Password on Folders...
Is it possible?
Sunday, January 29, 2006 by RPGFX | Discussion: Windows XP
Ok... just wondering. Is it possible to make a single folder password protected? I want to password protect my folder with all my finacial info. Any help would be great. I'm running Windows XP Home.
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RPGFX
Reply #3 Monday, January 30, 2006 10:14 AM
Reply #3 Monday, January 30, 2006 10:14 AM
Well, unfortunately, that's not really what I was looking for... that just really makes folders invisible. I want something that just makes you type in a password when you try to open the folder. Thanks, though.
RPGFX
Reply #4 Monday, January 30, 2006 10:18 AM
Reply #4 Monday, January 30, 2006 10:18 AM
Although it does say that it enables you to password protect folders... just not seeing it anywhere. Do you use this program? If so, any help on how to just password protect a folder without making it invisible?
Rapid Host
Reply #5 Monday, January 30, 2006 10:28 AM
Reply #5 Monday, January 30, 2006 10:28 AM
are you making sure its the right program? i wnet there and there are more then 1, you want this
http://www.everstrike.com/lock_folder.htm
http://www.everstrike.com/lock_folder.htm
RPGFX
Reply #6 Monday, January 30, 2006 5:51 PM
Reply #6 Monday, January 30, 2006 5:51 PM
Yes I have the right program. But the only way I see to password protect anything is to add it to the locked list, and password protect the actual opening of the list. That makes the file not appear in the folder where it actually is. I have to open the locked list and unlock it in order to access it. I just want to be able to password protect a folder... no more, no less... and still have it in the folder where it belongs. Just double click it to open it like any other folder, only then I'm prompted for a password. As far as I can see, this program does not offer that option. I know I'm being pretty specific in what I'm looking for, but that's just what I am looking for, ya know? I don't even know if it exists...
Bichur
Reply #7 Monday, January 30, 2006 6:12 PM
Reply #7 Monday, January 30, 2006 6:12 PM
as a slightly less than irritating workaround until you find your solution: could you not create another account that requires a password to logon just to hold that info? you could still access it from your side through the folder paths but you should get a password prompt prior to it letting you in.
Island Dog
Reply #8 Monday, January 30, 2006 8:11 PM
Reply #8 Monday, January 30, 2006 8:11 PM
Phoon
Reply #9 Monday, January 30, 2006 8:23 PM
Reply #9 Monday, January 30, 2006 8:23 PM
This isn't quite what you are looking for but it's a good idea to deter theft of the file(s).
Found this info at...
Link
Microsoft Windows XP home users
1. Select the folder you wish to encrypt.
2. Right-click the folder and click Properties.
3. Click the Sharing tab.
4. Check the box Make this folder private
Make this folder private is grayed out
In order for this option to work in Microsoft Windows XP home you must meet the below requirements.
1. The hard disk drive must be formatted in NTFS and not FAT32. Additional information about determining the type of file system your hard disk drive is running can be found on document CH000713.
2. The folder you're attempting to encrypt must be in your own personal folder. For example, if your name is bob, you must be encrypting a folder that is or that is contained within the below folder:
C:\Documents and Settings\Bob\
You cannot encrypt any folders outside of this folder. If you wish to encrypt outside this folder see the below other security solution...
Hope it helps a tad
Found this info at...
Link
Microsoft Windows XP home users
1. Select the folder you wish to encrypt.
2. Right-click the folder and click Properties.
3. Click the Sharing tab.
4. Check the box Make this folder private
Make this folder private is grayed out
In order for this option to work in Microsoft Windows XP home you must meet the below requirements.
1. The hard disk drive must be formatted in NTFS and not FAT32. Additional information about determining the type of file system your hard disk drive is running can be found on document CH000713.
2. The folder you're attempting to encrypt must be in your own personal folder. For example, if your name is bob, you must be encrypting a folder that is or that is contained within the below folder:
C:\Documents and Settings\Bob\
You cannot encrypt any folders outside of this folder. If you wish to encrypt outside this folder see the below other security solution...
Hope it helps a tad
Chris TH
Reply #10 Monday, January 30, 2006 11:08 PM
I would also add that to see these options I think you need 'Simple File Sharing" (or whatever it is...) turned on.
I do not have simple file sharing enabled (on my XP Pro system) and there are no encryption options at all! I wonder how to get this option in this case?
Reply #10 Monday, January 30, 2006 11:08 PM
| In order for this option to work in Microsoft Windows XP home you must meet the below requirements. |
I would also add that to see these options I think you need 'Simple File Sharing" (or whatever it is...) turned on.
I do not have simple file sharing enabled (on my XP Pro system) and there are no encryption options at all! I wonder how to get this option in this case?
