can i put a password on folders?

[dan.76]

hi , i will soon be taking my pc in to get fixed and wanted to know if there is a way to put a password or pin on folders so they cant be opened.
i want to keep all my buisiness bookwork private.i have xp home on the pc

cheers dan

[pertuan]

You can get a program like PGP which will/can encrypt files/folders.

[Rodp]

Originally Posted by pertuan

You can get a program like PGP which will/can encrypt files/folders.

PGP always scares me. The key corrupts, doesn't work or something screwy happens and you're doomed. Been to a number of sites where encryption was used and locking the user out of their file system and the customer trying to pin it on a hardware fault. There's likely millions of happy and content users using encryption schemes on their file systems and I only see the ones in tears, though.

[Rodp]

I can't speak for xp home as I've never used it but under XP Pro or Vista this would likely work.

Firstly the filesystem needs to be NTFS, if it's not, you're SOL.

Create a new user and under the directories you don't want to be accessed, right click and select properties/security.

From there you can deny access to those folders with the new user you created.

However, bypassing these rights is pretty easy if you have nouse and really want to look at them so ideally you're better off backing them up (to several places and I hope you make a backup to at least one medium regularly anyway) and wiping them off the drive.

[sgt_doofey]

Originally Posted by Rodp

I can't speak for xp home as I've never used it but under XP Pro or Vista this would likely work.

Firstly the filesystem needs to be NTFS, if it's not, you're SOL.

Create a new user and under the directories you don't want to be accessed, right click and select properties/security.

From there you can deny access to those folders with the new user you created.

Easy way to get around this is to put the drive in a Linux box and mount the NTFS drive. Voila! All the files you just previously tried to hide.

you're better off backing them up (to several places and I hope you make a backup to at least one medium regularly anyway) and wiping them off the drive.

This would also be my recommendation. Can't look at files if they aren't on the drive! Take the advice about the backup and do a minimum of 2 copies, just to be on the safe side. Why 2 I hear you ask? What if your backup didn't work and some/all files are corrupted?
:

[Rodp]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

Easy way to get around this is to put the drive in a Linux box and mount the NTFS drive. Voila! All the files you just previously tried to hide.

Well yeah, the bit you snipped out of my msg, that's what I was referring to. :P

[charles_wif_xf]

Originally Posted by Rodp

I can't speak for xp home as I've never used it but under XP Pro or Vista this would likely work.

Firstly the filesystem needs to be NTFS, if it's not, you're SOL.

Create a new user and under the directories you don't want to be accessed, right click and select properties/security.

From there you can deny access to those folders with the new user you created.

However, bypassing these rights is pretty easy if you have nouse and really want to look at them so ideally you're better off backing them up (to several places and I hope you make a backup to at least one medium regularly anyway) and wiping them off the drive.

For the person that's fixing the PC, he or she would invariably need to have admin rights to go about and conduct repairs. As such, measures as those are useless as the admin will have full access to all files and folders.

So the second suggestion is WAAAAAY better.

[Rodp]

Originally Posted by charles_wif_xf

For the person that's fixing the PC, he or she would invariably need to have admin rights to go about and conduct repairs. As such, measures as those are useless as the admin will have full access to all files and folders.

So the second suggestion is WAAAAAY better.

Depends entirely on what's being repaired.

[DOC]

You can password a .zip file,

[XR6-VCT-2000]

Safest solution , remove the harddrive that has the private files on it , then put it back in when you get your pc back.

[Tommo224]

man.. sharing is caring.. let them see your porn collection!

haha.. but i found this:
http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/232

got a couple ways you can do things.. think they was already mentioned in here lol..

[XR6-VCT-2000]

Originally Posted by Tommo224

man.. sharing is caring.. let them see your porn collection!

Ahahahaha ! , seriously - it's amazing how many peoples pc's have traces of porn if you do a system search , and enter the keywords " cookie xxx " or " cookie sex " in the search of the harddrives ! , 9/10 you'll get results on most peoples pc's !, providing they havent deleted their cookies , which most people don't so they dont have to sign into web sites all the time - like this site for example..lol

[Boss 260 Ute]

There's a program called Folder Lock which I used to use.

http://www.newsoftwares.net/folderlock/

[EA2BA]

You will need to use a third party program, any of the microsoft ways to lock data down are easily got around especially when you have physical control of the computer.

[jonk]

Use this:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Securit...e-Folder.shtml

Microsoft's My Private Folder. They got in the s>>t with it because it came as part of automatic updates. Just one thing, don't ever forget the password because there is no way of recovering it, ever. XP only, must have valid OS.

[kieran23]

Get a USB key, copy it all off onto that and then delete it off the Hard Drive.
Then if some dope drops your Hard drive or they decide the only way to fix is to reformat you still have all your important data.

[dan.76]

thanks for the help everyone, i have all my data backed up but i think ill get an external drive and copy onto that as well and delete all my invoices and pricing before it goes to the tech and put it back on after.
thanks for the links ill do a bit of research and check out the reviews
as for p o r n didnt even think of that ,lol, thanks for reminding me , ill have to do a bit of deleteing there as well

[Sathanas]

Get a program called "truecrypt". Basically its a free, hardcore encrypting program that creates a virtual drive on your computer that asks for a passwrd when you mount it. It can either be a key file, password or both. And you can create hidden volumes inside it in case somehow they crack the password.

Plus i think it uses a 256 bit encryption. But you can choose the levels of encryption, from a 32 bit to a 256.

[Venomous]

Im wanting to do this,
But rather paranoid about what might happen if the program or key was to corrupt

[atec77]

Originally Posted by dan.76

hi , i will soon be taking my pc in to get fixed and wanted to know if there is a way to put a password or pin on folders so they cant be opened.
i want to keep all my buisiness bookwork private.i have xp home on the pc

cheers dan

Put pkzip in your path statement in autoexec.bat and then compress the directory contents with a password , you click the file and get asked for a password . No password no entry

[irsa76]

External hard drive for the stuff you want to keep private is a very good idea. Should do that myself actually.

[Tribal]

Take your files off the PC! - if they are there, they can be hacked (or worse - copied) regardless of what you may try. Can't look at them if they aren't there...

[outside]

buy yourself an external hard drive , cut and paste the folders into it.
i just got one from office works, 160gig for $109.00

[bEAn86]

it would be easyer to back up your porn to CD no matter how weird it is. you can then copy it back on to your PC later! I hope that saves you some Embarrassment with your ahhhh "work" folder!

[dan.76]

why wont you all believe its not porn lol

[Ringo]

Because we are male.....

[dan.76]

ha lol ringo

[adrianb]

I'd just keep it simple - use winzip, click the option for encryption and pick '256-AES' and password protect it with a hard password. Double then triple check your password works then delete the original files before you drop in the PC then unzip your files again with your password when you get it back.

For the people who are suggesting things like filesystem permissions and batch files and whatever - be a little realistic! If someone is asking for help to hide files before getting their computer repaired they probably aren't a computer guru and probably shouldn't mess around with that sort of thing.