Password Protected Folders

[DAHMAH]

I was wondering if you could protect folders with Windows 7.

Currently I am protecting each file individually in the folder, but it takes up too much time. If I could just protect the folder, by password, this would save me a lot of time.

Help please....

[Saab Dastard]

From Microsoft:

No, you can't use a password to protect files and folders in Windows. However, some programs that run on Windows allow you to protect individual files with a password [e.g. Excel]. For more information, check the Help for the program you're using.

There are other ways to protect your files and folders in Windows. You can encrypt your files using Encrypting File System (EFS), manually specify who can access the folders or files by setting permissions, or hide them. Choose your method based on how secure the folders or files need to be. Encrypting is the most secure, while hiding the folders is the least secure.

Encrypting File System (EFS) is a feature of Windows that you can use to store information on your hard disk in an encrypted format. Encryption is the strongest protection that Windows provides to help you keep your information secure.

Some key features of EFS:

• Encrypting is simple; just select a check box in the file or folder's properties to turn it on.
  
• You have control over who can read the files.
  
• Files are encrypted when you close them, but are automatically ready to use when you open them.
  
• If you change your mind about encrypting a file, clear the check box in the file's properties.

Note

EFS is not fully supported on Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Basic, and Windows 7 Home Premium - you can only decrypt files.

There are third party tools available to do what you want - freeware, shareware, and COTS.

Have a google!

SD

[Mike-Bracknell]

Truecrypt

That'll allow you to encrypt a folder (or indeed a whole drive) with a password and it'll be virtually unhackable.

Obviously you need to understand the ramifications of doing such a task (i.e. if you forget the password you're screwed, etc), but give it a try.

[AnthonyGA]

I was wondering if you could protect folders with Windows 7.

Currently I am protecting each file individually in the folder, but it takes up too much time. If I could just protect the folder, by password, this would save me a lot of time.

Assign a different user account to each person using the computer, and then set the permissions on your folder so that no other account can access it. Then you don't need a password—nobody else will be able to access the folder at all. And if someone does need to access it, you can reset permissions on the folder for that user's account so that he can do whatever you wish to permit (looking at the folder, looking at files, modifying files, whatever).

On Windows, if you set permissions just for yourself, even the administrator cannot get to them. He can only reset the permissions, but then you will notice that he accessed the folder (which is exactly why it works this way).

[DAHMAH]

Thanks... Will give the ideas a go.

[mixture]

with a password and it'll be virtually unhackable.

Hmm...... from an average Joe perspective maybe, but there are a number of options for the more experienced to have a go at.

Obviously you need to understand the ramifications of doing such a task (i.e. if you forget the password you're screwed, etc), but give it a try.

I thought you could make recovery disks for TC ?

[mixture]

On Windows, if you set permissions just for yourself, even the administrator cannot get to them.

He could just boot of a LiveCD ....

[AnthonyGA]

He could just boot of a LiveCD ....

The only way to protect data across more than one operating system is through encryption.

Also, a fundamental rule of computer security is that anyone with physical access to a machine can eventually get anything he wants from it. Encryption can stop this, but only in certain circumstances (there must be no plaintext or key material lurking about, which is very hard to ensure).

[Mike-Bracknell]

Originally Posted by mixture

Hmm...... from an average Joe perspective maybe, but there are a number of options for the more experienced to have a go at.




I thought you could make recovery disks for TC ?

OK so it fails to make the NPIA security approvals list for one or two *extremely* obscure reasons, and if you want to make it utterly secure then use something like BeCrypt (which costs £), but I wouldn't call TrueCrypt anything other than pretty damn secure:

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[mixture]