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View Full Version : how to password protect a folder on a USB key?


avlena
03-16-2006, 11:15 AM
I have a USB key that gets passed around at work often. It has a personal folder on it - is there a way that I can password protect this folder? I trust people not to go in it, but I'd feel safer knowing they couldn't.

TIA!
hapoo
03-16-2006, 11:39 AM
you could always compress it using zip/rar with a password and encrypt it that way
InfiniteNothing
03-16-2006, 11:55 AM
There are USB drives that have password protecting parts of it as a capability.
This one for example:http://www.surpluscomputers.com/store/main.aspx?p=ItemDetail&item=DRV10775
mcs328
03-16-2006, 12:15 PM
My sandisk cruzer micro comes with one when I bought it. Why is everyone sharing this usb key? You can't have your own? Amazon has a 2gig one for 60 bucks AR. I've been able to password protect my excel files but not folders.
avlena
03-16-2006, 02:08 PM
My sandisk cruzer micro comes with one when I bought it. Why is everyone sharing this usb key? You can't have your own? Amazon has a 2gig one for 60 bucks AR. I've been able to password protect my excel files but not folders.

it is my personal USB key. Work doesn't provide keys for everyone, and I share a lot of data this way when working with others in a lab. :shrug: just easier. I suppose I could always keep a seperate personal key, but that's a pain and I'd rather just use this one for everything.
mcs328
03-16-2006, 02:16 PM
Ah I see. I had the same concern when we were moving documents from client to HQ and I offered my USB key to transfer the data over because floppies were not big enough and we couldn't pass the information through VPN or gmailing it.
attgig
03-16-2006, 02:56 PM
if you're running windows xp professional (or perhaps 2kpro), and everyone has their own separate login credentials, you should be able to set the security on the directory to only you.

rightclick the directory->properties->security

deny everyone except yourself.

the only problem is, if you use it somewhere else (home computer), you have to have the same exact login credentials as work. it can get kinda confusing.
hapoo
03-16-2006, 05:06 PM
http://www.truecrypt.org/
MikeD
03-16-2006, 05:39 PM
http://www.truecrypt.org/

Nice! :thumbup: