YzRiDa
asked on
Encyrption Option on Win Xp Pro
Hi, can someone explain to me what this encrytion option does. You get to this option by right clicking a folder or file and pressing advanced and encrypt. I think that it just encrypts it so that only the user encrypting it can read the file. Is this true? Any other information on this? Also another question, I created a reset floppy disk for xp but i dont want to use the option anymore. How do i turn it off? If i type in the wrong password it says you can reset your password with the disk. I want to turn this feature off how would i do it. Thanks
encrytion works sort of like you said. The thing is that the file or folder is encrypted with your logon password and as long as you are logged in if someone would set at your machine while you are still logged in they would have access to those files and folders. Now when another user logs in under their user name then they won't have access to those file or folders.
Quoted from this link
http://www.surasoft.com/tut/xpefs.htm
To make use of EFS you have to make use of “users” on WindowsXP. Each user that uses WindowsXP should have their own user account and it should be password protected. When a user encrypts their data, it is accessible only from their account. Other users have no access to this data as it is encrypted. It’s important to emphases that when Person A is logged in then person A has access to their encrypted data just like they have access to any other file on their system. Therefore when you are away from your system it is vitally important you “lock” your workstation else anyone has access to your data. This is why you should password your account which stops others from logging in and accessing your data. EFS is useless without a password protected account.
http://www.surasoft.com/tut/xpefs.htm
To make use of EFS you have to make use of “users” on WindowsXP. Each user that uses WindowsXP should have their own user account and it should be password protected. When a user encrypts their data, it is accessible only from their account. Other users have no access to this data as it is encrypted. It’s important to emphases that when Person A is logged in then person A has access to their encrypted data just like they have access to any other file on their system. Therefore when you are away from your system it is vitally important you “lock” your workstation else anyone has access to your data. This is why you should password your account which stops others from logging in and accessing your data. EFS is useless without a password protected account.
ASKER
Thanks for the help. I want to ask two other questions i wont bother making another post and take up space. 1. How do i set my xp pro to automatically goto the log on screen when im idle for a certain amount of time. My friends computer will automatically go back to the log on screen and keep him logged on but to get back on hes gotta either log back into his account (still running) or sign on as another user. 2. How do i turn password reset disk off?
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You can put this command in a .bat file and run the file to lock the computer
RUNDLL32 USER32.DLL,LockWorkStation
RUNDLL32 USER32.DLL,LockWorkStation
Yeah actually you can use that batch file and use it with the Task Scheduler and schedule to task to run when the system has been idle for what ever length of time you desire
ASKER
ok i made a bat with that command and it works when i run it. only problem is, is that i dont think with the task scheduler you cant schedule for it to run a program after a certain amount of time you have been idle. Correct me if im wrong. Is their any other way to do this besides this because my friends computer came like that where it goes to the login screen in a certain amount of time.
Go to Control Panel > Task Scheduler
Right click on the Task and select Properties
Click on the Schedule tab
In the box labled Scheduled Tasks: scroll down until you find "When idle"
Then set the Idle time
Right click on the Task and select Properties
Click on the Schedule tab
In the box labled Scheduled Tasks: scroll down until you find "When idle"
Then set the Idle time
Windows logo key+L Lock the computer
YzRiDa any thing to report
HOW TO: Encrypt a Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308989
HOW TO: Encrypt a File in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307877
Best Practices for Encrypting File System
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;223316
http://www.winforums.org/viewthread.php?tid=772
http://www.surasoft.com/tut/xpefs.htm
http://lists.isb.sdnpk.org/pipermail/comp-list/2002-August/001214.html
http://www.compulink.co.uk/~davedorn/computing/windows/xpencrypt1.htm