|
tech
newsgroups
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Making a file folder accessible only by passwordIs it possible to have a file folder within My Documents folder accessible
only by password? I am set up to access my desktop by password (which contains the My Documents folder), but am wondering if I can go one step further and have a certain file folder within the My Documents folder accessible only by password? I have a Dell Dimension 4100 Desktop computer with Windows XP - Home Edition operating system - service pack 3, Pentium 111 with 930 MHZ, 20 GB Hard Drive and 512 MB of RAN. The file system is FAT 32. Many thanks for your co-operation and response. Stewart Fluney Use third-party encryption software.
--- Leonard Grey Errare humanum est Stewart Fluney wrote: Show quoteHide quote > Is it possible to have a file folder within My Documents folder accessible > only by password? I am set up to access my desktop by password (which > contains the My Documents folder), but am wondering if I can go one step > further and have a certain file folder within the My Documents folder > accessible only by password? > > I have a Dell Dimension 4100 Desktop computer with Windows XP - Home Edition > operating system - service pack 3, Pentium 111 with 930 MHZ, 20 GB Hard Drive > and 512 MB of RAN. The file system is FAT 32. > > Many thanks for your co-operation and response. > > Stewart Fluney Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:56:10 -0400 from Leonard Grey
<l.grey@invalid.invalid>: > Stewart Fluney wrote: I recommend the free and easy-to-use TrueCrypt.> > Is it possible to have a file folder within My Documents folder > > accessible only by password? > Use third-party encryption software. -- Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA http://OakRoadSystems.com Shikata ga nai... I will second TrueCrypt. It's excellant and easy to use.
I've got a whole 120GB external hard drive encrypted. Nobody can get in without my password. What's nice is that if my Girlfriend or her Daughter plug in my drive all they will see is a one file (called a container in TrueCrypt). They won't know what to do with it. That's because when you want to use the container you must open TrueCrypt and select to mount the drive. It will then prompt you for your password. Once mounted it will show up in My Computer and will behave like normal. You can copy files, delete, etc. Show quoteHide quote "Stan Brown" <the_stan_br***@fastmail.fm> wrote in message news:MPG.244e2869e40480b498ba72@news.individual.net... > Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:56:10 -0400 from Leonard Grey > <l.grey@invalid.invalid>: > >> Stewart Fluney wrote: >> > Is it possible to have a file folder within My Documents folder >> > accessible only by password? > >> Use third-party encryption software. > > I recommend the free and easy-to-use TrueCrypt. > > -- > Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA > http://OakRoadSystems.com > Shikata ga nai... shawn wrote:
> I will second TrueCrypt. It's excellant and easy to use. Wouldn't setting up a separate account for it, using XP's encryption and > > I've got a whole 120GB external hard drive encrypted. Nobody can get > in without my password. > > What's nice is that if my Girlfriend or her Daughter plug in my drive > all they will see is a one file (called a container in TrueCrypt). > They won't know what to do with it. That's because when you want to > use the container you must open TrueCrypt and select to mount the > drive. It will then prompt you for your password. > > Once mounted it will show up in My Computer and will behave like > normal. You can copy files, delete, etc. being sure to export the keys, work better? And be a lot less complex. Here's why I asked that: Couldn't I boot from floppy or CD with any other os that can read your file system and have full access to them? This is old experience, but I had a machine here once with truecrypt on it that wouldn't boot and there were no boot disks, the on-disk restore was formatted away so not available. I booted with a Knoppix disk and noticed the encrypted folder. I entered that folder, with a long and impossible name to guess incidentally, but there were all the files, visible and not encrypted. Is that how that program works? It only encrypts the folder but not the data? The files IIRC were all set to hidden and don't recall for sure, and I think system too, but they weren't encrypted. I've always wondered about that and never took the time to find out; seems like as good a place as any to ask it here. Personally I just use XP's encryption. As long as you export the keys, it's recoverable no matter what happens. If that's all wrong above, then is there a way to put unencrypted files into an encrypted folder? The user had no idea and I didn't want to ask too many questions since I'd actually treaded into his secure area. Or what he thought was secure. I guess at t his late date it might not even have been TC either. Oh well... still interested in any comments. Regards, Twayne Show quoteHide quote > > "Stan Brown" <the_stan_br***@fastmail.fm> wrote in message > news:MPG.244e2869e40480b498ba72@news.individual.net... >> Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:56:10 -0400 from Leonard Grey >> <l.grey@invalid.invalid>: >> >>> Stewart Fluney wrote: >>>> Is it possible to have a file folder within My Documents folder >>>> accessible only by password? >> >>> Use third-party encryption software. >> >> I recommend the free and easy-to-use TrueCrypt. >> >> -- >> Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA >> http://OakRoadSystems.com >> Shikata ga nai... All you have to do to prevent such a boot CD from being able to gain access
