No, no, no - do not use encryption without understanding the risks and how
to create safeguards. Frankly, most home users shouldn't even go near this,
it should be left for those in a corporate domain with knowledgable
administrators. EFS is not designed for local account protection, that is
what permissions are for. Someone who uses EFS without knowing the full
ramifications of it can easily lose data permanently.
All this calls for is setting appropriate account permissions for access to
the folders. If the users are not given the same account level access as the
person setting the permissions, then they will not be able to access or take
ownership of the safeguarded files - and as they are not encrypted there is
a significant decrease in the chance of permanent data loss in the event of
system failure.
Pro only:
How to disable simplified sharing and set permissions on a shared folder in
Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307874
Both Home and Pro:
HOW TO: Set, View, Change, or Remove File and Folder Permissions in Windows
XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=308418
--
Best of Luck,
Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
Windows help -
www.rickrogers.org