password protect a second drive

[Joe]

I am adding a second hard drive to my windows xp Pro computer. I will
fomrat it as NTFS and use the whole drive as a complete partition. My plan
is to use this as a backup drive for data. Is there is a simple way in
Windows XP (without a third party program) to password protect this entire
drive so only I can access it. Even if I can only protect certain folders
on the second drive that would be helpful-without protecting the whole extra
drive! I do not want to compress the files. I am the only person with
administrative rights to this computer.
Thanks

 

[Malke]

I am adding a second hard drive to my windows xp Pro computer. I will
fomrat it as NTFS and use the whole drive as a complete partition. My
plan
is to use this as a backup drive for data. Is there is a simple way
in Windows XP (without a third party program) to password protect this
entire
drive so only I can access it. Even if I can only protect certain
folders on the second drive that would be helpful-without protecting
the whole extra
drive! I do not want to compress the files. I am the only person
with administrative rights to this computer.
Thanks

XP does not use passwords to protect resources. It uses 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

 

[Guest]

This is interesting knowing that XP doesn't have an included option to
password protect a complete hard drive, especially if it's a slave drive as
Joe suggested. I have two different USB "Flash" drives (one a Verbatim 1 GB
and the other a 512MB Sandisk) and both of them came with programming on them
that enables you to password protect a single folder or the entire folder
system if you want.

I wonder if one of these programs would also work on a regular EIDE HD ?

Redwagon....

 

[Malke]

This is interesting knowing that XP doesn't have an included option to
password protect a complete hard drive, especially if it's a slave
drive as Joe suggested. I have two different USB "Flash" drives (one a
Verbatim 1 GB and the other a 512MB Sandisk) and both of them came
with programming on them that enables you to password protect a single
folder or the entire folder system if you want.

I wonder if one of these programs would also work on a regular EIDE HD
?

It isn't just XP that handles permissions this way; other true
multi-user operating systems like Unix and Linux do also. It was the
earlier MS Win9x/ME operating systems that were out of standard.

I don't know about using the encryption program that came with your
drive. If you are feeling wild and crazy, try it. I think I'd be
prepared to not ever be able to get back into the drive, though. ;-)

Otherwise, here are some third-party encryption programs. I've not tried
any so can't comment on them but I got the links from MVP Torgeir
Bakksen.

SafeGuard PrivateDisk
http://www.utimaco.com/indexmain.html

TrueCrypt
http://www.truecrypt.org/

BestCrypt
http://www.jetico.com/

Malke

 

[Guest]

Like I said, the two drives I have with this type of programs are "USB" flash
drives. They seem to work great to password protect any part of the files or
folders that they contain. That's why I "asked or wondered" if these same
programs would work on a regular HD. I'm not sure "I" would try them to see
if they did work, but thought maybe someone else had done so.

I guess if one wanted to try, they should first BU everything on that drive
before doing so. Then if it screwed up the drive one could always re-format
the slave drive and put the original files back on it. My original interest
was if these flash drive manufactures can have a program on their drives that
can do it, Why didn't MS want to include it. I'm not sure how much data the
original poster wanted to password protect, but if it wasn't that much (say
under 2 GB) then a flash drive would certainly do the trick. Tha's exactlt
what I am using one of my flash drives for. But I only have about 800MB on a
1GB flash drive, of files to protect, and I can take the flash drive with me
anywhere I go.

I know, "curiosity once killed a cat"
Redwagon

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I am adding a second hard drive to my windows xp Pro computer. I will
fomrat it as NTFS and use the whole drive as a complete partition. My plan
is to use this as a backup drive for data. Is there is a
simple way in Windows XP (without a third party program) to password
protect this entire drive so only I can access it. Even if I can
only protect certain folders on the second drive that would be
helpful-without protecting the whole extra drive! I do not want to
compress the files. I am the only person with administrative rights
to this computer.

If I were you, I would rethink my backup strategy. I don't recommend backup
to a second non-removable hard drive because it leaves you susceptible to
simultaneous loss of the original and backup to many of the most common
dangers: severe power glitches, nearby lightning strikes, virus attacks,
even theft of the computer.

In my view, secure backup needs to be on removable media, and not kept in
the computer. For really secure backup (needed, for example, if the life of
your business depends on your data) you should have multiple generations of
backup, and at least one of those generations should be stored off-site.

My computer isn't used for business, but my personal backup scheme uses two
identical removable hard drives,I alternate between the two, and use Drive
Image to make a complete copy of the primary drive.

If you get an external hard drive instead of an internal one (or put a
regular internal drive into a, external USB enclosure) and don't keep it
installed, your need to protect the drive with a password will go away.

 

[Guest]

I don't think I agree with the last paragraph in your reply Ken. When I use
my "Verbatim" 1 GB USB flash drive and store folders and files on it from one
of my internal hard drives on my desktop computer, I use the password
protection that came with the flash drive for all that information. I plug it
into my desktop several times during a day and then unplug it to take to
another business computer. Each time I transfer files I have to give it my
password before I can look at anything on the flash drive. I have been doing
this for quite some time now and have never lost the password. It always has
worked and has never "Gone Away". Nor have any of my files.

