Locking a folder in Windows XP?

neckface

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Is there a simple way to password-protect a folder in XP?
 

mase

____ ___ ____ __
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You can set access rights to only your use acc.
Right Click the folder, click Sharing and Security, then check Make this folder Private.

And only your acc can access it.
 

SFilip

Gone but not forgotten
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Probably the easiest way (without any 3rd party utilities) to password protect a folder is to put it in a password protected ZIP.
 

neckface

terrain contest winner! :) dance contest loser. :(
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Do you guys know if Vista has easy folder locking functionality?
 

Exide

I am amazingly focused right now!
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>Do you guys know if Vista has easy folder locking functionality?
I don't know any built-in functions to password-protect folders in Windows Vista. -There might be one, though, just I haven't found it. :p
You could always hide the folder, I guess.
 

Rapmaster

Ultra Cool Member
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Password-protected zip folder works but 1) The file names are still visible so make sure they are plain and non-sensitive and 2) People can still delete it! (or make a copy and try to crack the encryption elsewhere.)

Passwords are considered a clumsy and backwards way of trying to protect folders.
The 'proper' way, (and this is for Windows, Mac, Linux) is to set everyone who uses the computer up with a user account protected by a password, and restrict the permissions on the files and folders (on Windows put it in your My Documents folder for example.)

Other "Administrators" of the computer will still be able to get your stuff. Also, anyone with physical access to the computer could get at your stuff by loading the harddrive into another computer or by replacing parts of the OS. So this is good enough as long as you want to prevent casual access and you limit who is an Administrator of the computer AND you don't think the people in your house are going to go out of their way to hack into your computer. Otherwise, only encryption can block that. For Windows, see http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...proddocs/en-us/encrypt_overview.mspx?mfr=true (although again, it doesn't prevent people from deleting your stuff.) Advanced versions of Vista have an additonal encryption feature called BitLocker designed to encrypt the whole hard drive and make sure it's not accessible under another OS - there are 3rd party tools as well. But be warned that this can complicate your life if the computer dies and you are trying to recover it without taking the proper precautions to back up the keys.

Easy solution: Put in on a CD/USB key and lock that media up!
 

worldofDeath

New Member
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>Do you guys know if Vista has easy folder locking functionality?
I don't know any built-in functions to password-protect folders in Windows Vista. -There might be one, though, just I haven't found it. :p
You could always hide the folder, I guess.

Ya hide it and never find it. I got to random hidden folders hangen around...
 

Hero

─║╣ero─
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Just out of curiosity...if you don't mind telling me

What are you trying to hide? :rolleyes:

So yeah...Just USB Flash Drive it or CD it..then hide it...it's the easiest way :cool:
 

ReVolver

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Annoying Siblings
Pr0n
Illegal Files
Personal Files
Private Files (Diary Stuff/Journal)
Valuable Files
The List Goes On...
 

Rapmaster

Ultra Cool Member
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The hidden folders thing wasn't intended as a security feature (well maybe in the MS DOS days when it was the only option.) Plenty of people turn on the "show hidden files" setting so they will just show as a greyed out folder- arousing more suspicion:)
 

Hero

─║╣ero─
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Annoying Siblings
Pr0n
Illegal Files
Personal Files
Private Files (Diary Stuff/Journal)
Valuable Files
The List Goes On...

The hidden folders thing wasn't intended as a security feature (well maybe in the MS DOS days when it was the only option.) Plenty of people turn on the "show hidden files" setting so they will just show as a greyed out folder- arousing more suspicion:)

Yeah with that in mind...your better off naming w/e it is Warcraft 3 things...and just spoofing all of the file names
 

Exide

I am amazingly focused right now!
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>The hidden folders thing wasn't intended as a security feature (well maybe in the MS DOS days when it was the only option.) Plenty of people turn on the "show hidden files" setting so they will just show as a greyed out folder- arousing more suspicion
True, but that's why you change the icon of the map to one that looks like a typical install program, and rename it '** Setup.exe', or Uninstall works even better. People don't want to uninstall stuff from your computer. :p
Anyway, it's not what he asked for so I'm gonna stop being OffTopic now, sorry about that.
 

neckface

terrain contest winner! :) dance contest loser. :(
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Thanks very much helpers, problem solved and a sprinkling of +rep!
 
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