In today’s digital age, safeguarding data on external storage devices like USB drives is crucial. Whether you’re carrying sensitive business documents or personal information, hiding folders can add an extra layer of security. Two popular options for this task are Gilisoft and BitLocker’s built-in encryption. Let’s explore how each one works and which offers a better solution for hiding folders on USB drives.​

Hiding Folders on USB Drives with Gilisoft​

Gilisoft provides a straightforward and efficient way to hide folders on USB drives, making it a top choice for users seeking simplicity and effectiveness.​

Step-by-Step Process​

1. Installation and Setup: First, install Gilisoft File Lock Pro on your computer. Once installed, connect your USB drive to the machine. The software will automatically detect external storage devices, ensuring a seamless user experience.​

2. Selecting the Folder: Navigate through the software interface to locate the folder on your USB drive that you want to hide. Gilisoft allows you to browse your entire USB drive directory easily, similar to using a regular file explorer.​

3. Hiding the Folder: With a simple right-click on the selected folder, you can choose the “Hide” option from the context menu. What sets Gilisoft apart is its “invisible” hiding feature. When you hide a folder using Gilisoft, it becomes completely undetectable through normal means. Even if someone tries to access the USB drive on another computer, the hidden folder won’t show up in the directory listing, not even if they enable the option to view hidden files in Windows Explorer.​

4. Accessing Hidden Folders: To access the hidden folder later, simply open Gilisoft File Lock Pro again. The software has a dedicated section where all your hidden files and folders are listed. Enter your password (if you’ve set password protection, which adds an extra layer of security), and you can unhide the folder with just a few clicks. This process is intuitive and doesn’t require any technical expertise.​

Unique Advantages for External Storage​

One of the significant advantages of Gilisoft for USB drive use is its portability – related features. Since the hidden folders are managed within the Gilisoft application, you can take the USB drive to another computer with Gilisoft installed, and still access your hidden data. Moreover, Gilisoft offers additional security features like write protection for hidden folders. This ensures that even if someone accidentally stumbles upon a way to access the hidden folder (which is highly unlikely), they won’t be able to modify or delete the files inside.​

Hiding Folders on USB Drives with BitLocker​

BitLocker, a built-in encryption feature in Windows, is primarily designed for disk – wide encryption rather than individual folder hiding, but it can be used in a way that provides some level of privacy for data on USB drives.​

Step-by-Step Process​

1. Enabling BitLocker on USB Drive: First, insert your USB drive into a Windows computer. Right-click on the drive in File Explorer and select “Turn on BitLocker.” You’ll then be prompted to set a password or use other authentication methods, such as a smart card.​

2. Encrypting the Drive: After setting the password, Windows will start the encryption process. This can take some time depending on the size of the USB drive. Once encrypted, the entire drive is protected, and data is stored in an encrypted format.​

3. Isolating Folders (Indirect Hiding): To “hide” specific folders, you would need to create a separate partition on the USB drive (using Windows Disk Management) and then encrypt only that partition with BitLocker. However, this process is much more complex compared to Gilisoft. Also, the “hidden” partition is still visible in Disk Management, and if someone knows how to access encrypted partitions, they can potentially view the contents by entering the password.​

4. Accessing Encrypted Data: When you insert the BitLocker – encrypted USB drive into another computer, you’ll be prompted for the password. Once the password is entered correctly, the drive (or partition) becomes accessible, and all the files and folders within it are visible. There’s no specific feature to selectively hide individual folders in a truly invisible manner.​

Limitations for Folder Hiding​

BitLocker’s main focus is on full – disk encryption for overall data protection. While it does provide security, its method of “hiding” folders is more of a by-product of its encryption process. It lacks the simplicity and the true invisible – hiding capabilities that Gilisoft offers. Additionally, if you forget the BitLocker password, recovering the data can be a complex and sometimes impossible task, especially if you haven’t set up proper recovery options.​