Is this what you were referring to in that last paragraph ? As far as the
two internal hard drives I have on my desktop: I back up everything on them
once a week to DL DVD disks. (Well not everything. There is some stuff I
really don't care if I loose).

Redwagon.....

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I am adding a second hard drive to my windows xp Pro computer. I will
fomrat it as NTFS and use the whole drive as a complete partition. My plan
is to use this as a backup drive for data. Is there is a simple way in
Windows XP (without a third party program) to password protect this entire
drive so only I can access it. Even if I can only protect certain folders
on the second drive that would be helpful-without protecting the whole extra
drive! I do not want to compress the files. I am the only person with
administrative rights to this computer.
Thanks

Like Win2K, WinXP's file security paradigm doesn't rely on, or
allow, the cumbersome method of password protection for individual
applications, files, or folders. Instead, it uses the superior method
of explicitly assigning file/folder permissions to individual users
and/or groups.

HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783

HOW TO Set, View, Change, or Remove File and Folder Permissions
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q308418

HOW TO Set, View, Change, or Remove Special Permissions for Files and
Folders
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];Q308419

HOW TO Set the My Documents Folder as Private in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;298399

Of course, if you have WinXP Pro, you can encrypt the desired
files/folders.

Best Practices for Encrypting File System
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;223316

As a crude work-around, if you actually prefer Win9x's way, you can
place the file in a compressed folder, and set a password to uncompress
the folder to view/access its contents. Also, some applications allow
the user to password-protect their specific data files. Read the
specific application's Help files for further information on this
capability.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I don't think I agree with the last paragraph in your reply Ken. When
I use my "Verbatim" 1 GB USB flash drive and store folders and files
on it from one of my internal hard drives on my desktop computer, I
use the password protection that came with the flash drive for all
that information. I plug it into my desktop several times during a
day and then unplug it to take to another business computer. Each
time I transfer files I have to give it my password before I can look
at anything on the flash drive. I have been doing this for quite some
time now and have never lost the password. It always has worked and
has never "Gone Away". Nor have any of my files.

Is this what you were referring to in that last paragraph ? As far as
the two internal hard drives I have on my desktop: I back up
everything on them once a week to DL DVD disks. (Well not everything.
There is some stuff I really don't care if I loose).

My point in my last paragraph below is simply that it the drive is not
permanently installed, there's normally no need to protect it against
someone's maliciously or accidently modifying what's on it. No password
protection is needed if the drive is not always accessible.

 

[Guest]

I certainly understand what you are saying Bruce. I read both of the
suggested articles (How to set a new user (Knew that) and how to set, view,
change or remove permissions (had knowledge of this option but never had
reason to use it). If I am the only one that is the administrator for my
computer and the only other user account shown on my computer is "GUEST",
then can I set permissiions for a particular slave drive for "GUEST" ? If
that's the case then for sure that is what Joe should be doing, huh ? Or if
he has others shown as users of his computer, he's got it made also I assume.

Since I use and carry my flash drive from place to place, I have used the
password protection on all the files on it just in case I loose it. Someone
might find or steal it but it would be pretty hard for them to get access to
the files unless they were totally smart or had some program that could
figure out the password. I have set a password on my computer for boot up, so
I think that takes care of the original folders and files on the computer. Or
have I goofed up doing that ?

Joe didn't say how many other "users" he had on his computer, other than he
being the only administrator, and he didn't say how he was protecting other
information on his computer. So I guess he was only interested in the slave
drive files.

I certainly don't mean to be argumentative at all. I just want to learn as
much as I can about some of the posts I see on this group. Thanks for your
knowledge Bruce and Ken.

Redwagon....

I am adding a second hard drive to my windows xp Pro computer. I will
fomrat it as NTFS and use the whole drive as a complete partition. My plan
is to use this as a backup drive for data. Is there is a simple way in
Windows XP (without a third party program) to password protect this entire
drive so only I can access it. Even if I can only protect certain folders
on the second drive that would be helpful-without protecting the whole extra
drive! I do not want to compress the files. I am the only person with
administrative rights to this computer.
Thanks

Like Win2K, WinXP's file security paradigm doesn't rely on, or
allow, the cumbersome method of password protection for individual
applications, files, or folders. Instead, it uses the superior method
of explicitly assigning file/folder permissions to individual users
and/or groups.

HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783

HOW TO Set, View, Change, or Remove File and Folder Permissions
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q308418

HOW TO Set, View, Change, or Remove Special Permissions for Files and
Folders
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];Q308419

HOW TO Set the My Documents Folder as Private in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;298399

Of course, if you have WinXP Pro, you can encrypt the desired
files/folders.

Best Practices for Encrypting File System
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;223316

As a crude work-around, if you actually prefer Win9x's way, you can
place the file in a compressed folder, and set a password to uncompress
the folder to view/access its contents. Also, some applications allow
the user to password-protect their specific data files. Read the
specific application's Help files for further information on this
capability.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH