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ppmb

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setting up personal password

What are the correct steps to set up a password to login to Win98 so that no one else can read/edit/delete my files. I have tried the password from the control panel. However, I think I must have missed some steps or done something wrong and if I dont login to win98 (click on cancel from the login prompt), I still can read all the files!
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bartsmit

Windows 98 does not have real security.
You can patch a few holes (like the default user' priviliges) with the Policy Editor but you can't get real security if your machine has a diskette <g>

The easiest way to protect your files is to encrypt them. try http://www.pgpi.org/cgi/download-wizard.cgi
PGP will keep them secret from anybody, even the NSA.

Note that encryption is illegal in some countries.
You can download a program where you can store Data files in a folder where it is password protected but as bartsmit pointed out this is not a feature of Win98 (Password protection of files) You will need third party software to do what you want
Sorry rayt333, PGP is not an encrypted file system. It transforms a file to an encrypted (and compressed) copy. The original file is (optionally) wiped securely. The encrypted file can be mailed, copied to diskette or transferred across the network.

ppmb, forgot to mention that PGP is free for personal use.
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MATTCEI

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Damn it! I thought, from reading the rest of the answers that I was gonna get these points,,,,Mattcei is right ppmb, doing it this way, no one can even start the PC without this password unless of course they remove the cover and clear the cmos, so if you're really worried you can buy case locks that will make this very hard for someone to do........also, write the password down and out it in a very safe place 'cause without it you won't be able to start the pc..........

Jatcan
If you only want to protect a couple of folders from other users of the PC you can download FOLDER Guard from: http://www.winability.com/

and for about $50.00 you can register it.

Jatcan

Go here and find a software which you want :
www.winfiles.cnet.com/apps/98/access-control.html
ppmb only wants to protect some files, *and* he has looked at multiple logins.

It seems therefore that he needs other people to use the machine and has to give them the CMOS password anyway.

PGP offers the best protection hands down and is free for personal use. Please post links to other software with 4096-bit encryption if you don't agree.

ppmb, over to you?
Never used PgP to be quite honest, I paid the $20.00 to register blowfish advanced a long time ago,,anyway here's another free one that uses the blowfish algorithym which, I beleive, is one of the most powerful encryption algorithym's there is.....

http://www.pcguardian.com/folders_download.html


although in fairness I have heard many people talk about PgP as being pretty damn good!



Jatcan
ppmb ???
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Well, for the emergency use of the computer, I activated the password prompt from the BIOS menu. I will try downloading some shareware programs to enhance security in other area after booting up the computer! So I have to give credit to Mattcei since he was the earliest one to suggest using the password prompt from the BIOS menu!