Password files

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gerry
  • Start date Start date
Gerry said:
How do I password protect a specific file on my C drive? Using XP home


gerry
Click to expand...
You set the permissions appropriately which (I understand) can only be done
is safe mode.
Jim
 
With XP Home this option is only available for folders included in your user
profile. Folders in your user profile include My Documents and its
subfolders, Desktop, Start Menu, Cookies, and Favorites.

HOW TO: Set the My Documents Folder as "Private" in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/298399

Also type: make your folders private in the Search box in Help and
Support.

You Cannot Select the "Make This Folder Private" Option
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307286

How to undo "Make this folder private" option
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/undoprivate.htm

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
Gerry said:
How do I password protect a specific file on my C drive? Using XP home


gerry
Click to expand...

You can only make the folders files are in Private, meaning you can
see/access them, but other users cannot. You need a 3rd party app to do it
on a file by file basis.

Pop`
 
Gerry said:
How do I password protect a specific file on my C drive? Using XP home


gerry
Click to expand...


Like WinNT and Win2K before it, WinXP's file security paradigm
doesn't rely on, or allow, the cumbersome method of password protection
for individual applications, files, or folders. Instead, it uses the
superior method of explicitly assigning file/folder permissions to
individual users and/or groups.

HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783

HOW TO Set, View, Change, or Remove File and Folder Permissions
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q308418

HOW TO Set, View, Change, or Remove Special Permissions for Files and
Folders
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];Q308419

HOW TO Set the My Documents Folder as Private in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;298399

Of course, if you have WinXP Pro, you can encrypt the desired
files/folders.

Best Practices for Encrypting File System
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;223316

As a crude work-around, you can place the file in a compressed
folder, and set a password to uncompress the folder to view/access its
contents. Also, some applications allow the user to password-protect
their specific data files. Read the specific application's Help files
for further information on this capability.


--

Bruce Chambers

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Gerry said:
How do I password protect a specific file on my C drive? Using XP home
Click to expand...


NT-based versions of Windows rely on permissions to dictate who can do
what with a file. These permissions are enforced only within the
instance of Windows in which the user accounts are defined. If you put
the hard drive in another box and/or boot using a different instance of
Windows, the SIDs for those accounts won't be defined under the new
instance of Windows that were created under the old instance of Windows,
which means the permissions won't be enforced because the SIDs aren't
defined. However, the SID for the Administrator account is the same
under all instances of Windows and allows that account to take
ownership.

If you don't want anyone but yourself to view the contents of a file,
you will need to encrypt it. If you use EFS included in Windows, you
will need to make sure that you don't have someone else assigned as a
recovery agent for EFS. Under Windows 2000, the Administrator was
automatically added as an EFS recovery agent (so you had to remove
Administrator from the EFS certificate). Under Windows XP, no one else
is automatically assigned as an EFS recovery agent. With EFS, only your
login can get into the contents of the encrypted file. The
Administrator can still change ownership and could even change
permissions so you can't access the file but not even the Administrator
could look inside the EFS encrypted file. If you don't backup your EFS
certificate and try to put the encrypted files under a new instance of
Windows, you won't be able to decrypt the file yourself. A new SID gets
generated when you create you new account under the new instance of
Windows. Your username does not identify your account.

File permissions help to secure *access* to files (and what functions
are allowed under that access) but are enforced only under the instance
of Windows in which those permissions were defined. EFS provides
additional security by requiring you to use the correct login
credentials to decrypt the EFS-protected file. However, changing your
login, like your password, can render the EFS-protected files unreadable
even to you.

You might want to look into using TrueCrypt (free). It does what you
want. If you later forget your password, don't bother crying to anyone
about it because no one can help you.
 
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