Shoutbox

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/choosing2.mspx

The "Encrypting File System" feature is not included in Windows XP Home.

oh - ok thanks

DJKAL, you might wanna re-read my posts...


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quote:

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Originally posted by DJKAL
yer it is ...BUT... it is in the faded grey so i cant click it - do i have to compress the files first?

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We are not talking about the "Encrypting File System" option at all (which is only available in Pro as WDZ said). Menthix said that the option I was talking about is above that greyed out option, he didn't say it is that option.

quote:

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Originally posted by DJKAL

quote:

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
the new popup, select "Compress/Archive this map".

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i cant find this
i did:
**right click** my docu,ents -> properties->general->advanced
there was no compress/archive this map - there was a compress folder to save disk space but that doesnt mean it becomes passwroed protected does it?

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No it doesn't. You are confussing things because of what others have said/suggested.

That specific reply was to what Ezra has said, not to you. (As for "there was no compress/archive this map", I previously said I dont have an English version, so I do know the exact phreasing).

1) You asked for a way to encrypt your Documents folder so others can't access it. I replied to that here and said that this is available already in Windows XP Hiome. (note that this option is NOT the same as the "Encrypting File System" option, neither is it the same as the "compress map" option)

2) Ezra suggested to use an archive program and zip everything up inside your documents folder. He said the advantage of that is that it will also take less space on the harddisk. I replied here that that too is possible without any external programs. This is something different than your question. Don't confuse the two.

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1. To "encrypt" (aka lock) your Documents folder in Windows XP:
- Go to the folder and right click on it.
- Then select properties and go to the second tab "sharing".
- Select the first checkbox there "Make a personal map from this map" (or something like that, I don't have an English version).

2. To compress your Documents folder in Windows XP:
- Go to the folder and right click on it.
- Then select properties and go to the first tab "general".
- Click on "Advanced".
- In the new popup, select "Compress this folder" (or something like that, I don't have an English version).

Both options are available in ALL Windows XP verions, including Home Edition...

quote:

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
Menthix said that the option I was talking about is above that greyed out option, he didn't say it is that option.

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Well, i did actually... the topicstarter asked for file encryption, what you describe just locks out other user accounts.

quote:

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Originally posted by MenthiX

quote:

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
Menthix said that the option I was talking about is above that greyed out option, he didn't say it is that option.

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Well, i did actually... the topicstarter asked for file encryption, what you describe just locks out other user accounts.

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yes and no

What I described will be the same as encrypting a folder. The result is exactly (well almost) the same: other user will not have access to the map/files.

If you make a map "personal", only you (who have logged in to Windows) will be able to access the maps and files within this "personal" map. Other Windows XP user will not be able to access it.

This option is only available for maps in your own user profile (thus:
My Documents, Desktop, Start Menu, Favorites and their submaps)

To make a submap or file available to other Windows users, you can drag a submap and/or file to the Shared map (or disable the option).

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The "Encrypting File System" option (only available in Pro) does more than simply locking other Windows user out of the map... It is not a real option like other settings; it is a special file attribute, like you have read-only, archive, system, etc...

When a file or map has that special file/map attribute, the file or map will be coded using a special scheme. Only he who set the attribute will be able to decode the file or map again.

Since this is an attribute, and not an option, it is only applicable to 1 file or 1 map at the time (though you can set it for multiple files at the same time of course, just like all the other file attributes), unlike the "personalise map" option which goes for all submaps and files inside the personal directory.

This option is only available in Windows XP Pro and if you have the NTFS file system on your hard disk. If so, every file and map on your HDD can have this special attribute, thus not only the ones of your own user profile.

Also note that coded files or maps like that can not be compressed using that other option I talked about (option 2 in my previous reply).

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To know more about certain options in Windows, you can always right click on them and choose "what's this?".

quote:

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
- Select the first checkbox there "Make a personal map from this map" (or something like that, I don't have an English version).

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In the English version it's simply "Make this folder private"

It just applies NTFS permissions to deny access... no encryption is done. I suppose it's just as effective though.

nooo thanks for your help but its only me using my pc - supposdily and i dont need other accounts, and like the way it just logs me in instantly withput clicking anythig but i want to make sure no one is accessing my work and other files by encrypting the whole my documents folder

quote:

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Originally posted by WDZ

quote:

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
- Select the first checkbox there "Make a personal map from this map" (or something like that, I don't have an English version).

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In the English version it's simply "Make this folder private"

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Ah... thanks...

quote:

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Originally posted by DJKAL
i want to make sure no one is accessing my work and other files by encrypting the whole my documents folder

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In that case, simply add a password to your Windows account. That is why it is there for...

quote:

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
In that case, simply add a password to your Windows account. That is why it is there for...

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i said i didnt want to do this as i want to sign in auto like my pc does now - i just want that 1 file with a password

If you do not protect your windows account with a password then any other method will not work as the people will still be able to log in into your account and thus access everything else anyways as if they were you.

Unless you use a 3rd party program to encrypt/zip/whatever your folders you want to protect, but that would require more than simply 1 click...

In the end, simply adding a password to your account is the most easy and effective solution without messing around with other stuff.

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quote:

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Originally posted by DJKAL
i just want that 1 file with a password

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This is much different than what you said before in context of the fastest/easiest solution...

Protecting just 1 file is something entirly different than being able to protect whole folders and several files and what not, on the fly or without much clicking and messing around.

If it is just 1 file, a file which you don't access that much, simply compress it and password protect it with an archive program.