ID:278424
 Mar 29 2011, 1:31 am
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I just finished using a trial of this program called IObit Protected Folder v1.0 and got to thinking... Is there any freeware password protection for folders software out there? Is it possible to write out a simple Microsoft App with C++ to create my own such program?
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Mar 29 2011, 1:54 am
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Stephen001
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What are you looking to keep private? The directory listings themselves, or the files?
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You can use truecrypt to create encrypted containers which can be mounted with drive letters. It's open sourced and free. However it doesn't encrypt existing folders. Any program that does this will likely be doing some stupid stuff to Explorer that will result in instability or problems security and support.
Truecrypt really is the best option for creating encrypted zones on Windows. | |
You know how you can put a password on OpenOffice and Microsoft Office documents? Apply the same functionality to folders on Windows.
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Spunky_Girl wrote:
You know how you can put a password on OpenOffice and Microsoft Office documents? Apply the same functionality to folders on Windows. Just because you password protect something, doesn't mean it's encrypted / secure. | |
Flame Sage wrote:
Just because you password protect something, doesn't mean it's encrypted / secure. And this is helping to answer my question...how? | |
Files and folders are totally different objects in computers. When you password protect an ODF file, OpenOffice is encrypting the contents of the file, and when you open it, OpenOffice decrypts the file. Folders, on the other hand, are handled by the OS. Unless the OS and the filesystem support it, it can't be done for real. There are problems that load a kernel level driver that mounts encrypted containers as folders in Windows. Technically speaking you can actually do this with truecrypt in Windows Vista and 7, you just have to know how to mount a drive to a folder instead of a drive letter.
As for an existing folder, NTFS and Windows have no support for that. Well, that's not technically true. Windows 7 comes with something called "Bitlocker" that lets you encrypt your user folder, but it simply encrypts it in a way that requires you to log in to view files. I don't believe it has any support for specific folders, not multiple credentials. If you wish to lock down your whole PC, I suggest looking at truecrypt's "Full drive encryption" which can actually encrypt the entire HDD, OS and all. It requires you to put a password in before Windows boots every time. | |
I'm wondering if you can just create a batch file that asks for a password when using it, and afterward it'll open the folder which is hidden somewhere in your computer. However, someone could just open the batch file in notepad and see exactly what the password and file paths are. =\
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My BIOS allows me to set a password whenever my computer turns on and a different one (if I'd like) when I go into the BIOS settings. However, this is rather easily bypassed with a simple CMOS clear and there you go. :(
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As you mention, a simple CMOS clearing and you can get right past it. It's not encryption, and all it would take to get to the contents of your computer is to pull the HDD out and connect it to another computer. Truecrypt's full drive encryption actually makes the content impossible to read without the password.
Some computers actually have encryption built into the motherboard. It writes to the HDD using said encryption so it doesn't work in other computers, but I wouldn't trust that(Also it means that if your motherboard dies all the content of the drive goes with it). | |