to ANY folders (non-encrypted) is to remove the default 'Administrators' and SYSTEM permissions for that folder tree. That is how the CD gains access, by use of the Administrators group permissions. (NB I said Administrators (group) NOT Administrator (user)) (NB2 Do NOT do this to any system or program folder [respectively] or the OS or program will not work) -- Show quoteHide quoteCheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. "Twayne" <nobody@devnull.spamcop.net> wrote in message news:egb1ZJDxJHA.5100@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... > shawn wrote: >> I will second TrueCrypt. It's excellant and easy to use. >> >> I've got a whole 120GB external hard drive encrypted. Nobody can get >> in without my password. >> >> What's nice is that if my Girlfriend or her Daughter plug in my drive >> all they will see is a one file (called a container in TrueCrypt). >> They won't know what to do with it. That's because when you want to >> use the container you must open TrueCrypt and select to mount the >> drive. It will then prompt you for your password. >> >> Once mounted it will show up in My Computer and will behave like >> normal. You can copy files, delete, etc. > > Wouldn't setting up a separate account for it, using XP's encryption and > being sure to export the keys, work better? And be a lot less complex. > Here's why I asked that: > Couldn't I boot from floppy or CD with any other os that can read your > file system and have full access to them? > This is old experience, but I had a machine here once with truecrypt on > it that wouldn't boot and there were no boot disks, the on-disk restore > was formatted away so not available. > I booted with a Knoppix disk and noticed the encrypted folder. I entered > that folder, with a long and impossible name to guess incidentally, but > there were all the files, visible and not encrypted. Is that how that > program works? It only encrypts the folder but not the data? The files > IIRC were all set to hidden and don't recall for sure, and I think system > too, but they weren't encrypted. > > I've always wondered about that and never took the time to find out; seems > like as good a place as any to ask it here. Personally I just use XP's > encryption. As long as you export the keys, it's recoverable no matter > what happens. > If that's all wrong above, then is there a way to put unencrypted files > into an encrypted folder? The user had no idea and I didn't want to ask > too many questions since I'd actually treaded into his secure area. Or > what he thought was secure. I guess at t his late date it might not even > have been TC either. Oh well... still interested in any comments. > > Regards, > > Twayne > > >> >> "Stan Brown" <the_stan_br***@fastmail.fm> wrote in message >> news:MPG.244e2869e40480b498ba72@news.individual.net... >>> Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:56:10 -0400 from Leonard Grey >>> <l.grey@invalid.invalid>: >>> >>>> Stewart Fluney wrote: >>>>> Is it possible to have a file folder within My Documents folder >>>>> accessible only by password? >>> >>>> Use third-party encryption software. >>> >>> I recommend the free and easy-to-use TrueCrypt. >>> >>> -- >>> Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA >>> http://OakRoadSystems.com >>> Shikata ga nai... > > > Tim Meddick wrote:
> All you have to do to prevent such a boot CD from being able to gain Well, it'd be easier yet to add a good BIOS password, actually. Then > access to ANY folders (non-encrypted) is to remove the default > 'Administrators' and SYSTEM permissions for that folder tree. That > is how the CD gains access, by use of the Administrators group > permissions. (NB I said Administrators (group) NOT Administrator > (user)) (NB2 Do NOT do this to any system or program folder > [respectively] or the OS or program will not work) nothing could boot without the password. You're taking a general question and trying to bring it to the maximum side of everything, not a reasonable incorporation. But there are even ways to bypass that; just not with a boot disk. I see no further point to your communications. Show quoteHide quote > > > "Twayne" <nobody@devnull.spamcop.net> wrote in message > news:egb1ZJDxJHA.5100@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... >> shawn