How to create a drive access password?

[Guest Metallo]

Hi,

 

I was wondering if there is a way in XP Home Edition to create a

password to grant access to an external USB drive.

In a few words, when I plug the drive in the USB slot, I want to be

asked a password to access it.

 

If not via XP, can you suggest a freeware external application to

achieve this?

 

Thank you :-)

--

Alex

[Guest Malke]

Re: How to create a drive access password?

 

Metallo wrote:

> Hi,

>

> I was wondering if there is a way in XP Home Edition to create a

> password to grant access to an external USB drive.

> In a few words, when I plug the drive in the USB slot, I want to be

> asked a password to access it.

>

> If not via XP, can you suggest a freeware external application to

> achieve this?

 

You can't do this natively with passwords in XP. Restricting access to

files/folders is usually done with user restrictions. Unfortunately, since

you have XP Home you don't have this option. You can zip the contents of

the drive and password the zipped file with XP's native zipping capability.

Or you can encrypt the files on the drive with the free TrueCrypt program.

Make sure you read all instructions and thoroughly understand them before

you use encryption.

 

Malke

--

MS-MVP

Elephant Boy Computers

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com

Don't Panic!

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: How to create a drive access password?

 

"Metallo" <doriawar@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:fr3cl2$8n3$1@nnrp.ngi.it...

> Hi,

>

> I was wondering if there is a way in XP Home Edition to create a password

> to grant access to an external USB drive.

> In a few words, when I plug the drive in the USB slot, I want to be asked

> a password to access it.

>

> If not via XP, can you suggest a freeware external application to achieve

> this?

>

> Thank you :-)

> --

> Alex

 

WinXP Home does not have such a facility. There are

various third-party applications but many are not freeware -

see here: http://www.findmysoft.com/software/flash_disk_encryption/

[Guest Metallo]

Re: How to create a drive access password?

 

Malke wrote:

> Metallo wrote:

>

>

>> Hi,

>>

>> I was wondering if there is a way in XP Home Edition to create a

>> password to grant access to an external USB drive.

>> In a few words, when I plug the drive in the USB slot, I want to be

>> asked a password to access it.

>>

>> If not via XP, can you suggest a freeware external application to

>> achieve this?

>>

>

> You can't do this natively with passwords in XP. Restricting access to

> files/folders is usually done with user restrictions. Unfortunately, since

> you have XP Home you don't have this option. You can zip the contents of

> the drive and password the zipped file with XP's native zipping capability.

> Or you can encrypt the files on the drive with the free TrueCrypt program.

> Make sure you read all instructions and thoroughly understand them before

> you use encryption.

>

> Malke

>

Hi,

 

Thank you guys, I was hoping to have a chance with BIOS, but apparently

this is not the case either, isn't it?

 

Cheers

 

--

Alex

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: How to create a drive access password?

 

 

"Metallo" <doriawar@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:fr3fmt$9sm$1@nnrp.ngi.it...

> Malke wrote:

>> Metallo wrote:

>>

>>

>>> Hi,

>>>

>>> I was wondering if there is a way in XP Home Edition to create a

>>> password to grant access to an external USB drive.

>>> In a few words, when I plug the drive in the USB slot, I want to be

>>> asked a password to access it.

>>>

>>> If not via XP, can you suggest a freeware external application to

>>> achieve this?

>>>

>>

>> You can't do this natively with passwords in XP. Restricting access to

>> files/folders is usually done with user restrictions. Unfortunately,

>> since

>> you have XP Home you don't have this option. You can zip the contents of

>> the drive and password the zipped file with XP's native zipping

>> capability.

>> Or you can encrypt the files on the drive with the free TrueCrypt

>> program.

>> Make sure you read all instructions and thoroughly understand them before

>> you use encryption.

>>

>> Malke

>>

> Hi,

>

> Thank you guys, I was hoping to have a chance with BIOS, but apparently

> this is not the case either, isn't it?

>

> Cheers

>

> --

> Alex

 

I doubt it very much but since the BIOS has nothing at all to

do with Windows, you should ask this question in a hardware

newsgroup.

[Guest Bob I]

Re: How to create a drive access password?

 

 

 

Metallo wrote:

> Malke wrote:

>

>> Metallo wrote:

>>

>>

>>

>>> Hi,

>>>

>>> I was wondering if there is a way in XP Home Edition to create a

>>> password to grant access to an external USB drive.

>>> In a few words, when I plug the drive in the USB slot, I want to be

>>> asked a password to access it.

>>>

>>> If not via XP, can you suggest a freeware external application to

>>> achieve this?

>>>

>>

>>

>> You can't do this natively with passwords in XP. Restricting access to

>> files/folders is usually done with user restrictions. Unfortunately,

>> since

>> you have XP Home you don't have this option. You can zip the contents of

>> the drive and password the zipped file with XP's native zipping

>> capability.

>> Or you can encrypt the files on the drive with the free TrueCrypt

>> program.

>> Make sure you read all instructions and thoroughly understand them before

>> you use encryption.

>>

>> Malke

>>

>

> Hi,

>

> Thank you guys, I was hoping to have a chance with BIOS, but apparently

> this is not the case either, isn't it?

>

> Cheers

 

Nope, and even it was possible, IF you plugged the drive into different

PC the password in your BIOS would have no effect on limiting the access

to the drive

[Guest HEMI-Powered]

Re: How to create a drive access password?

 

Metallo added these comments in the current discussion du jour

....

 

[snip]

> Hi,

>

> Thank you guys, I was hoping to have a chance with BIOS, but

> apparently this is not the case either, isn't it?

>

AFAIK, a BIOS password only blocks a boot-up and occurs before

Windows even loads. About the only way I can think of is for you to

try using the security feature of login accounts to restrict people

who you don't want to have access to things on your system,

including external HDDs and the like. Of course, you'll have to

password all the admin accounts, including your own.

 

--

HP, aka Jerry

 

"Surely you jest - and don't call me Shirley!" - from the movie

"Airplane!"

[Guest Ken Blake, MVP]

Re: How to create a drive access password?

 

On Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:21:41 +0100, Metallo <doriawar@gmail.com>

wrote:

> Hi,

>

> I was wondering if there is a way in XP Home Edition to create a

> password to grant access to an external USB drive.

> In a few words, when I plug the drive in the USB slot, I want to be

> asked a password to access it.

>

> If not via XP, can you suggest a freeware external application to

> achieve this?

 

 

You've already been answered that you can't do this, but bear in mind

that since you're talking about an external drive, even if it were

possible it would be useless. Any restriction that's in Windows or in

the BIOS on one computer wouldn't prevent the drive from plugged into

another computer and read there.

 

In reality, the same is true even with an internal drive. It's only

slightly more trouble to remove an internal drive from one computer

and access it in a second one.

 

--

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

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