Last Updated on October 3, 2024 by Mathew Diekhake
Windows 10 and 11 have a built-in tool called BitLocker which lets you encrypt files and drives. Windows had a way you could encrypt files and folders manually before BitLocker and BitLocker was a newer easier way to get it done. That said, if you don’t like the default options, third-party tools can be useful for simplifying things or offering something better suited to your preferences. If you only want to encrypt PDF files and you want to do it with minimal fuss, Coolmuster PDF Locker 2.5.22 is a tool that may be of interest.
WHAT IT IS
Coolmuster PDF Locker is a tool to easily encrypt PDF files so that they become locked behind a password of your choice. Coolmuster PDF Locker lets you choose which PDF files you want locked, and generate a password for them that only you know so others can’t open them. Adding an owner password also prevents the PDFs from reuseage. Coolmuster PDF Locker has three different encryption options: 40-bit RC4, 128-bit RC4, and 128-bit AES.
DESCRIPTION
The interface had a large area devoted to an icon of a PDF which next to is said “Hit the add file button or drag your PDFs here.” It is the ability to drag the PDF file that is the reason for this large area existing: they expect you to prefer dragging the PDF files over that you want to encrypt and they have made the area large so your target is easier to find. That said, the secondary option of navigating to “add file” is there if you prefer it. Once i added my PDF file, it would Sometimes you will need to navigate to the file because it’s not easily accessible on your desktop, so you may prefer navigating via the “add file” section rather than trying to find it in File Explorer first etc.
Once I uploaded my PDF, I clicked on the Encrypt button and it encrypted the file. If I wanted to set a password before encrypting, I needed to check the box for that in the right-side column above where the Encrypt button is.
CONCLUSION AND DOWNLOAD LINK
I prefer having an all-in-one file encryption tool capable of encrypting numerous file types. But if you know you only deal with PDFs, technically the Coolmuster PDF Locker will be a lighter tool for your computer. For what it is, I found the Coolmuster PDF Locker easy to use and it did run very light on my computer. I found the interface well planned out and simple to use, which is another advantage if all you need is to encrypt PDFs. There’s nothing on the interface but information and navigation related to encrypting PDFs. Sometimes, you’re lucky to find an interface at all, so it should appeal to some users. It’s one of the best-dedicated PDF encryption tools I have used. Coolmuster is also a brand I am familiar with and I generally like and recommend their tools because they’re always well made each time I review them. For instance, I recently reviewed the Coolmuster iOS Eraser which I applauded for its innovation.
- Price: $15.95
- Version reviewed: Coolmuster PDF Locker 2.5.22
- System requirements: Windows 7/ 8/ 10/ 11 (x32/x64)
- Download size: 19.4 MB
- Website: coolmuster.com/pdf-locker.html