Question Third party password software for folders

[Access Denied]

Since Windows doesn't allow you to set a password on folders, I'm in need of a third party program that would allow me to do so. Do any of you use one and if so, which one would you recommend?

Ta.

 

[Scouse]

Why do you want to set a password on a folder?

If you've multiple users just use security groups to control access?

 

[Raven]

You can keep your porn on a drive and bitlocker it.

 

[MYstIC G]

Since Windows doesn't allow you to set a password on folders, I'm in need of a third party program that would allow me to do so. Do any of you use one and if so, which one would you recommend?

Ta.

That's not going to be a great piece of software however you implement it as that's not a feature of folders.

OneDrive if you use it has a vault but then the contents would be in OneDrive

 

[SilverHood]

Setup a SFTP server and grant access to that via passwords?
Otherwise, Active Directory groups all the way.

 

[Overdriven]

Just do what @Scouse said.

We need to know more about the structure and access requirements.

Remove all permissions from a root folder (For other than you), create a folder in that folder and set up sharing (In properties) and then set access to that folder only.

 

[Bob007]

Not sure what you are needing to do so may be completely off.

Most of the software out there plays on the password protection from folder encryption. My guess is you want to lock a folder and let people who have the password access it. DropBox does this and I think Folder Guard does it as well. If it's something local you are looking for have a look at Folder Guard and see if it fits the requirements.

 

[Access Denied]

It's just the one account on the computer. Financial info and other sensitive personal documents. Seems like a lot of work when I can just stick it all on a USB drive and keep that somewhere safe. Ta anyway.

 

[MYstIC G]

It's just the one account on the computer. Financial info and other sensitive personal documents. Seems like a lot of work when I can just stick it all on a USB drive and keep that somewhere safe. Ta anyway.

Password protected zip file and copy it to USB as a backup regularly

 

[Scouse]

It's just the one account on the computer. Financial info and other sensitive personal documents. Seems like a lot of work when I can just stick it all on a USB drive and keep that somewhere safe. Ta anyway.

Then you need more than one account on the computer.

If you are storing financial information or sensitive personal information on a device the absolutely screaming first step is to have your own bloody logon.

Then you can stick things in "my documents" and nobody else can read it under their logon.

If you've not grabbed these very basic security steps I worry you're not reliably backing up stuff either.

If you're living in shared acommodation then you're leaving yourself wide open to fraud m8.

 

[Scouse]

Password protected zip file and copy it to USB as a backup regularly

This largely solves the two problems. But zip files can be compromised - so my advice is get your own account (and preferably device) if you're doing sensitive stuff (and backup securely).

 

[Access Denied]

Let me elaborate for Mr Jumps to conclusions up there. This is my PC. My account. I have offsite backups of my data as well, as I'm not fucking stupid.

I was thinking more of the very small odds of someone breaking in and stealing my computer. If they had any technical nous they could plug my drives into another computer and read the data from there.

 

[MYstIC G]

Let me elaborate for Mr Jumps to conclusions up there. This is my PC. My account. I have offsite backups of my data as well, as I'm not fucking stupid.

I was thinking more of the very small odds of someone breaking in and stealing my computer. If they had any technical nous they could plug my drives into another computer and read the data from there.

If you've already got off site backups that you're confident with I'd just bitlocker the hard drive if you've got a compatible version of Windows

 

[Scouse]

If you've already got off site backups that you're confident with I'd just bitlocker the hard drive if you've got a compatible version of Windows

This.

And as for jumping to conclusions:

Why do you want to set a password on a folder?

If you've multiple users just use security groups to control access?

I had asked for clarification earlier which was neither forthcoming and neither did you disabuse me of the idea that multiple people have access to your device.

Over the years I've loads examples of people getting the basics wrong getting into all sorts of trouble so tend to err on the side of caution. It's a bit rich to get grumpy with someone who's trying to help when you can't be arsed clarifying your situation even after being asked.

 

[smurkin]

I was thinking more of the very small odds of someone breaking in and stealing my computer. If they had any technical nous they could plug my drives into another computer and read the data from there.

Perhaps consider investing in a thumb drive with encryption software - sandisk extreme pro, something like that. It has a little app where you can add files/folders to secure. If you have a USB on your monitor, just leave it plugged in so its always there when you need to access the data.

