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From: dsew@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (David Sewell)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.misc
Subject: Hiding a DOS drive
Message-ID: <9461@ur-cc.UUCP>
Date: 12 Sep 90 00:29:42 GMT
Sender: dsew@uhura.cc.rochester.edu
Organization: University of Rochester, Rochester NY
Lines: 28


    I'm about to start sharing my office computer with another user.
I have a hard disk with two partitions, C: and D:.  I would like to
make the D: drive invisible or inaccessible to the sharee because it
contains personal data and files.  Since the sharee is not a
DOS-sophisticated person I thought it ought to be sufficient to
create the following batch file, give it a DOS-like name, store it
as a hidden file in a directory in my PATH, and put it in
AUTOEXEC.BAT:
              @ECHO OFF
              ATTR +H D:\*.* > NUL
              SUBST D: E:\
[where "attr" is a PC mag utility to change file attributes, in this
case to hidden, and where E:\ is a RAM disk, empty on bootup of
course].
    The SUBST command will fool my word processor and PC-Tools,
while hiding all the root files and directories on D: will make D:
look empty to Lotus Magellan (which ignores the SUBST redefinition).
All I have to do when I'm using the machine is reverse the two
commands to get my drive back.
    I'm aware that there are password-protect programs that will do
similar things, but I'd rather not make it obnoxiously obvious that
I'm locking something away (the sharee is also a personal friend).
    Does this hack seem good enough, or can anyone think of a simple
but more elegant way of hiding a drive?
----------------------
David Sewell, English Dep't, University of Rochester, New York USA 
dsew@uhura.cc.rochester.edu || dsew%uhura.cc.rochester.edu@uorvm.BITNET