Jake Ludington's Digital Lifestyle

Download Microsoft Private Folder

If you keep your bank records or other potentially sensitive information on your computer, using encryption of some kind is a must. I'm continuing to recommend TrueCrypt as my favorite solution for encrypting data in Windows, because it's got many configuration options and it's actively improved by the developers. TrueCrypt supports features like keeping your encryption key on a thumb drive and a number of features geared toward obscuring data. At the same time, Microsoft's newly released Private Folder is easier to setup for the average user, with encryption designed to lock down one folder per user on a shared computer. After downloading and installing the app it creates a folder called My Private Folder where files are stored in encrypted form anytime you are not logged into your user account. Private Folder requires Windows XP SP2 and authentication through the Genuine Advantage program. [Windows XP $0.00]