Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!bellcore!rutgers!att!whuts!mhuxh!mhuxu!jmj
From: jmj@mhuxu.UUCP (J. M. Johnson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Protecting directories from peeping eyes (how???)
Keywords: PROTECT DIRECTORIES
Message-ID: <8798@mhuxu.UUCP>
Date: 6 Dec 88 13:21:27 GMT
References: <46@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU>
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 33

In article <46@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU>, greggt@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Gregg Thompson) writes:
> 	I am in need of protecting directories from being read by "normal"
> means.  I need it so that ncd and other dos directory utility programs
> won't acknowledge the directory.  Or something that will password the
> directory so that nothing can get to it unless some sort of password is
> given to unprotect it.

     There are a couple of things you could do to make it damned difficult
for any novice to poke around in your directory.

     1) When you create the directory add a special character or two.
        This is done by holding the ALT key and typing the decimal
        equivalent for a character on the keypad.  Try it with a letter
        first.

     2) Set the hidden bit in the file attributes for the directory.  There
        are many PD programs that can do this.

Directories hidden this way can still be detected and opened with some
difficulty.  Using CHKDSK /V will reveal the directory name and if you
redirect this command to a file and dump the hex codes to another file or
the screen, you can view the special character/characters used in the name.

Most people would never figure all this out so your directory would probably
be fairly safe hiding it this way.

Remember, anytime you want to access the directory you have to enter the
special character/characters on the keypad while you type in the name.

-- 
       Life's just a game, you fly a paper plane, there is no end. - TBA

J. M. Johnson, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Reading, PA            ...!att!mhuxu!jmj