Password Protecting a Folder (Windows XP)

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I’ve just purchased a 30 Gig portable HDD and have created a folder where all my other folders will go. I could also partition the drive if that would solve my problem. The problem I’d like to solve is how to put a password on this drive in case it could get lost or stolen. In the wrong hands a normal person who doesn’t have the password, couldn’t get access to any folder or files on it. Thanks in advance for any ideas. Bob

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Windows XP Pro includes the “encrypting file system” or EFS that will encrypt your folders and, assuming you are logged in under the correct identity, transparently decrypt them while you use them. The key, stored in the registry, can be backed up onto removable media. This is critical, because if your registry becomes corrupted, you’d have no other (affordable) way to retrieve your files. I think EFS is not available in XP Home.

Some thumb drives includes an encryption feature. I don’t know what software they use, but perhaps it’s available for a lower price and doesn’t depend on registry storage?

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Windows XP Pro includes the “encrypting file system” or EFS that will encrypt your folders and, assuming you are logged in under the correct identity, transparently decrypt them while you use them. The key, stored in the registry, can be backed up onto removable media. This is critical, because if your registry becomes corrupted, you’d have no other (affordable) way to retrieve your files. I think EFS is not available in XP Home.

Some thumb drives includes an encryption feature. I don’t know what software they use, but perhaps it’s available for a lower price and doesn’t depend on registry storage?

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There’s a general overview of encription here.

For examples of different solutions here is one for software and one for hardware.

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There’s a general overview of encription here.

For examples of different solutions here is one for software and one for hardware.

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I’m not sure if you want to protect the whole of the drive, or just a particular (group of) folder(s). The software I use for CDs containing sensitive information, is called ScramDisk. It sounds a bit complex, but is actually dead easy to use:

“Basically, you create a container file on an existing hard drive which is created with a specific password. This container can then be mounted by the Scramdisk software which creates a new drive letter to represent the drive. The virtual drive can then only be accessed with the correct passphrase. Without the correct passphrase the files on the virtual drive are totally inaccessible. ”

It’s free for personal use, but has been superceded by the $$$ program DriveCrypt. The free version is not suited to Windows NT v4 and Windows 2000 either. It will work for removable drives, or selected files or folders, but a limitation is that the decrypted stuff appears as a virtual drive, so folder structure, relative references etc. aren’t preserved.

There is a similar program called Encryption For The Masses but I haven’t played with this one.

Alan

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I’m not sure if you want to protect the whole of the drive, or just a particular (group of) folder(s). The software I use for CDs containing sensitive information, is called ScramDisk. It sounds a bit complex, but is actually dead easy to use:

“Basically, you create a container file on an existing hard drive which is created with a specific password. This container can then be mounted by the Scramdisk software which creates a new drive letter to represent the drive. The virtual drive can then only be accessed with the correct passphrase. Without the correct passphrase the files on the virtual drive are totally inaccessible. ”

It’s free for personal use, but has been superceded by the $$$ program DriveCrypt. The free version is not suited to Windows NT v4 and Windows 2000 either. It will work for removable drives, or selected files or folders, but a limitation is that the decrypted stuff appears as a virtual drive, so folder structure, relative references etc. aren’t preserved.

There is a similar program called Encryption For The Masses but I haven’t played with this one.

Alan

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