Hello,

I would like to be able to prevent my girlfriend from going through
the hard drives on my computer.  She tends to snoop around in files,
which she has no business in.  Is it possible for me to 'disallow' her
user acct from being able to access specific drives on my system?

I?ve tried hiding the drive using a reg edit but she?s no dummy and
found the drive about two days later.

I understand that if she wants to she could just borrow the drive when
I?m not around and plug it into another computer to snoop through it,
but she?s prolly too lazy to go through all of the work that it would
take to yank the drive.

Technical info:
I have windows XP home.  She has her own limited account on my
computer.  I would like to avoid file encryption as the drive I?m
trying to limit her access to is an external drive which I take with
me on business trips.

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Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 22 Nov 2005 22:11 PST

jlj4774...

Have a look at this answer I recently provided, and let me
know if the solution I suggested there would work for you:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=592345

sublime1-ga

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Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 10 Dec 2005 14:50 PST

jlj4774...

I just happened to take note of your comment as I was browsing
older questions. I don't receive email notification when you
post a comment...only when you post a Clarification.

A user's guide on this topic is on skermit-ga's site, here: 
http://www.christopherwu.net/google_answers/answer_guide.html#how_clarify

Yes, the solution I referred you to will work on Windows XP.

Have you tried it? Did it work? Shall I post a formal answer?

sublime1-ga

Hmmm.. Sounds as if you've something to hide.  Relationships are built
on TRUST, does she have some reason to distrust you, or you her?

I'd cancel the relationship at this point if you do not have the
boundaries of Trust set up....

Clint

Clint,

I work in healthcare...  I don't want her to stumble upon someone's PHI.

sublime1-ga-

Would your solution work with windows XP home edition?

If I understand your other article I can restrict access to the drive
from just her account and any other user accounts I choose is this
correct?

I'd would encrypt the files, because there's really no way to keep her
out.  If she has physical access to your machine, she can get in as an
administrator no matter what.

Something like this will keep her out for good:

http://www.pgp.com/products/wholediskencryption/index.html

Where are the files located?

I've found that when you put files into the folder "My Documents" on
an account with a password that other accounts are unable to into
them.

I've heard of hackers using programs to create invisible folders
(which are truely invisible, they do not appear when you say view
hidden files) for example at
C:\this_folder_is_hidden_and_you_cant_find_it .  The only way for
someone to get into the folder is to type the exact folder name into
run.  THey even can change the amount of the hard drive that is
available to make it appear that there is nothing there.  I have NO
clue how to get these programs or what they are called.  I have just
seen people refer to them in forums and stuff.  If I were you I would
just explain to her that it is illegal for her to look into the files
so she shouldn't.  I agree that if you can't trust her not to do as
you ask then you may not be in a great relationship -- but I dont
really know what I'm talking about so I will just stop.

benwhitey-

thanks for your input, I really mean it.  Thanks.

Hi,

You should use the freeware Folderaccess to protect confidential Files
and Folders. The Tool is easy to use.

After installing it, there is a builtin Option in Windows Explorer named:

Lock or unlock Folder/File.

Hope it will Help.

Ciao
Kazim