A generic term for placing a restriction of some sort. It could refer to placing a password-based or biometric protection over a device, a system or a set of data. It could also refer to placing read-only protection on certain configuration or data (like files). Questions using this tag can also be regarding the opposite action of unlocking.
Locking is a generic term for which the meaning could depend on the context.
Most notably, in general computer usage, it refers to placing a password-based or biometric protection over a device, a system or a set of data. Examples include the operating system's lock screen, and password protection on files and folders.
It could also refer to freezing certain configuration or data (like files) so that it is protected from misconfiguration or unintended change by the user who locked it or by others. Examples include the administrative locks placed on system configuration modules, and the act of making files read-only for the users or inaccessible for other applications by the application opening them (known as file locking).
Questions using this tag can also be regarding the opposite action of unlocking. These questions could be about problems that appear during the attempt to reverse the effects of a lock, or that persists after the unlock has been performed.
In computer programming, locking refers to a method of synchronization between two contenting applications or threads sharing the same data. Questions regarding this are best asked in Stack Overflow.
