BCArchive : Create Encrypted Self-Extracting Archives

BCArchive is a free encryption tool for Windows. Using this tool, we can create encrypted archives containing many files or folders. Using this freeware we can create encrypted archives and also self-extracting EXE archives. While any archiving tool such as WinRAR or 7-Zip can create an encrypted archive for you, BCArchive can use a number of different algorithms for encrypting the files.

After we have installed BCArchive on a Windows PC, we can launch it from its Windows desktop shortcuts. The user interface appears to be similar to any other archiving utility. We have to begin by clicking on the “New” button in the toolbar of the BCArchive window. This creates a new archive and for each new archive, you have to supply an encryption password.

We can supply just the password and it will take care of rest of the encryption settings. However, for the advanced users, it offers some advanced settings to be configured. In the encryption settings we can choose one of the ciphers such as Blowfish-256, Blowfish-448, Twofish, GOST, AES, Serpent and Camellia-256. We can also choose whether we want to use a password or a public key.

BCArchive

After a new archive has been created and opened in the BCArchive window, we can simply drag-n-drop the files into that window. Those files will be automatically encrypted using the selected ciphers. The archive is saved on your computer with an extension BCA and can only be opened using the free BCArchive tool.

If you want to send these encrypted archives to someone then you can create self-extracting archives which are EXE files and do not require BCArchive to be installed. When we launch these self-extracting archives they ask for the decryption password and then allow us to extract the files in a folder of our choice.

BCArchive

Compared to traditional archiver applications like 7-Zip and PeaZip, BCArchive offers a much more powerful encryption methods. It is useful if you want to send encrypted archives to someone via email.

You can download BCArchive freeware from https://www.jetico.com/downloads/free-security-tools.