’ll gain access to its set of functions. Another method to customize the application is to edit the settings file located in its folder, CleaLock.ini. The “readme” file provides all the necessary details for an average user to understand with no problems on how the functions can be modified.

Changing the password will be more troublesome, as it is not stored in plain text (that would have been a pretty stupid move), but instead you have its hash. Revealing the algorithm would defeat the purpose of securing the countersign, so for this you will have to appeal to the configuration command of the program in Command Prompt.

Other than this, things are quite easy to handle and the options are pretty useful. ClearLock provides the means to change the message displayed on the lock screen or modify the color of the solid lock screen or the hue of the transparent veil dropped over the desktop while in lock mode.

You can also disable the screensaver or enable a different transparency level by setting a value from 0 (completely invisible) to 255 (opaque). Moreover, ClearLock can be set to enable a different wallpaper picture only while the screen is locked.

As it does act as a mild security measure, ClearLock sports the possibility to lock you out if a specific number of invalid password attempts took place. However, you get to define the specifics of this action and set both the allowed number of failed attempts (default is 3) as well as the lockout time (default is 5 minutes).

Our first tests showed that ClearLock does pretty well at protecting the computer. Even if everything was running normally on the screen, it appeared that nothing could be touched unless the appropriate countersign was punched in.

However, trying a bit harder we managed to slip behind it and launch Task Manager. From there on it was a simple matter of killing the process. However, this attempt only worked a few times and during our last attempts we could not reproduce the bug. Also, at one point one key (essential in typing the correct password) failed to work; this too could not be reproduced during later testing while in lock mode, but we experienced the snag right after.

On the upside, ClearLock keeps the score of any failed login attempts and will display the unsuccessful endeavors after you punch in the correct string. This way you can learn if someone tried to meddle with your computer.

Handling ClearLock can prove to be a challenge for less skilled computer users as it still presents some bugs that definitely alter the experience for the worse.


The Good

It makes for a very simple way to restrict any form of input on the computer at the same time allowing you to see what goes on on the screen.

Configuration options, once you learn how to access them, include the possibility to change the default message displayed when the computer is locked, set a different number of invalid attempts until lockout occurs.

You get to set the transparency level as well as the background color.

The Bad

We managed to reach Task Manager and kill its process in our attempts to avoid typing in the password. Also, we noticed that some keys are locked even after the screen is unlocked.

Accessing the configuration window requires the use of Command Prompt, which is not appreciated by less experienced users. Manually setting the application up, as simple as it is in the case of ClearLock, is also considered a job for the more computer savvy.

It would be nice to be able to invoke it through a keyboard shortcut.

The Truth

As appealing as a clear lock screen may sound to beginner users, ClearLock is definitely not aimed at them. It is not a complicated application, either, but its options are not easily accessible and in our case it presented a set of bugs that included malfunctioning of the keyboard (tested on multiple keyboards).

However, even if it does not stand for a security tool, more experienced users will definitely put it to good purpose as for them it is quite easy to handle.


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


final rating 3
Editor's review
good