A Comparative Analysis​

When it comes to hiding folders on USB drives, Gilisoft clearly outshines BitLocker in several aspects. Gilisoft offers a dedicated and user-friendly solution for invisible folder hiding. Its one-click hiding feature, combined with easy access and additional security options, makes it ideal for both novice and experienced users. On the other hand, BitLocker, while a powerful encryption tool for overall disk protection, requires more technical knowledge and complex procedures to achieve a form of folder privacy, and it doesn’t truly hide folders from view in the same effective way.​

If your primary goal is to keep specific folders on your USB drive hidden from prying eyes, Gilisoft File Lock Pro should be your go-to choice. Its intuitive interface, robust hiding capabilities, and additional security features ensure that your sensitive data remains both hidden and protected on your external storage devices.

In an era when data security is highly valued, folder – hiding tools have become powerful assistants for protecting personal privacy and sensitive information. When selecting such tools, it is necessary to consider various aspects, such as encryption algorithms and key management, in accordance with the criteria for evaluating the security of file encryption tools. Here are several excellent tools recommended for you.

SecretFolder

Encryption Algorithm and Security: Although the details of the encryption algorithm are not explicitly disclosed, it excels in key management. When creating an access password for the software, you can also set up password recovery via email address. However, the reset email address must be accurately filled in; otherwise, the password cannot be reset if forgotten. This approach ensures both the security and recoverability of the key, which is in line with secure key management practices.
Ease of Operation: The operation interface is simple and intuitive, making it extremely easy to use. It supports systems ranging from Windows XP to Windows 10 and is compatible with various file systems such as FAT, FAT32, NTFS, and EXFAT. There are no restrictions on the number or size of protected folders and files. During the installation process, it automatically disables the Windows Indexing Service, reducing the risk of hidden files being discovered by others through indexing. To hide a file, simply add it to the software list using the “add” function, and the folder will be encrypted and hidden. To view a folder, select the corresponding folder from the hidden file list and click “Unlock” to unlock it. If you no longer need to hide a folder, you can remove it from the hidden list using the “Remove” function. In addition, it has a “Protected Uninstallation” feature. Uninstalling the software requires entering the password, and even popular software uninstallation tools cannot uninstall it without the password, further safeguarding the security of hidden files.

Anvi Folder Locker

Encryption Algorithm and Security: It uses a reliable encryption method that can effectively prevent others from discovering hidden files by showing hidden items. It offers multiple saving modes, such as Hide, Lock, Read – Only, Hide and Lock, and Password. Take the Password mode as an example. After encryption, you need to enter the correct password to open the file or folder. Even uninstalling the software requires the password, preventing others from viewing the files by uninstalling the software. Once a file is locked, others cannot only not open it but also do not have the permission to delete it, demonstrating excellent performance in access control.
Ease of Operation: It is very convenient to use. When you first open the software, you need to set a master password and can also fill in the email address for password recovery. You can also reset the master password in the settings. Just drag the files you need to operate into the software interface, and you can easily complete the corresponding settings. Moreover, this software is feature – rich. It supports file transfer between mobile phones and PCs, as well as between mobile phones. The built – in player can open various video, audio, and document formats, and it is also equipped with a built – in professional browser, greatly enhancing the user experience.

Encrypto

Encryption Algorithm and Security: It adopts the high – strength AES – 256 encryption algorithm, which is a highly recognized secure algorithm in the industry. It can effectively resist various attacks and is almost impossible to be cracked, providing a solid security guarantee for encrypted files and demonstrating outstanding performance in terms of encryption algorithms.
Ease of Operation: It supports two major mainstream systems, Windows and macOS, and is free of charge without ads. When using it, simply drag the files or folders you want to encrypt into the software and set a password to complete the encryption. The encrypted documents can be saved anywhere. The next time you open a file, double – click the encrypted file or drag it into the software and enter the password to decrypt and view the file content. The operation process is simple and straightforward.

These folder – hiding tools each have their own highlights in terms of security and ease of use. Users can choose the most suitable tool according to their own needs, such as the type of operating system, the emphasis on encryption strength, and ease of operation, so as to effectively protect file privacy and data security.