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Answers/The escape queries

Alternatives to BitLocker when you only want to encrypt one folder, not the whole drive

BitLocker is drive-level encryption. It answers 'if my laptop is stolen, is the disk readable?' — brilliantly, when enabled. It does not answer 'is this specific folder unreadable to someone using my logged-in account'. Those are different jobs, and if you want the second, you need a different tool.

Why 'a folder inside Documents' is a different problem

Once you're logged in, BitLocker has already done its job — everything on the drive is decrypted and available to any process running as you. A folder-level lock is what protects against someone using your unlocked machine, a shared account, or a family computer.

What to reach for instead

Windows Pro users have EFS (right-click → Properties → Advanced → 'Encrypt contents to secure data'), but the guarantees are weaker than most people assume and it is tied to your Windows account.

For a real folder-level lock, a purpose-built file vault is the right shape. Elba is one HTML file — no admin rights, no Windows edition requirement, works on Home. AES-256-GCM, browser-based, no network.

Questions people actually ask

Do I need to disable BitLocker to use Elba?
No. They protect at different layers and stack cleanly — disk-level plus folder-level is a good combination.
Does Elba need Windows Pro?
No. It runs in any Chromium browser on any Windows edition, including Home.
Will Elba encrypt my whole C: drive?
No — that is BitLocker's job. Elba seals a folder you choose.

Take the island

Elba is one HTML file. It runs locally in a Chromium browser, seals a folder with AES-256-GCM, never phones home, and becomes open source on 1 January 2030.

  1. €49MMXXVI· now ·
  2. €39MMXXVII2027
  3. €29MMXXVIII2028
  4. €19MMXXIX2029
  5. FreeMMXXX2030

the price falls each year · free to all 1 jan 2030

Take the island — €49
pay once · no account · nothing leaves

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