password protection for specific directories

[Guest]

Hello. I have XP Home Edition on my laptop, and it's a stand-alone machine
(not on a network). Although there's a User Profile Login when I first boot
up that restricts access to the whole computer, what I really want is to set
up password protection for a few specific directories. Can anyone tell me
how to do this (or if it's even an option)? Thanks so much.

 

[Guest]

Hello. I have XP Home Edition on my laptop, and it's a stand-alone machine
(not on a network). Although there's a User Profile Login when I first boot
up that restricts access to the whole computer, what I really want is to set
up password protection for a few specific directories. Can anyone tell me
how to do this (or if it's even an option)? Thanks so much.

The simple way is to log on as Administrator, right-click on folder, and set
permissions in the Security tab, but it's fairly easy to get around for
anyone moderately determined. Not sure when it intercepts in XP, but with the
user folders on our Windows 2003 server you can see files in the root of the
protected directory, just not open them or any sub-directories - so be
careful what you name the files!!!

Personally I use Universal Shield from EverStrike for this. $35 which
includes encryption of folders and/or files, a stealth mode so other users
won't even know it's running, and continues protection in safe mode. 30 day
trial but make sure you either undo the security or eventually buy, as don't
know what will happen if you go beyond the trial with your folders still
hidden/encrypted. Could be nasty!

Thanks


Chris

 

[Steven L Umbach]

As Chris said you can set permissions or remove permissions for folders
though for XP Home you will need to boot into Safe Mode and logon as
administrator to make those changes.

Any local administrator can change permissions on any folder on the computer
if they know how to and want to and anyone who can have full physical access
to a computer can access any file that is not encrypted properly though XP
Home has not built in encryption like XP Pro does..

Steve

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Hello. I have XP Home Edition on my laptop, and it's a stand-alone machine
(not on a network). Although there's a User Profile Login when I first boot
up that restricts access to the whole computer, what I really want is to set
up password protection for a few specific directories. Can anyone tell me
how to do this (or if it's even an option)? Thanks so much.

Like WinNT and Win2K before it, 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, 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

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They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[Guest]

Truecrypt will do this, at least it will for additional driveletter which
refers to an encrypted file.

The disadvantage with user-security for this kind of task is that changing
user loses all of your settings as well as changing your permissions, so if
you are actually the same person just wanting to unlock a private folder..
that is a problem, as you then have access to the folder, but on what appears
for all intents and purposes to be someone else's computer!