What is included in GiliSoft USB Encryption?

Secure encrypted area – 256-bit AES protects files on the drive.
Two drive areas – Keep private files apart from shared files.
Real disk encryption – Kernel-level driver, not simple file hiding.
Portable access – Opens on any Windows PC, auto-locks when unplugged.
Performance Metric – On-the-fly AES runs near file-copy speed.
Important – MacOS and Linux cannot create encrypted areas.

What are the main benefits of GiliSoft USB Encryption?

GiliSoft USB Encryption is a Windows tool that locks a password-protected, AES-256 secure area onto USB flash drives, memory cards, and external disks. The same drive keeps a normal public area, so confidential and shareable files can sit side by side.

Theft protection – Lost or stolen drives stay unreadable without password.
No reinstall needed – Open the secure area on any Windows PC.
Real-time encryption – Files encrypt on save, decrypt on open.
Read-only mode – Share contents without letting others change them.
Auto-lock – Secure area closes when the drive unplugs.
Simple setup – Encrypts a standard drive in a minute.

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What does GiliSoft USB Encryption do?

It creates a password-protected secure area on a USB flash drive, memory card, or external USB disk and encrypts everything inside it with 256-bit AES on the fly. The drive is split into a secure area and a normal public area, so you can keep client contracts or ID scans private while still handing over ordinary files from the same stick. Encryption uses a Windows kernel-level disk driver rather than simple file hiding, so the protected partition is cryptographically locked, not just hidden. When you unplug the drive or close the session, the secure area locks itself until the password is entered again.

Can I open the encrypted USB drive on another computer without installing the software?

Yes, on Windows. A portable agent travels on the drive itself, so you can plug the stick into any Windows PC, run it, enter the password, and reach the secure area without a full installation. That is the main reason it suits people who move drives between office, home, and client machines. On macOS or Linux the encrypted partition is read-only and needs GiliSoft's separate free USB Reader tool — you cannot create or manage the secure area on those systems.

How is GiliSoft USB Encryption different from USB Lock and USB Copy Protection?

These are three separate GiliSoft products that solve different problems. USB Encryption protects the data on a removable drive by locking it inside an AES-256 secure area. USB Lock is endpoint software that controls which USB devices are allowed to connect to a PC, blocking unauthorized sticks rather than encrypting files. USB Copy Protection stops files delivered on a USB drive from being copied or redistributed. If your goal is to keep the contents of a portable drive private, USB Encryption is the right one; the other two handle device access and anti-copy, not data encryption.

Which drives and file types can GiliSoft USB Encryption protect?

It works with USB flash drives, thumb drives, memory cards, and external USB hard drives on Windows. There are no strict file-type limits, so documents, photos, videos, archives, and whole folders can all go into the secure area. During setup it formats the target drive and can convert a FAT drive to NTFS, which lets you store single files larger than 4 GB inside the encrypted area. Because formatting is part of both the encryption and the uninstall steps, copy the drive's existing contents somewhere safe before you start.

What should I check before choosing GiliSoft USB Encryption?

Three points matter. First, it is Windows software for Windows 7, 10, and 11; macOS and Linux only get read-only access to an already-encrypted drive through the free USB Reader and cannot create secure areas. Second, both encrypting and uninstalling format the drive, so back up its files first. Third, changing the secure-area password requires the current password, so store it carefully — there is no console that resets it for you, and the password is what keeps the AES-256 area private.

Frequently asked questions about GiliSoft USB Encryption

Is GiliSoft USB Encryption free to use?

No, it is a commercial product, though a free trial is available. The trial is limited to roughly ten uses before a purchase is needed to keep encrypting and accessing drives, so it is best treated as a way to test the secure-area workflow on your own hardware first.

Can I choose how large the encrypted secure area is?

Yes. At setup you set the size of the secure area, and the remaining space stays as the public area on the same drive. This lets you reserve only as much encrypted space as your sensitive files need while keeping the rest of the drive freely usable for everyday files.