Folder Access Restriction

[Shrikant]

Folder Guard
I want to restrict access to my folders. I am using stand alone PC with
Windows XP Professional and with different users. When I right click on any
folder ->Properties->Sharing, I see the option of “to make this folder and
sub-folders private so that only you have access to it†with a check box of
“make this folder privateâ€.
Unfortunately, this check box is greyed out and therefore not available. It
also has a tick mark in it. All my folders are accessible to all the users
(which I do not want). I do not want to store my folders on C Drive for
better space management.
Please guide.

 

[Malke]

Folder Guard
I want to restrict access to my folders. I am using stand alone PC with
Windows XP Professional and with different users. When I right click on
any folder ->Properties->Sharing, I see the option of ?to make this folder
and sub-folders private so that only you have access to it? with a check
box of ?make this folder private?.
Unfortunately, this check box is greyed out and therefore not available.
It also has a tick mark in it. All my folders are accessible to all the
users (which I do not want). I do not want to store my folders on C Drive
for better space management.
Please guide.

I'm not sure what the "Folder Guard" means in your post. Folder Guard is
third-party software that has historically given quite a bit of trouble. If
you are using it and have questions about it, contact its makers.

If you are just using the term "Folder Guard" as a description of what you
want to do, you restrict access to folders in XP Pro with permissions. XP
and Vista do not use passwords to protect resources. NT-based operating
systems use permissions instead. Here is information to help you with that:

How to disable Simple Sharing and set permissions on a shared folder in
Windows XP (Pro only)
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307874

HOW TO: Set, View, Change, or Remove File and Folder Permissions in Windows
XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=308418

Note that the file system must be NTFS, not FAT32.

Passwording of folders is not supported unless you zip them. When you do
(right click a folder, then "send to > compressed folder") and then open
the zip file, you will find an option under file>"add a password".
Otherwise, use third-party software. Google "password protect folders".

Malke

 

[Shrikant]

I am using the term folder guard in a generic sense to indicate folder
security in general and not to any product in particular.
I went to site ...307874 and did as indicated. However, my folders continue
to remain accessable to other user accounts. (I have not yet restarted my
computer....may be that will help ?)
The site ...308418 is "Currently Not Available".
I do not know what file system I am using ... NTFS or FAT32. I am using
Windoes XP Professional. I understand that NTFS is better system. How to
install it ?

 

[Malke]

I am using the term folder guard in a generic sense to indicate folder
security in general and not to any product in particular.
I went to site ...307874 and did as indicated. However, my folders
continue to remain accessable to other user accounts. (I have not yet
restarted my computer....may be that will help ?)
The site ...308418 is "Currently Not Available".
I do not know what file system I am using ... NTFS or FAT32. I am using
Windoes XP Professional. I understand that NTFS is better system. How to
install it ?

Again, you set permissions by:

1. Creating user accounts and allowing only desired users to access
resources.

2. In XP Pro, you can set fine-grained permissions. This KB article covers
it quite well:

How to configure file sharing in Windows XP (includes information about
permissions)

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304040

You can set some users to have no access to certain folders with this
method.

3. Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Computer Management>Disk Management to
see if you are using the NTFS file system. If not and you wish to convert:

http://aumha.org/win5/a/ntfscvt.htm - Converting FAT32 to NTFS by Alex
Nichol

Malke

 

[Shrikant]

Malke
I found out that I am using NTFS system.
On the foler right click ->properties->sharing>(check on the box)do not
share this folder
This did not worked.
Now are you suggesting that I click on the box in the second line titled as
'Share this folder' .....> permissions
In the Share Permissions Dialog Box, I can see the Group or user name =
Everyone. I do have 'Guest' user in addition to my own user 'Shrikant'. Both
are not listed in this box.
Below this box is Permissions for Everyone :
Full Control
Change
Read
Can I check the box 'Deny' to all of these options for Everyone ? Will it
then include my user account 'Shrikant' also in this Everyone ?
At present the check boxes against Full Control and Change is kept empty by
default and the check box against Read is ticked for Allow. This seems to be
default.
Are you suggesting that I create some dummy users and deny them all the
permissions ?

 

[Malke]

Malke
I found out that I am using NTFS system.
On the foler right click ->properties->sharing>(check on the box)do not
share this folder
This did not worked.
Now are you suggesting that I click on the box in the second line titled
as 'Share this folder' .....> permissions
In the Share Permissions Dialog Box, I can see the Group or user name =
Everyone. I do have 'Guest' user in addition to my own user 'Shrikant'.
Both are not listed in this box.
Below this box is Permissions for Everyone :
Full Control
Change
Read
Can I check the box 'Deny' to all of these options for Everyone ? Will it
then include my user account 'Shrikant' also in this Everyone ?
At present the check boxes against Full Control and Change is kept empty
by default and the check box against Read is ticked for Allow. This seems
to be default.
Are you suggesting that I create some dummy users and deny them all the
permissions ?

Please read the article I linked you to in my last reply. You don't need to
share the folder; you need to set its permissions.

You should also turn off Simple File Sharing and disable the Guest account.
Then take the time to read up on permissions, both at the link I gave you
and by using XP's Help & Support.

If you deny access to Everyone, no one - including you - will be able to get
into the folder so no, that isn't what you want to do.

Possibly you should rethink what you are doing. If this is a single-user
system and you are just trying to hide some of your stuff for whatever
reason, consider zipping it and putting a password on the zip file. As
previously mentioned.

Malke

 

[Shrikant]

Thanks Malke
I will again check up the links and Help. In the meantime, following addl
info :
Mine is personal PC at home. I just want to keep all of my files private
from the use of other family members who occasionaly use my PC. Using
password and zipping does not seem to be convenient.
I have also discovered that all my documents in Cocuments and
Settings\Shrikant\My Documents\*.* are NOT at present accessible to the Guest
User. However it means that I have to keep all my files at this location
only. I am keeping all my data files on E Drive. The C Drive is reserved for
basic programmes. Is it possible to store my files in E Drive and make it
appear as the files stored in Cocuments and Settints\Shrikant\My Documents
This may solve my problem.
To put it other way, does MS expect the users to store their data
compulsorily in C Drive ?
Shrikant

 

[Malke]

Thanks Malke
I will again check up the links and Help. In the meantime, following addl
info :
Mine is personal PC at home. I just want to keep all of my files private
from the use of other family members who occasionaly use my PC. Using
password and zipping does not seem to be convenient.
I have also discovered that all my documents in Cocuments and
Settings\Shrikant\My Documents\*.* are NOT at present accessible to the
Guest User. However it means that I have to keep all my files at this
location only. I am keeping all my data files on E Drive. The C Drive is
reserved for basic programmes. Is it possible to store my files in E Drive
and make it appear as the files stored in Cocuments and
Settints\Shrikant\My Documents
This may solve my problem.
To put it other way, does MS expect the users to store their data
compulsorily in C Drive ?
Shrikant

You can store your data anywhere you want in your computer. You need to
secure your pr0n stash or whatever you're hiding in the ways previously
mentioned. I really don't have anything further to add to what I've already
told you.

You can move My Documents to whatever drive you like (use XP's Help &
Support or Google for how to do this) but you will still need to set
restrictions.

EOT for me.

Malke