Best way to hide files and folders?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Crackles McFarly
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Crackles McFarly

I need to hide some folders on my xp home computer. All the choices
are confusing and I don't want to touch PGP if possible.

Obviously I'd need to be using some form of encryption.

So can one of you suggest a simple BUT good program to hide folders
without use of a password or pass phrase?


p.s. I do not have a big budget for this.
p.s.s. Be Gentle :-)
 
I need to hide some folders on my xp home computer. All the choices
are confusing and I don't want to touch PGP if possible.

Obviously I'd need to be using some form of encryption.

So can one of you suggest a simple BUT good program to hide folders
without use of a password or pass phrase?


p.s. I do not have a big budget for this.
p.s.s. Be Gentle :-)
Click to expand...

Take a look at TrueCrypt. It's free.

http://www.truecrypt.org/
 
In message <[email protected]> Crackles McFarly
I need to hide some folders on my xp home computer. All the choices
are confusing and I don't want to touch PGP if possible.

Obviously I'd need to be using some form of encryption.

So can one of you suggest a simple BUT good program to hide folders
without use of a password or pass phrase?

p.s. I do not have a big budget for this.
p.s.s. Be Gentle :-)
Click to expand...

Hide from whom?
 
I need to hide some folders on my xp home computer. All the choices
are confusing and I don't want to touch PGP if possible.

Obviously I'd need to be using some form of encryption.

So can one of you suggest a simple BUT good program to hide folders
without use of a password or pass phrase?
Click to expand...

That depends on whether you want to keep something away from somebody
who is just using the same computer or whether you want to hide
something from a computer genius who will be looking under every rock
for what you've hidden. If the latter, then encryption is the only
way to go. Or if the other person isn't all that computer savvy, a
hidden partition would probably work.

But if you just want to keep somebody from finding stuff by chance, I
recommend creating a folder within some program that has nothing to do
with what you'll be hiding. Give the folder some name such as "Data"
or maybe "System," anything official sounding that's not already in
use in that program. Ideally, with Windows OS, the folder should be
created under Program Files and in some program that already has a
number of other folders.

Larc



§§§ - Change planet to earth to reply by email - §§§
 
In message <[email protected]> Crackles McFarly
Does this matter ?
Click to expand...

Yes, actually. Hiding so you don't see the files for convenience would
mean the "hidden" attribute would probably be sufficient.

Hiding from my visiting grandmother, who could be given another user
account without administrative privileges, and is not actively seeking
anything hidden, is as simple as placing the files in your own "My
Documents" folder.

Hiding files from a skilled intruder who has a desire to find them would
require some moderate form of encryption. Even a ZIP file with a
sufficiently strong password might fit this need.

Hiding from an alphabet soup agency (NSA, FBI, CIA, etc) with the
resources and desire to actually brute force encryption be a different
task entirely.
 
In message <[email protected]> Crackles McFarly


Yes, actually. Hiding so you don't see the files for convenience would
mean the "hidden" attribute would probably be sufficient.

Hiding from my visiting grandmother, who could be given another user
account without administrative privileges, and is not actively seeking
anything hidden, is as simple as placing the files in your own "My
Documents" folder.

Hiding files from a skilled intruder who has a desire to find them would
require some moderate form of encryption. Even a ZIP file with a
sufficiently strong password might fit this need.

Hiding from an alphabet soup agency (NSA, FBI, CIA, etc) with the
resources and desire to actually brute force encryption be a different
task entirely.
Click to expand...

Ya, but the alphabet soup people won't rip his nuts off like his girl
friend will when she stumbles across his pr0n folder.

Bill
 
In message <MPG.21e87ec23208b54898977f@localhost> Bill
Ya, but the alphabet soup people won't rip his nuts off like his girl
friend will when she stumbles across his pr0n folder.
Click to expand...

They might add electrodes to his nuts though. I'm not sure which I'd
rather.

(Actually, I'd rather choose a more sane girlfriend)
 
Hiding files from a skilled intruder who has a desire to find them would
require some moderate form of encryption. Even a ZIP file with a
sufficiently strong password might fit this need.
Click to expand...

