Private Pix 4.1

Founded back in ’97 in Florida, Tropical Software is a company that specializes in developing security software solutions. As the company itself explains, its main focus at this time is to bring “the world security and privacy solutions for the Windows™ operating systems.”

Tropical Software came up with applications like Secure Browser (an application that controls what webpages users can visit), Private Encryptor (an application to encrypt files and email messages), and Private Pix. The last one, Private Pix, is the Tropical Software-developed program we will focus on.

With the Private Pix software application the computer user can protect his privacy. To be more precise, he can make sure that his private pictures remain that way – private. The safest way to ensure no one will look at sensitive pics is to delete them – but this means you will no longer be able to see them either. Not to mention that perhaps one day you will want to show some of those images to a friend or loved one. You may not want junior to stumble upon those party pics of you getting wasted in college, but when he’s old enough, the two of you can share a laugh.

Private Pix can protect your pictures until then. What it does is encrypt the images you select and password protect the encryption. While the images are encrypted, no one can look at them. The images are decrypted only when the correct password is provided.

It should be mentioned that Private Pix works with other media files as well. Besides pictures, you can also encrypt and protect video files and audio files.

To further add to the level of protection it offers, Private Pix also comes with a name scrambling feature.

Private Pix weighs in at little under 2MB, meaning the download will complete in no time at all. The installation process goes at an equally rapid pace – I counted some 5 clicks from launching the setup wizard and until the installation process finished. Speaking of installations, this Tropical Software-developed program will work without a hitch on all Windows versions – this includes XP, Vista and Windows 7.

Private Pix is shareware, not freeware. You can use the application free of charge only during the 30-day trial period.

For a fast, convenient and easy way to protect your sensitive pics, audios and videos, you need to get Private Pix.

Pros

• Easy to use
• Encrypts and password protects pictures, audio files and videos
• Hidden folders
• Hide in picture
• Works with Windows XP, Windows Vista, and the latest iteration, Windows 7

Cons

• Free to use only during the 30-day trial period
• Nag screen
• Displays tips at startup, which can be annoying (they can be disabled though)
• Displays ads
• Refused to uninstall

Private Pix has been reviewed by George Norman on 14 Apr 2010. Based on the user interface, features and complexity, Findmysoft has rated Private Pix 4 out of 5 stars, naming it Excellent