Saltire1964 said:
Is it possible to password protect a complete drive? I have just upgraded an
old Dell Dimension to XP home with a new hard drive, i have left the old
drive in & would like to be able to block any other users from accessing it.
Is this possible & if so, how?
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.
Also, if you have WinXP Pro, you should be able to set Group Policy to
specify who can or cannot access that specific drive.
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin
