Gilisoft File Lock Pro

What is included in Gilisoft File Lock Pro?

Lock and Hide – Password-protect or fully conceal files, folders, drives.
AES-256 Encryption – Pack data into portable GFL or EXE packages.
USB and LAN – Protect removable drives and password-protect shared folders.
Shred and Wipe – Permanently delete files and clean free space.
Performance Metric – Five wrong attempts trigger an email alert.
Important – Locked content stays Windows-only with no mobile access.

What are the main benefits of Gilisoft File Lock Pro?

GiliSoft File Lock Pro is a Windows tool for locking, hiding, encrypting, and securely deleting selected files and folders without changing your whole disk setup. It focuses on the specific folders that matter on local disks, USB drives, and small-office network shares.

Selective Protection – Secure chosen folders without full-disk encryption overhead.
Portable Sharing – Send AES-encrypted EXE packages to Windows partners.
Tamper Visibility – Folder monitoring logs who changed protected files.
Intruder Alerts – Email warning after repeated wrong-password attempts.
Self Protection – Password blocks uninstalling or hiding the program.
Network Control – Lock LAN shared folders Windows cannot protect alone.

What does Gilisoft File Lock Pro do?

GiliSoft File Lock Pro password-protects, hides, encrypts, and securely deletes selected files and folders on Windows without encrypting the whole drive. It uses 256-bit AES encryption and can pack a folder into a portable GFL or self-extracting EXE container that opens on another Windows PC with the password. Locked items cannot be opened, modified, renamed, moved, copied, or deleted until the password is entered, and any new file added inside a locked folder inherits that protection. This suits cases where only a few sensitive folders — finance records, HR files, contracts — need protection rather than full-disk encryption.

What is the difference between GiliSoft File Lock and File Lock Pro?

GiliSoft sells two related tools: File Lock, the lighter edition, and File Lock Pro. File Lock concentrates on locking, hiding, and password-protecting local files and folders on a single PC, while File Lock Pro adds password protection for LAN shared folders, folder protection on USB and external drives, AES-256 portable EXE encryption, and a file shredder. If your need is only local desktop privacy, File Lock is enough; choose Pro when files travel on removable drives or are shared across a small office network.

Can it password protect folders on USB drives and network shares?

Yes. File Lock Pro can password-protect folders on internal disks, USB flash drives, external drives, memory cards, and network drives, and it can lock a LAN shared folder — something Windows itself does not offer natively. For removable media, you can create an encrypted portable EXE so a protected folder travels to another Windows computer and opens with the password even where File Lock Pro is not installed. Keep in mind that the encrypted EXE is the part that travels; standard locked or hidden folders stay tied to the PC where you set them.

Can I open File Lock Pro protected files on a Mac or phone?

No. Protected content created by File Lock Pro stays inside the Windows environment; GiliSoft offers a separate File Lock Pro for macOS, and there is no companion iOS or Android app for opening locked folders on a phone or tablet. The portable EXE container only runs on Windows, so a locked folder copied to a Mac or reached over a network share from an iPad will not open. If you regularly need the same protected files across mixed Windows, Mac, and mobile devices, plan around this limitation before buying.

What happens if I forget my File Lock Pro password?

If you forget the master password, File Lock Pro can send a recovery message to the email address you set during installation, so adding that email at setup matters. The program also includes an anti-hack measure: after five wrong password attempts it can send an alert to your predefined email and temporarily ban further tries. Because locked and GFL-encrypted items are bound to the originating PC and protected by your password, there is no vendor backdoor to retrieve data if both the password and recovery email are lost. Keep an independent backup of critical files before relying on on-disk locking or encryption.

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What should users check before choosing Gilisoft File Lock Pro?

Before choosing File Lock Pro, confirm three things: you work mainly on Windows, you need folder-level protection rather than centralized enterprise management, and you can keep separate backups of anything you lock or encrypt. It is built for personal files, office documents, USB drives, and small-team shared folders, not for managed enterprise rollouts with central policy control. It also does not encrypt an entire system drive — its value is targeted protection of the specific files and folders you select. For users who only need a couple of private folders hidden on a shared PC, the lighter File Lock edition may be enough.

Frequently asked questions about Gilisoft File Lock Pro

Does Gilisoft File Lock Pro require administrator rights?

No. GiliSoft states that File Lock Pro can lock and protect folders, including folders on USB drives, without administrator privileges, which makes it practical on managed or restricted office machines.

Do hidden folders stay hidden in Windows Safe Mode?

Yes. File Lock Pro modifies the file-system index instead of using ordinary Windows hiding, so hidden folders do not appear in File Explorer, Windows search, Safe Mode, or the command line.

Does File Lock Pro lock files automatically after a restart?

Yes. A recent update adds auto-locking of selected files and folders after the system hibernates, restarts, or shuts down, so items you forgot to re-lock are secured when the PC powers down or resumes.

Can File Lock Pro repair damaged files?

Yes, as a supporting tool. The built-in repair utility attempts to fix corrupted or unreadable files in common video formats such as MP4, AVI, MOV, MKV, FLV, WMV, and M4V, alongside the main lock, hide, encrypt, and shred features.