wrote: >>> I will second TrueCrypt. It's excellant and easy to use. >>> >>> I've got a whole 120GB external hard drive encrypted. Nobody can get >>> in without my password. >>> >>> What's nice is that if my Girlfriend or her Daughter plug in my >>> drive all they will see is a one file (called a container in >>> TrueCrypt). They won't know what to do with it. That's because when >>> you want to use the container you must open TrueCrypt and select to >>> mount the drive. It will then prompt you for your password. >>> >>> Once mounted it will show up in My Computer and will behave like >>> normal. You can copy files, delete, etc. >> >> Wouldn't setting up a separate account for it, using XP's encryption >> and being sure to export the keys, work better? And be a lot less >> complex. Here's why I asked that: >> Couldn't I boot from floppy or CD with any other os that can read >> your file system and have full access to them? >> This is old experience, but I had a machine here once with >> truecrypt on it that wouldn't boot and there were no boot disks, the >> on-disk restore was formatted away so not available. >> I booted with a Knoppix disk and noticed the encrypted folder. I >> entered that folder, with a long and impossible name to guess >> incidentally, but there were all the files, visible and not >> encrypted. Is that how that program works? It only encrypts the >> folder but not the data? The files IIRC were all set to hidden and >> don't recall for sure, and I think system too, but they weren't >> encrypted. I've always wondered about that and never took the time to >> find out; >> seems like as good a place as any to ask it here. Personally I just >> use XP's encryption. As long as you export the keys, it's >> recoverable no matter what happens. >> If that's all wrong above, then is there a way to put unencrypted >> files into an encrypted folder? The user had no idea and I didn't >> want to ask too many questions since I'd actually treaded into his >> secure area. Or what he thought was secure. I guess at t his late >> date it might not even have been TC either. Oh well... still >> interested in any comments. Regards, >> >> Twayne >> >> >>> >>> "Stan Brown" <the_stan_br***@fastmail.fm> wrote in message >>> news:MPG.244e2869e40480b498ba72@news.individual.net... >>>> Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:56:10 -0400 from Leonard Grey >>>> <l.grey@invalid.invalid>: >>>> >>>>> Stewart Fluney wrote: >>>>>> Is it possible to have a file folder within My Documents folder >>>>>> accessible only by password? >>>> >>>>> Use third-party encryption software. >>>> >>>> I recommend the free and easy-to-use TrueCrypt. >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA >>>> http://OakRoadSystems.com >>>> Shikata ga nai... Well, I thank you for your opinion, but please understand we are all
entitled to one. -- Show quoteHide quoteCheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. "Twayne" <nobody@devnull.spamcop.net> wrote in message news:el%23L7qPxJHA.2140@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... > Tim Meddick wrote: >> All you have to do to prevent such a boot CD from being able to gain >> access to ANY folders (non-encrypted) is to remove the default >> 'Administrators' and SYSTEM permissions for that folder tree. That >> is how the CD gains access, by use of the Administrators group >> permissions. (NB I said Administrators (group) NOT Administrator >> (user)) (NB2 Do NOT do this to any system or program folder >> [respectively] or the OS or program will not work) > > Well, it'd be easier yet to add a good BIOS password, actually. Then > nothing could boot without the password. You're taking a general question > and trying to bring it to the maximum side of everything, not a reasonable > incorporation. > But there are even ways to bypass that; just not with a boot disk. > I see no further point to your communications. > >> >> >> "Twayne" <nobody@devnull.spamcop.net> wrote in message >> news:egb1ZJDxJHA.5100@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... >>> shawn wrote: >>>> I will second TrueCrypt. It's excellant and easy to use. >>>> >>>> I've got a whole 120GB external hard drive encrypted. Nobody can get >>>> in without my password. >>>> >>>> What's nice is that if my Girlfriend or her Daughter plug in my >>>> drive all they will see is a one file (called a container in >>>> TrueCrypt). They won't know what to do with it. That's because when >>>> you want to use the container you must open TrueCrypt and select to >>>> mount the drive. It will then prompt you for your password. >>>> >>>> Once mounted it will show up in My Computer and will behave like >>>> normal. You can copy files, delete, etc. >>> >>> Wouldn't setting up a separate account for it, using XP's encryption >>> and being sure to export the keys, work better? And be a lot less >>> complex. Here's why I asked that: >>> Couldn't I boot from floppy or CD with any other os