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Author Topic: Setting up user accounts, how to hide your personal files from those users  (Read 10551 times)

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JJ 3000



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Which flavor of XP are you using?( Home edition, media center, Professional)

 
Log into that account, can you still access your photos on your own account while logged in as the limited user? If so, something must be a bit off with your setup.



Yes, I can definitely still see every file and folder from that second account... I have set it up as limited, and I have passworded mine as protected. hmmmmm...


Did you log out of your account before acessing the new one?
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drmsucks



    Specialist

    Try Magic Folders - it's an awesome, easy program. Folders that are 'hidden' just don't show. Period.

    http://www.pc-magic.com/
    If you don't have time to do it right
                    ...when will you have time to do it over?

    chad

      Topic Starter


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      Which flavor of XP are you using?( Home edition, media center, Professional)

       
      Log into that account, can you still access your photos on your own account while logged in as the limited user? If so, something must be a bit off with your setup.



      Yes, I can definitely still see every file and folder from that second account... I have set it up as limited, and I have passworded mine as protected. hmmmmm...


      Did you log out of your account before acessing the new one?


      Yes... I logged out. And I'm using Xp Pro.

      It's not do-able... Windows says (above) that it can only hide files and folders to another user in ONE SINGLE FOLDER.... My Doc's. It says in Help that the option  to make private is only available in this one single C-Drive folder! Good ol' MS.

      I've just burnt/moved everything so thanks all for your imput...


      JJ 3000



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      Right click the file you don't want her to see and select properties.

      Click the Advanced button and put a check mark next to "Encrypt contents to secure data"

      This should make the file unreadable to other users.

      Make sure by logging into her account and trying to access the file from there.

      Hope this does it for ya.

      If you are using XP Pro  that was formatted using NTFS then that should have worked.
      Did you try it?
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      drmsucks



        Specialist

        Chad - For futures, this program is awesome and will hide any and all folders.

        FYI.

        Try Magic Folders - it's an awesome, easy program. Folders that are 'hidden' just don't show. Period.

        http://www.pc-magic.com/
        If you don't have time to do it right
                        ...when will you have time to do it over?

        ALAN_BR



          Hopeful

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          Warning

          I know nothing of Magic Folders - BUT

          I have used a folder hiding programme to hide a folder on my external hard drive.

          I accidentally discovered that what was hidden to my operating system was NOT hidden to any other computer to which that external drive might be attached.

          I believe this is a common limitation to folder hiding programs,

          Regards
          Alan

          drmsucks



            Specialist

            Warning

            I know nothing of Magic Folders - BUT

            I have used a folder hiding programme to hide a folder on my external hard drive.

            I accidentally discovered that what was hidden to my operating system was NOT hidden to any other computer to which that external drive might be attached.

            I believe this is a common limitation to folder hiding programs,

            Regards
            Alan

            Not true for Magic Folders.
            If you don't have time to do it right
                            ...when will you have time to do it over?

            ALAN_BR



              Hopeful

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              O.K.  I will accept that Magic Folders is superior to what I experienced.

              My experience of whatever it was I had installed was that it worked on folders in the internal drive C:\, and also on any folders in the External USB connected partitions, BUT suddenly the external hidden folders became public - I then realised that investigating a problem on a totally unrelated product, I had examined exactly how that product operated "NOW" and then restored a disc image taken when I thought that product worked properly - and in the restored "OLD" state the external folders suddenly appeared - they were no longer hidden.  That was when I realised that the "Folder Hider" software had NOT hidden my folders, it had merely blindfolded my LATEST version of the Operating System to ignore what should have been hidden, hence I deduced that anything "hidden" on my external drive, or anything hidden on a Flash drive, what NOT be hidden if that device was taken / stolen and plugged into any other computer.
              I complained to the "Folder Hider" supplier (can't remember the exact name) and it was they who assured me that all such programs had this limitation.

              Sorry to cast a slur on Magic Folders - I just wanted to warn others of an unexpected possible pitfall.

              Regards
              Alan

              drmsucks



                Specialist

                Sorry to cast a slur on Magic Folders - I just wanted to warn others of an unexpected possible pitfall.
                I don't know that you did cast a slur; I have no interest in Magic Folders - have just used it for years and never had a problem with it. :)

                I'm not sure I understand the sequence of events that you described above, but, I have not done a disk image with folders hidden; so, I don't know: a) if they would be imaged and b) if they are imaged, would they be visible after the image is copied.

