Xref: utzoo comp.sys.ibm.pc:48550 alt.msdos.programmer:1489 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!samsung!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!xanth!rlb From: rlb@cs.odu.edu (Robert L. Bailey) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,alt.msdos.programmer Subject: Re: Hiding/Protecting Directories Message-ID: <12197@xanth.cs.odu.edu> Date: 14 Apr 90 03:20:18 GMT References: <1990Apr13.173945.15786@dvinci.usask.ca> Reply-To: rlb@cs.odu.edu (Robert L. Bailey) Followup-To: comp.sys.ibm.pc Distribution: na Organization: Old Dominion University, Norfolk Va. Lines: 27 In article <1990Apr13.173945.15786@dvinci.usask.ca> reeves@dvinci.usask.ca (Malcolm Reeves) writes: >From article , by deen@topaz.rutgers.edu (Cinnamon Raisin): >> >> Does anyone know of a way of passowrd protecting a directory and >> it's contents? >> >A simple but fairly effective method is the make the first character in the >directory name ASCII 127. This is the delete/backspace character and makes >the directory invisible and difficult to "cd" to on the command line. If >you make all the files read only you should be fairly well protected from >accidental deletion. There is no way to protect from malicious deletion by >someone who knows their way around ms-dos - like your friendly computer lab >manager :-) There is a shareware/PD program that uses the delete character trick. It is called SECRET.ARC. It includes 3 programs: SECRETMD - to make a dir SECRETCD - to change to a secret dir SECRETRD - to remove a secret dir It is available on many BBSs. If you get it, and keep the programs on diskette, it will keep the casual user from getting at your files, but, as stated above, someone that really knows his stuff can still get at the files (or someone with a good utility set like Norton). The directories created with this program are created with the hidden attribute, so they are not visible unless something like Nortons is used.