Folder Controller

August 5, 2004 2:09 PM

Windows XP Home. I would like to control access to certain folders so that other users can't access them. Is there either:

A. A way as administrator to hide the folders, and then somehow prevent other users from accessing the "Show hidden files and folders" option in explorer:

B. A FREE utility to control access to folders. I have searched and searched, but I can't find any completely free ones.

Thank you!

Note: I have found many good shareware utilities, but they are not free, and I'm not going to pay $30 for a simple utility. Most of them are like 400k in size anyway.

Also, note that this is XP Home, and thus the access control is crippled.

Thanks again.

posted by eas98 to Computers & Internet (8 answers total)

Wow. I can't believe ACLs are disabled on XP home. Are you sure about that? In a window, Under Tools - > Folder Options -> View -> Simple file sharing (if it is there, unchecked)?

If, indeed, you can't do security on XP home, that sucks major ass, and reading this seems to support that. Wow. That blows. I'm sure someone else will wander along here in a minute with help...
posted by pissfactory at 2:52 PM on August 5, 2004

I don't know squat about XP "Home", but I'm assuming you're using NTFS but have a crippled Windows UI without the Security explorer pane. If that's so, try CACLS to set NTFS ACLs.
posted by majick at 2:53 PM on August 5, 2004

This porn that you're hiding -- it vibrates?
posted by Sinner at 4:07 PM on August 5, 2004

Why not install XP Pro?
posted by azazello at 5:31 PM on August 5, 2004

If it's non-OS stuff you can put the folder inside your documents folder, go to the folder's properties, sharing tab, and select "make this folder private".
posted by donth at 5:42 PM on August 5, 2004

It's one of the big stupid things about XP home. Simple file sharing is all you get. However, any folder under "documents and settings/your usename" can be made private the way donth mentions, not just folders in the documents folder.
posted by Nothing at 12:39 AM on August 6, 2004

Response by poster: Thanks for the replies.

XP Pro is not an option, because I don't feel like shelling out the $$ for it.

I can't put everything I want to hide under my own folders since many of them are on other drives.

Any other ideas?
posted by eas98 at 9:21 AM on August 6, 2004

It'll be clumbsy but you could encrypt with PGP disk or similiar. Depending on the nature of the data and the savvy of the people your trying to deny you could even just zip the folders up with zero compression and apply a password to the archive. WindowsXP can read zips natively and with no compression you won't be taking much of a performance hit.
posted by Mitheral at 12:12 PM on August 6, 2004