How do I change file properties?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

I would like to be able to make some files
a) Totally invisible (but allow myself access),
b) System files
and make some files undeletable.

I know that I can hide some files from the Folder Options - View menu, but
that's easy to get around.
 
Martinellis said:
I would like to be able to make some files
a) Totally invisible (but allow myself access),
b) System files
and make some files undeletable.

I know that I can hide some files from the Folder Options - View
menu, but that's easy to get around.
Click to expand...

It's all easy to get around.

There is no such thing as actually "undeletable".
Why "totally invisible" and what do you mean by "allow myself access"? Why
not just "only accessible by me"?
Why are you making "System Files"? If you are thinking "So they will be
backed up by System Restore.." -it doesn't work that way.

What is it you are trying to accomplish?
If you describe the scenario you are in and the scenario you wish to be in -
it is more likely someone will be able to come up with an answer for you.
 
Use NTFS permissions to allow only users that the administrator designates
the needed level of access [if any] to files and folder. Even that can be of
limited value if a skilled and determined user has full physical access to
the computer. To protect files in such a situation proper file encryption
would need to be used like the built in EFS file encryption that XP Pro has.
File encryption has it's own hazards in that the legitimate owner can be
denied access due to deletion or corruption of the private key used to
decrypt the files. --- Steve

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;223316 --- EFS
best practices.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308418 --- XP NTFS
permissions
 
I should add that file encryption will not prevent a file from being
deleted. While NTFS permissions can prevent an non administrator from
deleting files within the operating system only backups to external media
can insure safety of your data. --- Steve


Steven L Umbach said:
Use NTFS permissions to allow only users that the administrator designates
the needed level of access [if any] to files and folder. Even that can be
of limited value if a skilled and determined user has full physical access
to the computer. To protect files in such a situation proper file
encryption would need to be used like the built in EFS file encryption
that XP Pro has. File encryption has it's own hazards in that the
legitimate owner can be denied access due to deletion or corruption of the
private key used to decrypt the files. --- Steve

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;223316 --- EFS
best practices.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308418 --- XP
NTFS permissions

Martinellis said:
I would like to be able to make some files
a) Totally invisible (but allow myself access),
b) System files
and make some files undeletable.

I know that I can hide some files from the Folder Options - View menu,
but
that's easy to get around.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Win XP Home

I want to hide a couple of personal documents so that they will not show up
even if the "Show HIdden Files" option is enabled.
I don't want to go down the route of creating a seperate user account.
The request to make a file a system file (in name only) was simply a
possible way of achieving that goal.

I realise that no file is totally immune from an informed attempt to delete
it, but I sometimes come to delete a file and receive an "Access Denied"
message. I would like to know how to apply that kind of protection to a file.
 
That can not be done in a seamless manner. The security model for XP depends
on more than one user account if you want to manage access to folders/files.
System files are no different than regular files when it comes to hiding
them other than there is another box to uncheck in folder options - view
properties for access via Windows Explorer. When you come to a file that
has access denied that means either you do not have permissions to delete
that file which would require modify or full control permission or possibly
the file is in use. Possibly a third party program could be used that could
password protect a folder but that would not hide the existence of the
folder from another user using the same account but just deny access to it.
Maybe you want to look into storing those files on a cdrom that is
rewritable and removed from the drive when you are done instead of leaving
them on the hard drive all the time. To answer your question on changing
file attributes you can use the attrib command in a command window which the
link below explains further. --- Steve

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/attrib.mspx
 
Back
Top