vLockit

vLockit is a reliable software utility functioning as an encryption tool that is meant to lock files using a machine-bound key, so only from that particular PC can documents be decrypted and accessed.

The program is not that transparent, requiring a bit of trial and error before you can understand what are the proper steps you need to take. The rather messy interface makes it difficult to figure out at first.

Nonetheless, once you being fiddling with it, vLockit starts to make a lot of sense. The tool is designed to encrypt files on your computer, permitting them to be decrypted and accessed by using the same machine.

It comes with two separate components, namely the admin and the client. After launching the admin component, the first step is to select the working directory, meaning the folder that contains the documents you wish to lock. Then you can press the 'Set New Machine Key For This Session' button, and vLockit will generate an encryption key unique to the current session and computer.

By pressing the 'Import Files' button, the application displays in its interface all the items found in the working directory and allows you to individually select the ones you want to work with. However, because the utility does not provide you with the ability to scroll down, in the case of large folders you might see only the first files, so you will need to separate them into smaller sections in order to view all the items and select the ones you wish to operate on.

After choosing your files, you can press 'Encrypt Selected', locking the them with the previously created key. Finally, you can click on 'Package Selected' and vLockit will turn the files into items accessible only from the current machine, in client mode, using Command Prompt. You can then delete the admin component, thus allowing the client to access the locked content via command line. However, before locking important files, make sure you have a backup, as this can prevent the risk of completely losing their contents, particularly until you understand how to use vLockit properly.

To conclude, vLockit is an interesting application that can help you restrict access to files using a computer-specific encryption key, useful if you want to protect your data from outside intruders for instance.