I'm wanting to hide it from the skilled person, just because they
might become nosey if you catch my drift?

Is LOCKFOLDER a good enough program for my needs?
 
Crackles said:
I'm wanting to hide it from the skilled person, just because they
might become nosey if you catch my drift?

Is LOCKFOLDER a good enough program for my needs?
Click to expand...

Does "hiding files" really mean that you want to hide the files, or that
you want to make the *contents* unaccessible to this person?
 
Does "hiding files" really mean that you want to hide the files, or that
you want to make the *contents* unaccessible to this person?
Click to expand...

Good question. A needle in a haystack is even easier to hide if
nobody knows a needle is there. But there's no method of hiding or
encrypting that would keep a wife, for instance, from questioning if
it becomes obvious something is purposely being kept secret.

Larc



§§§ - Change planet to earth to reply by email - §§§
 
Does "hiding files" really mean that you want to hide the files, or that
you want to make the *contents* unaccessible to this person?
Click to expand...

unaccessible to this person....to where I have to enter a simple
password
 
Good question. A needle in a haystack is even easier to hide if
nobody knows a needle is there. But there's no method of hiding or
encrypting that would keep a wife, for instance, from questioning if
it becomes obvious something is purposely being kept secret.

Larc
Click to expand...


All I wanted to do was this.

1. Encrypt a folder [and contents] with a password.

I know how to hide the folder.

Something you can right-click the folder and it asks for a password.

Something that is very simple but does the job.

I have no worries about someone seeing a folder that they can't
access.
I don't have that issue.

thank you
 
I need to hide some folders on my xp home computer. All the choices
are confusing and I don't want to touch PGP if possible.

Obviously I'd need to be using some form of encryption.

So can one of you suggest a simple BUT good program to hide folders
without use of a password or pass phrase?


p.s. I do not have a big budget for this.
p.s.s. Be Gentle :-)
Click to expand...
Why not use a memory chip that plugs into a USB port, to store
these folders/files on. You could then take the memory chip out
of the computer when you weren't using it, and store it in your
bank safe deposit box, or some other safe place...put it inside a
tightly sealed glass jar, along with a packet of desiccant and
bury it out in the back yard...what ever works. I keep my
financial/tax records on memory chips and store them in my safe
deposit box.

Gordon
 
Crackles said:
unaccessible to this person....to where I have to enter a simple
password
Click to expand...

You still haven't answered my question by substituing "accessible".
Again, *what* -- the information in the files or the files themselves?
I'm not going to keep asking. That said:

Take a look at axcrypt. http://sourceforge.net/projects/axcrypt/ Don't
know what flavor of Win you're using; but that this program doen't list
Vista doesn't mean it *won't* work with it, if you have that.
 
Didn't know it existed and don't know how to use it is all....
Click to expand...

On XP PRO. Click on Start, Help and Support, search on encryption, it
says:


"To encrypt a file or folder
Open Windows Explorer.
Right-click the file or folder that you want to encrypt, and then
click Properties.
On the General tab, click Advanced.
Select the Encrypt contents to secure data check box.
Notes

To open Windows Explorer, click Start, point to Programs, point to
Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.
You can only encrypt files and folders on NTFS file system volumes.
Files or folders that are compressed cannot also be encrypted. If you
encrypt a compressed file or folder, that file or folder will be
uncompressed.
Files marked with the System attribute cannot be encrypted, nor can
files in the systemroot directory structure.
When you encrypt a single file, you are asked if you want to encrypt
the folder that contains it as well. If you choose to do so, all files
and subfolders that are added to the folder in the future will be
encrypted when they are added.
When you encrypt a folder, you are asked if you want all files and
subfolders within the folder to be encrypted as well. If you choose to
do so, all files and subfolders currently in the folder are encrypted,
as well as any files and subfolders that are added to the folder in
the future. If you choose to encrypt the folder only, all files and
subfolders currently in the folder are not encrypted. However, any
files and subfolders that are added to the folder in the future are
encrypted when they are added.
Related Topics"

Bill
 
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