encyption?

[pentium]

hi. i'm have winXP SP2. how can i encrypt my folders under "my documents"
without downloading any software? does windows have that? please help. TIA!

 

[Malke]

Re: encyption?

pentium wrote:

> hi. i'm have winXP SP2. how can i encrypt my folders under "my documents"
> without downloading any software? does windows have that? please help.

Windows XP Pro (not Home) has the ability to do encryption but you really
need to know what you're doing if you don't want to be posting back here
saying "how do I decrypt my files" at a later date. And then typically
you'll find out you can't because you didn't back up your keys.

http://tinyurl.com/6l6xx - MS information about EFS (Encryption)
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/encrypt.htm - encryption info
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/private.htm - making stuff private
http://tinyurl.com/48x4w - MS website on How To Make Folders Private
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/books/homeandofficeuser/tips/040402.asp -
How to make My Documents Private in XP Home
Best practices for the Encrypting File System -
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;223316

A simpler solution, depending on your situation, might be to zip the files
and password-protect them.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

 

[pentium]

Re: encyption?

you still can delete the files when zip it right?

"Malke" wrote:

> pentium wrote:
>
> > hi. i'm have winXP SP2. how can i encrypt my folders under "my documents"
> > without downloading any software? does windows have that? please help.
>
> Windows XP Pro (not Home) has the ability to do encryption but you really
> need to know what you're doing if you don't want to be posting back here
> saying "how do I decrypt my files" at a later date. And then typically
> you'll find out you can't because you didn't back up your keys.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/6l6xx - MS information about EFS (Encryption)
> http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/encrypt.htm - encryption info
> http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/private.htm - making stuff private
> http://tinyurl.com/48x4w - MS website on How To Make Folders Private
> http://www.microsoft.com/learning/books/homeandofficeuser/tips/040402.asp -
> How to make My Documents Private in XP Home
> Best practices for the Encrypting File System -
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;223316
>
> A simpler solution, depending on your situation, might be to zip the files
> and password-protect them.
>
> Malke
> --
> MS-MVP
> Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
> FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ
>
>

 

[Malke]

Re: encyption?

pentium wrote:

> you still can delete the files when zip it right?

Yes, but you can still delete encrypted files too. Perhaps you'd get more
focused answers if you tell us your situation (home or office, standalone,
Workgroup, domain member, etc.) and what your end goal is.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

 

[pentium]

Re: encyption?

this PC (winXP pro) is being used by my kid brother and sometimes his friends
will open up folders containing some pictures, we just want to password
protect some folders. I told him to create a guest or a 2nd account for his
friends but he doesn't want to. is there a simple way to do that without 3rd
party softwares?

"Malke" wrote:

> pentium wrote:
>
> > you still can delete the files when zip it right?
>
> Yes, but you can still delete encrypted files too. Perhaps you'd get more
> focused answers if you tell us your situation (home or office, standalone,
> Workgroup, domain member, etc.) and what your end goal is.
>
> Malke
> --
> MS-MVP
> Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
> FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ
>
>

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Re: encyption?


"pentium" <pentium@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F1AEFD9B-FFF0-4278-89A9-1B51A5768A76@microsoft.com...
> this PC (winXP pro) is being used by my kid brother and sometimes his
> friends
> will open up folders containing some pictures, we just want to password
> protect some folders.

This is only possible when separate user accounts are used, as far as native
XP tools are concerned.

> I told him to create a guest or a 2nd account for his
> friends but he doesn't want to.

As they say - too bad. Whose system is this?

If he wants to use the machine, he needs to respect it and its owners
wishes. Create the new accounts for him, and password-protect him out of
the others. And back up the data, because he'll probably lose it trying to
get in.

Add passwords to the accounts and only give him the passwords to the
*limited* accounts you want him to have. Add passwords to the
Administrator account as well, and change them regularly. Don't give him
full rights to the system till he demonstrates he can use them responsibly.

> is there a simple way to do that without 3rd
> party softwares?

No. XP Pro encryption allows full access once you're logged onto the
account.

As well, note that you *must* also back up the account credentials and
verify them. Changing the password from outside the account, such as from
a boot/reset CD will permanently remove decrypt access to encrypted files
and folders. You have to have the credentials floppy to get access, and
making this floppy is NOT required when you encrypt; lots of people lose
data because of this.

Otherwise, you are looking at 3rd party software, and be aware that the
encrypted files can probably be deleted by careless users.

If these files are are important, get them off that system.

