passwords on folders

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I am running windows xp prf. and office 2003.
Can you associate a password with a folder so that everything in the folder
is invisible without entering the password. If not how else might my wife and
myself share files across the home wireless network without also making the
files available to the kids - who are also on the home wireless network.
Associating a password with a single file is too low a level - we've got lots
of files. Any help would be appreciated. thanks.
 
SeniorWrangler said:
I am running windows xp prf. and office 2003.
Can you associate a password with a folder so that everything in the
folder is invisible without entering the password. If not how else
might my wife and myself share files across the home wireless network
without also making the files available to the kids - who are also on
the home wireless network. Associating a password with a single file
is too low a level - we've got lots of files. Any help would be
appreciated. thanks.
Click to expand...

In XP, you don't password-protect folders. You assign permissions to
folders/files by user/group. Since you have XP Pro, this will be easy
for you. Just make it so only you and your wife have permission to
access those folders and the kids are denied. Since you have a lot of
files and might not want to go through all of them individually to
reassign permissions, why not make a new folder - call it something
useful like "Grownups Only" and assign permissions accordingly for
future use. Then put all your Sekrit Stuff in that folder.

Malke
 
Additional information.

To do this, you must be running NTFS as your file system on the drive in question. If your hard disk/partition is not NTFS you will need to convert it. To do this, open a Command Prompt window and enter the following command:

CONVERT X: /FS:NTFS

Where X: is the drive letter you wish to convert. You may also want to see http://www.aumha.org/a/ntfscvt.htm to ensure that you're getting the optimal conversion.

After this step is completed and you've rebooted the computer, if necessary:

XP PRO: In Windows Explorer, go to Tools, Folder Options, View and uncheck Use Simple File Sharing. Now, when you right click on a drive, folder or file (on an NTFS partition) and select Properties, you'll see a Security tab. Here you can assign or deny permissions based on user name or user group membership.

XP Home: By default, you can only make files and folders under My Documents "private". This is done by right clicking a folder or file and selecting Properties, Sharing. To change the permissions on other folders, you need to boot the computer to Safe Mode and log in on the built in Administrator account. In this mode, you'll see the Security tab in Properties, and you can assign permissions based on user name or group membership.

HOW TO: Set, View, Change, or Remove File and Folder Permissions in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308418

HOW TO: Set, View, Change, or Remove Special Permissions for Files and Folders
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;308419

HOW TO: Disable Simplified Sharing and Password-Protect a Shared Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;307874
 
thanks Doug & Malke. I'll give it a try.
--
sw


Doug Knox MS-MVP said:
Additional information.

To do this, you must be running NTFS as your file system on the drive in question. If your hard disk/partition is not NTFS you will need to convert it. To do this, open a Command Prompt window and enter the following command:

CONVERT X: /FS:NTFS

Where X: is the drive letter you wish to convert. You may also want to see http://www.aumha.org/a/ntfscvt.htm to ensure that you're getting the optimal conversion.

After this step is completed and you've rebooted the computer, if necessary:

XP PRO: In Windows Explorer, go to Tools, Folder Options, View and uncheck Use Simple File Sharing. Now, when you right click on a drive, folder or file (on an NTFS partition) and select Properties, you'll see a Security tab. Here you can assign or deny permissions based on user name or user group membership.

XP Home: By default, you can only make files and folders under My Documents "private". This is done by right clicking a folder or file and selecting Properties, Sharing. To change the permissions on other folders, you need to boot the computer to Safe Mode and log in on the built in Administrator account. In this mode, you'll see the Security tab in Properties, and you can assign permissions based on user name or group membership.

HOW TO: Set, View, Change, or Remove File and Folder Permissions in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308418

HOW TO: Set, View, Change, or Remove Special Permissions for Files and Folders
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;308419

HOW TO: Disable Simplified Sharing and Password-Protect a Shared Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;307874
Click to expand...
 
I am running windows xp prf. and office 2003.
Can you associate a password with a folder so that everything in the folder
is invisible without entering the password. If not how else might my wife and
myself share files across the home wireless network without also making the
files available to the kids - who are also on the home wireless network.
Associating a password with a single file is too low a level - we've got lots
of files. Any help would be appreciated. thanks.
Click to expand...

Ron Lowe and I have written a web page showing how to do what you
want, using XP Pro's access control lists (as other people have said,
XP doesn't have passwords):

Windows XP Professional File Sharing
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp_filesharing/index.htm
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
 
SeniorWrangler said:
I am running windows xp prf. and office 2003.
Can you associate a password with a folder so that everything in the folder
is invisible without entering the password. If not how else might my wife and
myself share files across the home wireless network without also making the
files available to the kids - who are also on the home wireless network.
Associating a password with a single file is too low a level - we've got lots
of files. Any help would be appreciated. thanks.
Click to expand...



Like Win2K, 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, if you actually prefer Win9x's way, you
can place the file in a compressed folder, and set a password to
uncompress the folder to view/access its contents.


--

Bruce Chambers

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