Active Lock

Active Lock transforms any USB storage device in an access key for logging into Windows and locking the workstation. This is an intuitive software application that can be configured even by inexperienced users.
Before proceeding any further, you should know that it hasn't been updated for a long and it doesn't support newer Windows editions.

Log in using a USB access key

After setup, you can plug a USB drive into the computer unit and launch the program to configure settings. It's necessary to select the USB's drive letter from a list in order to trigger a window prompt at every system startup, where you have to insert that specific USB key to gain access. Otherwise, the PC can be reset or shut down.

Lock the PC when removing the USB drive

In addition to logon, the machine can lock automatically when unplugging the drive, and Active Lock can be enabled even when booting Windows in safe mode. In order to complete this action, you have to restart the PC.
If you want to revert the settings, all you have to do is access the main configuration panel and disable the program after selecting the drive letter of your USB key.
Another aspect worth mentioning is that it's possible to create a USB access key for multiple computers. This means that you can lock and unlock your home and work PC with the same device, for instance.

Evaluation and conclusion

There were no stability issues in our tests, as the tool didn't hang, crash or prompt error messages. It had minimal impact on performance.
Too bad that Active Lock hasn't been updated in such a long time that it doesn't support newer Windows editions. However, if you're running an older version, you can rely on this simple-to-use application for quickly locking and unlocking all your computers.