Or if you have a NAS you could set up an encrypted folder and map it as a network drive. You just need to remember to lock and unlock it. Good way to back-up the data from the thumb drive.

 

[caLLous]

Agree with encryption over just password protecting. I'm pretty sure anyone could plug the system drive into a different PC and gain access to anything "password protected" without breaking a sweat. I'd use something like Veracrypt (used to be Truecrypt), a very highly regarded open source on-the-fly encryption app, to create a small encrypted file container. Then you mount it and access it as if it's a normal disk in Explorer, when you need to read from or write to it. You can use Bitlocker but I think it can only do whole disk/partition encryption, which seems excessive for this use case.

With Veracrypt you can even create hidden volumes within an outer container so if you put in one password it opens a certain volume and if you enter a different one it opens another but nobody can prove that there's more than volume.

 

[Overdriven]

OneDrive Personal Vault | Secure Sensitive File Storage

OneDrive Personal Vault is protected by identity verification. Get secure file storage for sensitive information, with convenient anywhere access.

www.microsoft.com

 

[MYstIC G]

Agree with encryption over just password protecting. I'm pretty sure anyone could plug the system drive into a different PC and gain access to anything "password protected" without breaking a sweat. I'd use something like Veracrypt (used to be Truecrypt), a very highly regarded open source on-the-fly encryption app, to create a small encrypted file container. Then you mount it and access it as if it's a normal disk in Explorer, when you need to read from or write to it. You can use Bitlocker but I think it can only do whole disk/partition encryption, which seems excessive for this use case.

With Veracrypt you can even create hidden volumes within an outer container so if you put in one password it opens a certain volume and if you enter a different one it opens another but nobody can prove that there's more than volume.

Whole disk encryption is hardly excessive if theft is the primary concern

 

[caLLous]

I mean, whatever, the question was about protecting a single folder, if you want to encrypt the whole disk then go nuts. Both approaches will accomplish the goal of protecting what needs to be protected but I'd argue that a small encrypted container is more portable and more easily backup-able - you can attach it to an email or chuck it on Dropbox or a USB key or a phone etc. If you only mount the container when you need to access its contents and keep it dismounted the rest of the time then, even if you leave your PC unlocked, nobody will be able to access those files.

 

[Access Denied]

This.

And as for jumping to conclusions:

I had asked for clarification earlier which was neither forthcoming and neither did you disabuse me of the idea that multiple people have access to your device.

Over the years I've loads examples of people getting the basics wrong getting into all sorts of trouble so tend to err on the side of caution. It's a bit rich to get grumpy with someone who's trying to help when you can't be arsed clarifying your situation even after being asked.

I did say there's only one account on the computer. This tends to indicate that it is a personal device, with a single user. Maybe I could've made it clearer that no one else has access to it but I didn't think it was necessary. However in the interests of clarity...

I live alone and my computer is locked when I'm not home. My drives can't be accessed across the network without my username and password and I have offsite backups of everything I don't want to lose.

I wasn't being grumpy, I just didn't appreciate your tone. I'm not an idiot and I don't truck with being spoken to like one, I don't react well to condescension.

 

[Scouse]

I did say there's only one account on the computer. This tends to indicate that it is a personal device, with a single user.

That would be jumping to conclusions and making assumptions. Lots of people in houses just use "a computer" rather than setup different accounts for people.

I wasn't being grumpy, I just didn't appreciate your tone. I'm not an idiot and I don't truck with being spoken to like one, I don't react well to condescension.

I'd asked for clarification, you failed to give it, so I made the "worst case scenario assumptions" - because experience has taught me that it's the safest route of action. I wasn't speaking to you like an idiot - I was speaking to you on the basis of information you'd provided. I wasn't being condescending - it's entirely your own fault that you took offence at well-meaning advice and misread it as me being "condescending".

I've no idea how IT literate you are. I'd asked the question for that exact reason and you failed to answer. Then I got called "mr jumps to conclusion". I didn't jump to anything - I asked a question, was ignored.

If you'd answered the question I'd have gone where Meg went and solved your problem with one word instead of this ridiculous and unnecessary to-and-fro: Bitlocker.

So, being actually condescending now: The lesson here is "when asking for help, and people want more information so they know how to help you: answer the bloody questions so they're not stabbing in the dark".