Getting Started
Welcome to GuardWare PROTECT!
You've accepted the invitation sent by GuardWare Australia to use GuardWare PROTECT.
GuardWare Australia is dedicated to helping organisations keep their sensitive information safe. To learn more about GuardWare Australia, visit our website.
GuardWare PROTECT is a persistent file encryption and data protection solution provided by GuardWare Australia that secures sensitive files throughout their entire lifecycle. Files stay protected whether stored locally or shared externally via USB, cloud drives, emails, or other methods and only authorised users can access the protected files.
You need to install GuardWare PROTECT Agent to open and use the protected files shared with you.
How to Get Started
Install GuardWare PROTECT Agent
Double-click the provided PROTECT Agent installer file to begin the installation.
In the Setup Wizard, click Next to continue.
Read and accept the End User Licence Agreement (EULA) and click Next.
Choose the folder where you want to install GuardWare PROTECT and click Next. By default, PROTECT will be installed in:
C:\Program Files\.Click Install. The installation may take a few minutes to complete.
If you do not have Microsoft Azure CLI installed, a Setup Wizard will prompt you to install it. Read and agree to the licence agreement terms and click Install.
If you do not have Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable installed, a Setup Wizard will prompt you to install it. Read and agree to the licence agreement terms and click Install.
Once the installation is complete, click Finish to exit the Setup Wizard and continue with the PROTECT Agent installation.
During the agent installation, a User Account Control (UAC) dialog box may appear. This is a standard Windows security feature that verifies whether you want to allow the installer to make changes to your computer. When this dialog appears:
Verify that the publisher is GuardWare Australia Pty Ltd.
Click Yes to allow the installation to proceed. Clicking No cancels the installation.
Once the PROTECT Agent installation is complete, click Finish to exit the wizard.
You’ll be prompted to restart your device. Click Yes. After restarting your device, follow the steps in Post-Installation Setup.
Restarting is mandatory for GuardWare PROTECT to install successfully.
Post-Installation Setup
After restarting your device, a Welcome Wizard appears automatically. If you do not see it right away, please wait a few minutes.
In the Welcome wizard, click Login with Azure.
Select Work or school account.
Enter the email address where you received the invitation, and click Next.
Check your email for a verification code, then enter the code and click Sign in.
When prompted to sign in automatically across desktop apps and browsers, select No, this app only (for better security). This ensures your Azure login is used only within GuardWare PROTECT, preventing other apps or browsers on the same device from automatically accessing your credentials. You can always sign in separately to other apps when needed.
Click Exit when the setup is complete.
During the process, if a Windows Security prompt appears stating that Windows Firewall has blocked some features of GWProtectDesktop, click Allow. If the prompt does not appear or you did not allow it in the above step, follow the steps below to allow GWProtectDesktop to communicate through Windows Defender Firewall. Allowing GWProtectDesktop through the firewall ensures the PROTECT Agent can communicate with required services and enforce file protection policies correctly.
Open Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall.
Click Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.
Select Change settings.
Locate GWProtectDesktop in the list and enable the Private and Public networks.
Click OK to save the changes.
You can now use GuardWare PROTECT to add protection to sensitive files and access protected files shared with you.
To learn more about the features, see PROTECT Features.
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