A: Because Windows 9x is almost completely lacking in security features, I recommend that you go the shareware route to keep prying eyes out of your files. (If you use Windows NT 4.0 or Linux, your security has been better thought out, and you won't have to search for the right shareware to find peace of mind.)

If your only concern is keeping others away from your files, try MegaShock Software's Stealth. You can download the demo version from our cover CD-ROM or at www.megashock.net/stealth/info.htm. (The full working version costs $US20.) Stealth creates a virtual drive on your real hard drive that disappears when Stealth isn't running. But launch Stealth and type in your password, and there it is -- with all the files you've created on it or moved to it.

For a more comprehensive security tool, try SIHS's Safelock. Again, there's a free download, from http://sihs.bizland.com or from our cover CD-ROM. And though this tool's $US36 registration takes a bigger bite than Stealth, you get much more. Safelock (see FIGURE 1) lets you keep would-be snoops from files, folders, programs and sensitive Control Panel settings. You can prevent other users from changing the wallpaper, adding to the desktop, or exiting to DOS (although they can always reach DOS by rebooting). As with Stealth, you can access items you've protected only when Safelock is running, and you can't launch Safelock without the password. One drawback remains: Safelock hides your files, but it doesn't encrypt them; determined hackers can still ferret out what they're looking for.