Sometimes you have a folder on your computer that needs a little more protection than usual. You have various options - passwords, encryption - but sometimes you wish that nobody even knew the folder exists. An application like Folder Shield will help in this case, completely hiding your data from view.
The Folder Shield interface is very basic and not very attractive, but it does the job well. You can instruct the program to launch on Windows start-up, or, handily, to auto-activate when the computer is left unattended for a specific period of time. It can also remove references to itself in your 'Recent Documents' list, making it very discreet. Finally, you can protect Folder Shield with a password that will prevent people from revealing your hidden folders if they realize the program is installed.
Actually protecting a folder with Folder Shield is very easy. You simply add the folders in question from the main interface, click the Enable Protection box and the folder will disappear. The documents the folder contains will remain hidden in searches and alternative ways of looking at your files. Although it's not particularly attractive, Folder Shield does its job with a few nice extras thrown in for good measure. It should appeal to anyone with a desire for privacy, especially when the folders in question are large and would take an unacceptably long time to encrypt.
Folder Shield's not much of a looker, but will easily hide your folders from view.
