10 Best Encryption Software For Windows 10 (Encrypt Hard Drive)

Nowadays, people are aware of privacy protections, and the great thing is that all are taking proper steps to protect privacy. In the world of privacy protection, the data/file encryption software plays a vital role.

With proper file encryption software, one can protect one valuable data. If you are into some business, then confidential data exposure can result in financial losses. For a personal computer, file encryption software can be used to backup files, password protects folders, etc.

If you have been searching for the best file encryption software, this article might help you. Below, we have discussed some of the best free file encryption software to secure your data.

List of 10 Best Encryption Software For Windows 10

Note: We have not shared the software’s download link due to security reasons. You can search the software name on Google to get the download link.

1. AxCrypt

It is one of the best encryption software for Windows 10 that is perfect for encrypting any files on your computer. AxCrypt is the leading open-source file encryption software for Windows. The encryption tool for Windows integrates seamlessly with Windows to compress, encrypt, decrypt, store, send, and work with individual files.

2. VeraCrypt

VeraCrypt is a top-rated encryption program that one can use on Windows 10. It offers top-grade encryption for your data. Generally, VeraCrypt works by creating password-protected volumes, but one can also encrypt an entire hard drive partition via VeraCrypt. Along with the hard drive, one can also encrypt USB devices. VeraCrypt is compatible with Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 10, MacOSX, Linux, Android, and iOS.

3. 7-Zip

Well, 7-Zip is a file compressor utility, but it can be used to encrypt files. It is a well-known compression tool that helps you to encrypt files. With this tool, you can compress files and protect them with password protection. 7-Zip is lightweight, free, and very easy to use.

4. Gpg4win

The encryption utility enables users to exchange emails and files securely with encryption and digital signatures. Encryption protects the contents against an unwanted party reading it. Digital signatures make sure that it is not modified and comes from a specific sender. Gpg4win supports both relevant cryptography standards, OpenPGP and S/MIME (X.509), and is the official GnuPG distribution for Windows. You can take GPG4Win as the best encrypting file system app.

5. Windows 10 Device Encryption

It is the feature that is pre-built in Windows 10. For encrypting your drive, you need to sign in to Windows with a Microsoft Account. Your recovery key will automatically get uploaded to Microsoft’s servers. You can navigate to System > About and look for a “Device encryption.” However, the device encryption feature is available only on the supported devices. Not every Windows 10 edition has this feature.

6. Bitlocker

This is a full-disk encryption feature included with selected editions of Windows. It is designed to protect data by providing encryption for entire volumes. By default, it uses the AES encryption algorithm in cipher block chaining (CBC) or XTS mode with a 128-bit or 256-bit key. CBC is not used over the whole disk, only for each disk sector. You can check out our guide on using Bitlocker to encrypt Windows 10 drive.

7. AES Crypt

It is a file encryption software that uses the industry-standard Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to quickly and securely encrypt files. When using Windows, the only thing you need to do is right-click on the file, select AES Encrypt or AES Decrypt, enter a password, and AES Crypt will do the rest. However, please note down the password of the encrypted file. If you lose the password, you will lose access to the data.

8. Folder Lock

Well, Folder Lock is software that password protects your files, folders, and drives. Compared to all other tools on the list, Folder Lock is easy to use. The user interface of Folder Lock is pretty simple, and it also secures your encrypted files from viruses and spyware. However, make sure to download Folder Lock only from trusted sources.

9. CertainSafe

Well, Certainsafe is a deposit box that goes through multistage security that authenticates you to the website and authenticates the site to you. With Certainsafe, all your files are encrypted and are split into chunks. Each of the chunks is stored on a different server, making it secure from various hacking attempts.

10. LastPass

Well, LastPass is a password manager tool that can help you secure your passwords and personal data. The encryption tool is free, and it allows users to save passwords. Not just that, but LastPass also offers an extension for Google Chrome and Firefox browser that makes the password shaving and locking process much easier.

How To Encrypt Hard Disk Drive Using BitLocker

Well, BitLocker is one of the best disk encryption tools which comes with the Windows operating system. You can use the default BitLocker to password protect your drive with passwords. So, let’s know how to encrypt files windows 10 with BitLocker.

Step 1. First of all, head to the Control Panel and then click on ‘BitLocker Drive Encryption.’

Step 2. In the next window, you need to turn on the BitLocker. For example, if you need to encrypt the entire C drive, then select C drive and click on ‘Turn On BitLocker’

Step 3. In the next window, please enter the new password and confirm it. Click on ‘Next’

Step 4. Now it’s time to save your key somewhere. You can choose to keep the recovery key on your Microsoft account, save a file on your computer, or print the recovery key.

Step 5. Now click on ‘Start Encryption’ and wait until the process completes.

That’s it! You are done. Now, whenever you try to access the encrypted drive, you will be prompted to enter the password.

So, these are the best encryption software for Windows. I hope this article helped you! Please share it with your friends also. If you know of any other such apps, let us know in the comment box below.