EtchLock is powered by the .NET Desktop Runtime (bundled with the app). ?️ WHY CHOOSE ETCHLOCK FOR YOUR PRIVACY EtchLock is a powerful offline file vault that's easy to use and designed for the everyday person. It offers top-tier encryption to ensure your personal files remain completely private and secure on your local computer. Own your privacy with a lifetime license, no monthly fees, and no data snooping. • Zero-Network Architecture: EtchLock operates entirely offline. We firmly believe that your personal data should stay private. Always. • Ad-Free and No Subscriptions: Enjoy absolute peace of mind with zero monthly fees, zero required online accounts, and absolutely no background cloud syncing. The app is completely ad-free and never tracks your behavior, collects telemetry, or sells your metadata to third-party advertisers. • Isolated Vault Container: Your encrypted data is stored within an isolated container. This keeps your vault completely separate from the rest of your operating system. Your vault files can’t be discovered by performing a regular Windows file search. • Secure File Viewing: You can safely open and view encrypted files directly from the vault without leaving permanent traces behind. The temporary decrypted file automatically expires after five seconds or vanishes the moment you close the file. • MSIX Security: The app is packaged using the highly secure MSIX format for clean installations. This protects the app from unauthorized tampering, keeping it safe from outside threats. ? WHAT TO KEEP IN YOUR VAULT Everyone has digital files that are simply for their eyes only. EtchLock is the perfect digital safe for your everyday life, providing a critical shield against identity theft and data breaches. As these digital threats have become much more common over the years, keeping your most sensitive information locked away is no longer optional. • Financial and Tax Records: Secure your tax returns, bank statements, and investment portfolios. • Personal Identification: Protect digital copies of your passport, driver's license, birth certificate, and social security cards. • Private Memories: Keep your personal journals, private family photos, and home videos locked away from shared household computers. • Personal Files: Store private letters, sensitive digital receipts, and any other confidential documents you want to keep completely hidden. • Medical and Legal Documents: Safely store medical histories, insurance policies, wills, and sensitive contracts. • Work and Business Files: Keep confidential business plans, client data, and proprietary code safe while working remotely or traveling. • Resumes and CVs: Lock away your work resumes, which contain highly personal information that hackers frequently target for identity theft. • Password Backups and Recovery Codes: Safely store unencrypted CSV exports from password managers and 2FA backup codes. • Software Licenses: Keep your product activation keys, software serial numbers, and digital purchase receipts organized and secure. ? POWERFUL CRYPTOGRAPHY (AES-256-GCM-SIV) EtchLock goes far beyond traditional encryption methods. The app uses state-of-the-art Bouncy Castle AES-256-GCM-SIV encryption for maximum offline security. We specifically engineered our app to stop the advanced threats that traditional file vaults ignore. • Hardware-Backed Key Protection: Because EtchLock integrates seamlessly with Windows Hello, there are no weak passwords to hack or guess. Your vault encryption key is a cryptographically secure random sequence that is physically sealed by the Windows Data Protection API (DPAPI) and tied directly to your device's hardware and biometric login. • Zero Memory Ghosting: Traditional apps often leave invisible "ghost copies" of your files in your computer's RAM. EtchLock physically locks your files in memory while encrypting them. This means they are instantly and completely obliterated from your RAM the millisecond you are done. • App-Specific Hardware Locks: Even if a hacker breaches your computer, they can't open your vault. EtchLock mathematically binds your vault key not just to your Windows login, but directly to the EtchLock app itself. Other programs and malware are physically locked out from reading your key. • Direct-to-Disk Saving: Windows naturally tries to cache your files in temporary folders to speed things up, which can be a security risk. EtchLock entirely bypasses the Windows OS cache, forcing your secure data straight to the physical drive instantly to prevent accidental leaks. • Tamper-Proof Vault Binding: Your encrypted files are cryptographically tied to the EtchLock app. If an attacker tries to steal a file and force it open in another program, the mathematical lock instantly rejects it. ✨ USEFUL ETCHLOCK APP FEATURES EtchLock sets a new standard for file vaults by offering physical USB security keys and hardware-aware file shredding. These premium features give you absolute control over your digital footprint. • One-Click Vault Backup: Securely back up your entire vault, including your folder structures, into a single encrypted archive with one click. You can easily restore this backup at any time to recover your data exactly as it was. • Start Fresh with 'Empty Vault': If you ever want to wipe your digital safe clean, the 'Empty Vault' feature allows you to permanently shred every single file and folder at once. This uses hardware-aware shredding to ensure no data is recoverable. • Portable USB Vault Key: Move your vault encryption key to a physical USB flash drive to make your vault completely invisible when the USB drive is unplugged. • Double-Layer Protection: Combine the physical USB Vault Key with Windows Hello biometric security for the ultimate two-step authentication system. • Advanced File Shredding: The app auto-detects your storage type to securely destroy the original files after encrypting them. For modern Solid-State Drives (SSDs), it uses Fast TRIM or Cryptographic secure erase. For older Hard Disk Drives (HDDs), it offers Fast (1-pass Zero Fill), Standard (3-pass DoD 5220.22-M), or Deep Wipe (35-pass Gutmann method) to guarantee your data is permanently gone. • Auto-Lock Timers: Configure the app to lock itself automatically after a set period of inactivity or instantly when you minimize the window. ? EFFORTLESS FILE ORGANIZATION Managing your secure files should not be a hassle. EtchLock provides an intuitive file explorer experience that makes organization a breeze. • Global Search: Search the entire vault instantly to find any file you need, no matter which folder it’s stored in. • Seamless Drag and Drop: Easily drag and drop files from your computer directly into the vault to encrypt them instantly. • Reorder Folders: Simply drag and drop your custom folders to organize them how you want. • Flexible File Sorting: Easily sort your secure files by name, date modified, size, or file type to find exactly what you need. • Export Anytime: Use the built-in export feature to decrypt files. This allows you to put them back onto your computer's regular storage. ? MODERN DESIGN AND CUSTOMIZABLE APP EtchLock looks and feels right at home on modern Windows computers. You can easily tailor the interface to match your personal preferences. • ARM64 Support: Fully optimized to run natively on the latest generation of Windows computers with ARM64 processors, delivering blazing fast performance and maximum battery efficiency. • Native Windows Effects: Full support for Mica and Acrylic visual effects found in Windows 11. • System Themes: The app adapts to your system Light or Dark mode settings automatically. • Windows Hello Integration: Safely lock the app using your Windows Hello PIN, face recognition, or fingerprint. • Adjustable Display Scale: Use the custom Display Scale setting to resize the app interface to fit your needs. ⚠️ YOUR DATA, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY Because EtchLock is an offline app with absolutely no online backups, you are completely responsible for your own data. There are no password resets or remote recovery options. If your computer hardware fails or the app is uninstalled, your encrypted backups are the only way to recover your data. Should you lose your USB Vault Key, accidentally delete your files, or lose your backups, your files cannot be recovered. Please manage your vault carefully and make frequent backups to prevent any possible future data loss. Take control of your digital privacy and protect your personal files. Download EtchLock today for a powerful offline file vault! ?