14 DAY TRIAL // Protecting the data stored on your computer can be done in many ways. The easiest is to simply change the attribute of the files or folders into "hidden". Most advanced users will work with a different file manager than Windows Explorer and do the hiding in there. Neophytes on the other hand use what is already available on the computer and that is the Explorer utility from Windows. Windows Explorer will read and show all the files with the attribute "hidden" and this is why this method is by far the worst one.
Another way to keep certain files away from the prying eyes is burying them as deep as possible and changing both the name of the file and the extension. The drawback in this case is that you will have to remember the extensions and dig for the files in order to execute them. Encrypting the files and folders only restricts opening them by unauthorized persons, but they have full control on deleting them from the computer.
A viable solution for the issue would be encrypting an entire volume and storing in that safe environment the sensitive data you want to keep for yourself. The downside is that the files are again prone to being deleted by formatting that partition.
So what can you do in order to keep your files away from the eyes of the others? Folder Wizard offers a new method that does not involve encryption, but hiding the folders from view. The application will hide the files from any file manager. Furthermore, the files hidden with Folder Wizard cannot be accessed by any application until made visible. I tried executing one of the files from Command Prompt and the result was utter failure, the return result saying that the path to the file could not be found by the system.
Folder Wizard comes "dressed" with a very simple interface which should pose absolutely no problem even for a newbie. The price of the application is close to $20 and the only restriction imposed by the developer is the 15 days trial period. Other than this, everything acts normal. There minimalist interface has two sections that are most important: the Folder window and the toolbar. The menu bar is absolutely useless as all the actions are completed much faster from the toolbar of the application. The icons are extremely intuitive and in case you do not understand from the picture what one of them could be used for then the name will definitely enlighten you.
The first four buttons are for managing the folders hidden with Folder Wizard and allow the user to add, remove hide and show them to the system. In the options menu however things will get a bit more intricate. The user can configure the application to start with Windows and enter stealth mode at minimize and starting. The developer prides with the stealth options and informs the users that while in stealth mode Folder Wizard will not be displayed in Task Manager under Applications.
That is true, but the stealth feature sported by the software does not go too far as taking a look in the Processes you will definitely see a process with the name of the software. And in my case it even stood out as it had the largest name of all the running processes. Additionally, the software is listed in Add/Remove programs.
The user is offered the shortcut key to bring the application out of stealth mode. The downside of this is that it cannot be changed, so everybody that heard of the software and knows the shortcut can check if the software is installed on your computer. Fortunately, the developer thought of this aspect and provided the application with a protecting solution. This way you can set it to prompt you for password when the program starts, when using Hide All/Show All hotkeys and when coming out of the stealth mode.
The Good
Very easy to use and provides good hiding of your folders. The folders hidden by Folder Wizard cannot be accessed through Command Prompt and are invisible even to Windows Explorer.
The Bad
I hope a future version will also include hiding files. The stealth mode is stealthy only for newbies and it is not that invisible as one would think.
The price, considering all of the above, can be regarded as expensive by the majority of the users.
The Truth
Nice little application. However, it runs short when comes to providing an option for hiding files and the stealth mode is not that stealthy. Keeping in mind these, the price is a bit too much.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