                Regardless, for the stated purposes of jj3000, to "hide" data on his computer from a snooping housesitter, Magic Folders would work great - and, I suspect that the program that you referenced would also.
                If you don't have time to do it right
                                ...when will you have time to do it over?

                ALAN_BR



                  Hopeful

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                  Short explanation in case anyone needs to know

                  Image is taken of System drive C:\
                  "Folder Hider" installed, and existing folder C:\Private is hidden
                  also create and hide folders C:\Secret and, on USB, F:\Keep_Out

                  Everything is hidden that should be hidden

                  From here on forwards, if drive F:\ is connected to a different computer, F:\Keep_Out is visible.

                  Restore previous image :-
                  C:\Private reappears exactly as it was before being hidden - as expected
                  C:\Secret just does not exist - no security breach.
                  Drive F:\ was not restored so \Keep_Out still exists, and is no longer hidden because the Operating System is no longer blindfolded.

                  OOPS
                  I wondered if magic Folders would work on FAT32 so I used your link.
                  I got no relevant information from XP help at http://www.pc-magic.com/mfxt.htm.

                  Relevant information from 95 help at http://pc-magic.com/emft.htm#t25
                  FAT32 - NO PROBLEM

                  Removable drives
                  You shouldn't use Magic Folders or EMF on removable drives. Although the files and filenames would remain encrypted and scrambled on other computers (if you're using EMF), the folders and files would not be hidden, for EMF or Magic Folders.
                  In addition, Magic Folders and EMF don't mark hidden folders, they just filter file requests against your list of hidden folders. Therefore any removable media with folders with the same name as the one you hid would have their folders hidden as well, and in the case of EMF, their files would be encrypted too. We may in a later version include the disk ID or volume name in the hidden folder list, but we haven't done that yet.

                  That supports my fears and warning.

                  NB Even Drive C:\ is removable, and hidden folders will be public, should it be taken out of your P.C. and connected to another - e.g. because you took it to a computer service man, or because your computer has been stolen.

                  Regards
                  Alan

                  drmsucks



                    Specialist

                    Removable drives
                    You shouldn't use Magic Folders or EMF on removable drives. Although the files and filenames would remain encrypted and scrambled on other computers (if you're using EMF), the folders and files would not be hidden, for EMF or Magic Folders.
                    In addition, Magic Folders and EMF don't mark hidden folders, they just filter file requests against your list of hidden folders. Therefore any removable media with folders with the same name as the one you hid would have their folders hidden as well, and in the case of EMF, their files would be encrypted too. We may in a later version include the disk ID or volume name in the hidden folder list, but we haven't done that yet.
                    This is still the case with MF. If it is contemplated that security will be needed if a drive is removed, then Encrypted Magic Folders is necessary. Then, in the event a drive is removed, the files will become "unhidden" but the contents will still be encrypted.

                    Some perspective is in order: I suggested this program for this OP's situation, which I would classify as a low threat situation. I do not mean to imply (and perhaps I did) that MF is a high security program for critical security or privacy applications, clearly it is not.  For "paranoid" situations, I would use True Crypt. For normal, "I don't want the wife to see my picture collection," situations, or, "I don't want the boss to see my resume," I would use MF or EMF.
                    If you don't have time to do it right
                                    ...when will you have time to do it over?

                    joefido



                      Beginner
                      If you have a limited user account for the House Sitter why not just Hide the files you want privite? Right Click  the Folder or File that you want privite, select Properties, and select Hidden from file attributes. Unless she logs in with your password, she won't be able to see the Hidden folders or files.
                      Unless, you simply go to:
                      Tools> Folder Options> the "View" tab, and select "Show Hidden and System Files"


                      Zylstra,
                      That's not true. Activate the "Guest" account on the computer and allow the sitter tho use that account. Your account on the other hand should be password protected to login, so no one can log into your user account. Any files, other than program files, in your user account can't be seen by anyone unless they log into your user account. You can't go to Explorer and see folders in other user accounts that are "Password Protected" Even if you try to go to C:\documents and settings you can veiw the accounts but you can't access them if they are "Password Protected"!!

                      Zylstra

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                      Re: Setting up user accounts, how to hide your personal files from those users
                      « Reply #27 on: September 01, 2008, 04:44:52 PM »
                      Still, its not secure to do that, I guess thats what I am trying to say.

                      It hides them, but, with effort, they can always be found.