HTH
-pk


>
> "Malke" wrote:
>
>> pentium wrote:
>>
>> > you still can delete the files when zip it right?
>>
>> Yes, but you can still delete encrypted files too. Perhaps you'd get more
>> focused answers if you tell us your situation (home or office,
>> standalone,
>> Workgroup, domain member, etc.) and what your end goal is.
>>
>> Malke
>> --
>> MS-MVP
>> Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
>> FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ
>>
>>

 

[Ray Parrish]

Re: encyption?



Patrick Keenan wrote:
> "pentium" <pentium@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:F1AEFD9B-FFF0-4278-89A9-1B51A5768A76@microsoft.com...
>> this PC (winXP pro) is being used by my kid brother and sometimes his
>> friends
>> will open up folders containing some pictures, we just want to password
>> protect some folders.
>
> This is only possible when separate user accounts are used, as far as native
> XP tools are concerned.
>
>> I told him to create a guest or a 2nd account for his
>> friends but he doesn't want to.
>
> As they say - too bad. Whose system is this?
>
> If he wants to use the machine, he needs to respect it and its owners
> wishes. Create the new accounts for him, and password-protect him out of
> the others. And back up the data, because he'll probably lose it trying to
> get in.
>
> Add passwords to the accounts and only give him the passwords to the
> *limited* accounts you want him to have. Add passwords to the
> Administrator account as well, and change them regularly. Don't give him
> full rights to the system till he demonstrates he can use them responsibly.
>
>> is there a simple way to do that without 3rd
>> party softwares?
>
> No. XP Pro encryption allows full access once you're logged onto the
> account.
>
> As well, note that you *must* also back up the account credentials and
> verify them. Changing the password from outside the account, such as from
> a boot/reset CD will permanently remove decrypt access to encrypted files
> and folders. You have to have the credentials floppy to get access, and
> making this floppy is NOT required when you encrypt; lots of people lose
> data because of this.
>
I have a question about the credentials floppy. My machine doesn't have
a floppy drive in it, so is it possible to create the credentials disc
on a CD? Sorry to but into the thread.

Later, Ray Parrish

> Otherwise, you are looking at 3rd party software, and be aware that the
> encrypted files can probably be deleted by careless users.
>
> If these files are are important, get them off that system.
>
> HTH
> -pk
>
>
>> "Malke" wrote:
>>
>>> pentium wrote:
>>>
>>>> you still can delete the files when zip it right?
>>> Yes, but you can still delete encrypted files too. Perhaps you'd get more
>>> focused answers if you tell us your situation (home or office,
>>> standalone,
>>> Workgroup, domain member, etc.) and what your end goal is.
>>>
>>> Malke
>>> --
>>> MS-MVP
>>> Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
>>> FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ
>>>
>>>
>
>

--
http://www.rayslinks.com/ Web index of human reviewed links.
<http://www.rayslinks.com/Troubleshooting%20and%20fixing%20Windows.html>
Trouble shooting and Fixing Windows
http://www.writingsoftheschizophrenic.com My poetry in web pages

 

[John Wunderlich]

Re: encyption?

=?Utf-8?B?cGVudGl1bQ==?= <pentium@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
in news:F1AEFD9B-FFF0-4278-89A9-1B51A5768A76@microsoft.com:

> this PC (winXP pro) is being used by my kid brother and sometimes
> his friends will open up folders containing some pictures, we just
> want to password protect some folders. I told him to create a
> guest or a 2nd account for his friends but he doesn't want to. is
> there a simple way to do that without 3rd party softwares?
>

.... and what's wrong with 3rd party software? Truecrypt will do what
you want and it's totally free. It will encrypt a "virtual disk"
instead of a "folder" but otherwise it will do what you want

<http://www.truecrypt.org>

-- John

 

[pentium]

Re: encyption?

thanks, guess i'll have to download it
thank you!

"John Wunderlich" wrote:

> =?Utf-8?B?cGVudGl1bQ==?= <pentium@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
> in news:F1AEFD9B-FFF0-4278-89A9-1B51A5768A76@microsoft.com:
>
> > this PC (winXP pro) is being used by my kid brother and sometimes
> > his friends will open up folders containing some pictures, we just
> > want to password protect some folders. I told him to create a
> > guest or a 2nd account for his friends but he doesn't want to. is
> > there a simple way to do that without 3rd party softwares?
> >
>
> .... and what's wrong with 3rd party software? Truecrypt will do what
> you want and it's totally free. It will encrypt a "virtual disk"
> instead of a "folder" but otherwise it will do what you want
>
> <http://www.truecrypt.org>
>
> -- John
>