that can read >>> your file system and have full access to them? >>> This is old experience, but I had a machine here once with >>> truecrypt on it that wouldn't boot and there were no boot disks, the >>> on-disk restore was formatted away so not available. >>> I booted with a Knoppix disk and noticed the encrypted folder. I >>> entered that folder, with a long and impossible name to guess >>> incidentally, but there were all the files, visible and not >>> encrypted. Is that how that program works? It only encrypts the >>> folder but not the data? The files IIRC were all set to hidden and >>> don't recall for sure, and I think system too, but they weren't >>> encrypted. I've always wondered about that and never took the time to >>> find out; >>> seems like as good a place as any to ask it here. Personally I just >>> use XP's encryption. As long as you export the keys, it's >>> recoverable no matter what happens. >>> If that's all wrong above, then is there a way to put unencrypted >>> files into an encrypted folder? The user had no idea and I didn't >>> want to ask too many questions since I'd actually treaded into his >>> secure area. Or what he thought was secure. I guess at t his late >>> date it might not even have been TC either. Oh well... still >>> interested in any comments. Regards, >>> >>> Twayne >>> >>> >>>> >>>> "Stan Brown" <the_stan_br***@fastmail.fm> wrote in message >>>> news:MPG.244e2869e40480b498ba72@news.individual.net... >>>>> Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:56:10 -0400 from Leonard Grey >>>>> <l.grey@invalid.invalid>: >>>>> >>>>>> Stewart Fluney wrote: >>>>>>> Is it possible to have a file folder within My Documents folder >>>>>>> accessible only by password? >>>>> >>>>>> Use third-party encryption software. >>>>> >>>>> I recommend the free and easy-to-use TrueCrypt. >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA >>>>> http://OakRoadSystems.com >>>>> Shikata ga nai... > > > Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:41:31 -0400 from Twayne
<nobody@devnull.spamcop.net>: > Couldn't I boot from floppy or CD with any other os that can read No. A TrueCrypt volume is encrypted, and can't be read without the > your file system and have full access to them? key. (I suppose the NSA could find the key, but an ordinary nosy housemate certainly could not.) -- Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA http://OakRoadSystems.com Shikata ga nai... Hi Stewart,
No, it is not possible in native Windows XP to password protect "normal" folders. However, you could create a "compressed folder" but right-clicking on a folder going to "Send to..." and selecting "Compressed (Zipped) Folder" this will behave like a normal folder in many (but not all) ways within explorer. You can then select (highlight) this folder in explorer and goto "File" and select "Add a password" from the list. This is the closest you will get without third-party (costly) software and they do look and feel quite like folders in XP. -- Show quoteHide quoteCheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. "Stewart Fluney" <s.flu***@bmts.com> wrote in message news:68224BED-AB6D-4A86-B6A7-FFF63B925D45@microsoft.com... > Is it possible to have a file folder within My Documents folder accessible > only by password? I am set up to access my desktop by password (which > contains the My Documents folder), but am wondering if I can go one step > further and have a certain file folder within the My Documents folder > accessible only by password? > > I have a Dell Dimension 4100 Desktop computer with Windows XP - Home > Edition > operating system - service pack 3, Pentium 111 with 930 MHZ, 20 GB Hard > Drive > and 512 MB of RAN. The file system is FAT 32. > > Many thanks for your co-operation and response. > > Stewart Fluney This is the best free encrypting software:
http://www.axantum.com/AxCrypt/ ju.c Show quoteHide quote "Stewart Fluney" <s.flu***@bmts.com> wrote in message news:68224BED-AB6D-4A86-B6A7-FFF63B925D45@microsoft.com... > Is it possible to have a file folder within My Documents folder accessible > only by password? I am set up to access my desktop by password (which > contains the My Documents folder), but am wondering if I can go one step > further and have a certain file folder within the My Documents folder > accessible only by password? > > I have a Dell Dimension 4100 Desktop computer with Windows XP - Home Edition > operating system - service pack 3, Pentium 111 with 930 MHZ, 20 GB Hard Drive > and 512 MB of RAN. The file system is FAT 32. > > Many thanks for your co-operation and response. > > Stewart Fluney  
Other interesting topics
Exporting Windows Explorer settings
Where is my "Start menu" ??? Conversion between various video & audio formats Windows Explore settings Moving IE 7 Toolbar Commands / Address Bar Question about taskbar icons and menus Re: xp theme Search Engine RUN box - 26 entries? Re: Where is my "Start menu" ??? |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