Chris TH
Reply #11 Monday, January 30, 2006 11:20 PM
I've been looking for a solution like this also... but thinking it through, when you consider the physical structure of the files on the HDD, the folder is just a directory entry & the files within are simply laid out on the disk.
Protecting the 'folder' really requires protecting all the files within it, otherwise any sort of raw disk sector snooping tool could be used to look for the data in the folder.
This, in turn, means some sort of on-the-fly password-based encryption. Thus it can be made to look seamless but will probably mean a slight performance hit.
Here is a freeware utility I'm going to try: http://axcrypt.sourceforge.net/ which appears reasonably painless.
Reply #11 Monday, January 30, 2006 11:20 PM
| I just want to be able to password protect a folder... no more, no less... and still have it in the folder where it belongs. Just double click it to open it like any other folder, only then I'm prompted for a password. |
I've been looking for a solution like this also... but thinking it through, when you consider the physical structure of the files on the HDD, the folder is just a directory entry & the files within are simply laid out on the disk.
Protecting the 'folder' really requires protecting all the files within it, otherwise any sort of raw disk sector snooping tool could be used to look for the data in the folder.
This, in turn, means some sort of on-the-fly password-based encryption. Thus it can be made to look seamless but will probably mean a slight performance hit.
Here is a freeware utility I'm going to try: http://axcrypt.sourceforge.net/ which appears reasonably painless.
Daiwa
Reply #12 Saturday, February 4, 2006 11:13 PM
Reply #12 Saturday, February 4, 2006 11:13 PM
I think there is a way to set folder permissions in a network environment, wherein only certain permitted logons can have access to restricted folders on the server. I'm not sure how to do that on a standalone machine where multiple users use a single logon, though. I would think that would be a very handy utility, however, and you'd think someone would have thought up a way to do it already.
Cheers,
Daiwa
Cheers,
Daiwa
Frogboy
Reply #13 Sunday, February 5, 2006 11:11 PM
Reply #13 Sunday, February 5, 2006 11:11 PM
Ironically, Object Desktop for OS/2 had this feature. It was quite powerful too. Maybe one day we'll get to putting it on Windows. 
Daiwa
Reply #14 Monday, February 6, 2006 12:58 AM
Reply #14 Monday, February 6, 2006 12:58 AM
Ah, the ironies of the Betamax/VHS phenomenon.
Something for your ToDo list, Brad.
Cheers,
Daiwa
Something for your ToDo list, Brad.
Cheers,
Daiwa
ZubaZ
Reply #16 Monday, February 6, 2006 12:01 PM
Reply #16 Monday, February 6, 2006 12:01 PM
If you have zip file integrations with XP, what happens when you have a password protected zip file? Would that do what you want?
Daiwa
Reply #17 Monday, February 6, 2006 1:31 PM
Good thought, Zubaz. Worth checking out.
Cheers,
Daiwa
Reply #17 Monday, February 6, 2006 1:31 PM
| If you have zip file integrations with XP, what happens when you have a password protected zip file? Would that do what you want? |
Good thought, Zubaz. Worth checking out.
Cheers,
Daiwa
RPGFX
Reply #18 Monday, February 6, 2006 5:19 PM
Reply #18 Monday, February 6, 2006 5:19 PM
These are all great ideas, and great programs, but just a bit more than I want. Just wanted a very simple password prompt when opening a normal, unzipped, unhidden, unencrypted folder. This is not for MAJOR secrecy reasons here... then I would use more powerful measures, like many of the programs you all have suggested. It's for a very minor simple privacy concern. I just want my checkbook password protected. That's all. Thanks again for all the feedback.
Chris TH
Reply #19 Monday, February 6, 2006 10:00 PM
Reply #19 Monday, February 6, 2006 10:00 PM
I agree it's a good idea, but as I said before if it's too simple it becomes trivial to the point of useless. It's seomthing that need to be implemented at teh filesystem level and since it appears not to be in NTFS, then other workarounds are required. In the various *nixes it's almost trivial to do what you want since it *is* implemented at a basic OS level.
I'm going to try the following on my system as a test: create a new user/login with password & assign all the access rights of the folder to be protected to that user. See if the 'runas' option will work as a way of accessing the folder from my default login - sort of like 'su root' in Linux...
I'm going to try the following on my system as a test: create a new user/login with password & assign all the access rights of the folder to be protected to that user. See if the 'runas' option will work as a way of accessing the folder from my default login - sort of like 'su root' in Linux...
boss0190
Reply #20 Tuesday, February 7, 2006 12:19 AM
Reply #20 Tuesday, February 7, 2006 12:19 AM
Take your checkbook off the computer and hide it under your mattress RPG. 
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Reply #1 Sunday, January 29, 2006 11:13 PM
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