Secure Windows and Hard drives

TheHeartSmasherTheHeartSmasher
edited June 2005 in Science & Tech
I have an administrators password set on windows XP pro, but I wanted to know if there was a way to protect my hardrive from being repartitioned, reformated, or erased. I have also heard that there is a way to protect my folders and files(with a password to keep it from being editied,viewed, or deleted)

Comments

  • QCHQCH Ancient Guru Chicago Area - USA Icrontian
    edited June 2005
    As we say in the enterprise/ Corporate world... You can secure a system like fort Knox, but any system can be compromised if the culprit has total unfettered physical access to the system.

    So, in other words... there really is no way to TOTALLY prevent someone from repartitioning/ deleting/ reformatted. You can setup a BIOS password that requires a user to enter a password when the system first starts, but unless the case is locked down and the case is not able to be opened, a user could simply reset the BIOS and wipe the BIOS password.

    As for the Administrator password. Any LOCAL account password can be "reset" via a bootable Linux tool. Any files not encrypted will be readable by any administrator level user. Encrypting your files is great unless you lose the "password/ key" to the files.

    The only way to ensure that your data is safe is to install a removable hard drive bay and remove the hard drive every time you are not at the system. Then lock the hard drive up. This, of course, will increase the odds that the hard drive will fail from the continuous jarring while removing.

    Did this help any?
  • TheHeartSmasherTheHeartSmasher
    edited June 2005
    A little, but I know there is some way to password protect folders and files, I have some of my important stuff encrypted but I don't know how to password protect it.

    Or to password protect the harddrive from being reformatted, or erased.
  • QCHQCH Ancient Guru Chicago Area - USA Icrontian
    edited June 2005
    As long as you have your partitions NTFS (not FAT32), you can right click on the folder, properties, advanced button, and click "Encrypt contents to secure data". That encrypts that folder and you will be prompted to force every child folder also....

    Again.... There is NO way that I am aware of that can "password protect" a hard drive... Any drive can be reformatted/ erased.
  • TheHeartSmasherTheHeartSmasher
    edited June 2005
    What about password protected the encrypted files and what exactly happens when you encrypt them.

    I have some files encrypted but what security does that add for me.
  • QCHQCH Ancient Guru Chicago Area - USA Icrontian
    edited June 2005
    When you encrypt the files, you tie them to your login account. As in, even if someone is able to see the files they cannot open them/ read them without logging in as you. Your password is directly tied into the encryption of the files. Another person with administrator rights can see the files but cannot read them. However, if you have to reset your password (not through WinXP, say, manually with a Linux reset CD), all your files that were encrypted would be un-openable for you too....

    Do you share your logon with anybody (windows account)?
  • TheHeartSmasherTheHeartSmasher
    edited June 2005
    Nope
  • TheHeartSmasherTheHeartSmasher
    edited June 2005
    I turned on the guess account really quick and...

    when I view my encrypted files with the guest account it is very easy to read and open all of the encrypted files why is this I thought they would be password protected or at least secure.
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