Folder privacy
 

I have XP home, and want to keep from prying eyes a single folder containing several personal Doc files.

Help tells me how to put the PC behind a password but not, as far as I can see, how to do that for a single folder.

Is it possible, and if so how is it done ?

You could get a copy of Winzip 10.0 and password protect the files inside a zipped folder.

http://www.winzip.com/wzdaes.htm tells more.

There are quite a few file/folder protection freewares out there via Google.

Assuming you have NTFS, you could simply switch on file and folder permissions and set the access you want on the folder.

Thank you, I will look at your suggestions.

XP Home has Simple File Sharing configured by default and you can't turn it off. So you can't set complex permissions easily.

It IS possible to set classical file/folder permissions individually in XP Home, but you have to have administrator privileges and use cacls from the command line or logon as the Administrator in Safe Mode and rightclick on permissions. Persons unfamiliar with XP's permissions system are advised to be careful - it is entirely possible to make files completely inaccessible.

Baxbex Software - http://www.baxbex.com/ - make Cryptomite for encryption and Foldershield for hiding/locking files/folders - I haven't used these specifically, but do use other s/w of theirs which is of excellent quality and support.

:ok:

NB: XP Home does not support NTFS encryption either.

PS: For those of you who feel that XP Home doesn't give you much, wait for Vista Home, which will give you even less, but cost a lot more. Still, I suppose that you do get a really Scrooge-like EULA, only two activations and some pretty drastic DRM thrown in as a consolation....

Mac,

Thanks for keeping me on the straight and narrow - I thought you could turn off simple file sharing in XP crippled. :O

SD

Philosoft's miniTrezor application - http://www.philosoft.hu/en/products1.html - sounds interesting.

Free for personal use.