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Hiding Files

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With WindowsXP your hopes of hiding those types of files in a folder with the hidden attribute will still get you caught. I do PC consulting work for DuPont and I catch a lot of people that have some indecent type stuff on their computer. The iron part is all you have to do is go to Start ---> Search ----> Movies and Pictures ----> Search Bingo! All over your screen.

The best method would be to rename the file and use a different extention and then store it in some directory... Pretty much no one would be able to figure it out unless they were specifically looking for that type of information.

But I will propose an even safer method... It is simple really, it is called. Don't download and look at the stuff 😛 -- Problem solved.
 
Here ya go:
1) Create another administrator-level account.
2) Set the file permissions on the folders to be hidden so that ONLY that administrator account can access them.
3) And the usual, set their attribute to "hidden"
Now granted, your usual account won't have access to them, but since you are an administrator, you can still change the permissions to view them. This little trick prevents a standard file search from browsing through those folders and returning "odd" results.

Now, as for actually totally concealing the folders from view...well, some folder hiding utility like was linked, perhaps. I know it's possible to do through registry entries - a variant of an evil piece of spyware, CoolWebSearch, employs hidden registry entries that instruct Windows Explorer to hide the files responsible for spawning new CWS files. So I'm sure it can be done - the source code for CWS just isn't freely available online though. 😉
 
Originally posted by: Jeff7
Here ya go:
1) Create another administrator-level account.
2) Set the file permissions on the folders to be hidden so that ONLY that administrator account can access them.
3) And the usual, set their attribute to "hidden"
Now granted, your usual account won't have access to them, but since you are an administrator, you can still change the permissions to view them. This little trick prevents a standard file search from browsing through those folders and returning "odd" results.

Now, as for actually totally concealing the folders from view...well, some folder hiding utility like was linked, perhaps. I know it's possible to do through registry entries - a variant of an evil piece of spyware, CoolWebSearch, employs hidden registry entries that instruct Windows Explorer to hide the files responsible for spawning new CWS files. So I'm sure it can be done - the source code for CWS just isn't freely available online though. 😉
Click to expand...

this works until the files get fragmented, then they show up as being fragmented files in the report when you analyze the disk, from either account.
 
Delete your windows folder, that resets your file/folder settings and gives you a right-click option to hide any file!

The less painful route of course is to stop looking at things you shouldn't be looking at.
 
make a hidden folder with a password protected .rar inside. 😛
make sure you encrypt the file names.

attrib pron +h to hide it

attrib pron -h to unhide it
 
Originally posted by: BW86
make a hidden folder with a password protected .rar inside. 😛
make sure you encrypt the file names.

attrib pron +h to hide it

attrib pron -h to unhide it
Click to expand...

You are talking to a child who is trying to hide his sins from the people who own his space. Do you think he understood what you just wrote?
 
this works until the files get fragmented, then they show up as being fragmented files in the report when you analyze the disk, from either account.
Click to expand...

True, but then again, my method is really only effective against your average user. To really hide files, you'd need to either deceive the other person about the initial size of the hard drive, or else just don't store the files on the computer at all. If someone knows the size of the drive, and adds up the space used and the free space, there will be a gap - that gap consists of the files that Windows can't see due to denied file access permissions. And that will spawn a little investigation into the matter.

My point there is, how many casual users 1) Defragment in the first place, or 2) really look close at the defragmentation details.
I wonder too, if System does not have permission to view the files, and neither does the current administrator account, will defrag even be able to see the files?
 
yeah,

that works good, but it think its good for those who aren't total pervs. like if you have 10 files or something you can rename the extensions easily, and putting it in an ambiguous folder won't attract attention. but i think he probably has lots of it. not so easy I think.


Originally posted by: AMCRambler
Stick it in a directory that looks pretty ambiguous, rename the files to gibberish with a strange extension or no extension at all. If they get clicked they won't open. They'd have to drag and drop the file into the player or editor or browse to it from the program to actually open it, not gonna happen. Worked for me. Of course my dad was dumb and always left whatever he was looking at in the my documents list, lol. I lost count the number of times my mom clicked something in there and started screaming for me to delete his crap!
Click to expand...

 
yeah thats good but someone will know somethings up when they see a huge encrypted directory. and these days, people assume it would be pron. there is so much pron going around, i know if i saw a couple hundred megs or a gig of encrypted stuff i'd know its pron, unless the person could prove otherwise.

Originally posted by: BladeVenom
Use file encryption software. Try something like TrueCrypt and create an encrypted partition.
Click to expand...

 
You encrypt the whole drive, or partition and Windows will think it's unformatted.

Using a second hard drive, he could just unplug it when he's not using it, so unless someone looks inside his PC case they won't even know it's there. Or use an external hard drive.
 
sounds like experience talking. good ideas.:thumbsup:



Originally posted by: BladeVenom
You encrypt the whole drive, or partition and Windows will think it's unformatted.

Using a second hard drive, he could just unplug it when he's not using it, so unless someone looks inside his PC case they won't even know it's there. Or use an external hard drive.
Click to expand...

 
You could do what a friend of mine does (ahem). Put it on it's own partition then hide the partition following the directions here.

Just use the run command to open the hidden drive.
 
Originally posted by: necine
LOL

Man, what I did was just went into some Windows or Program Directory. I made a shitload of folders. A...B...C and then each of the folders had a subfolder, and each of those folders had a subfolder. I'd make it spell something, for kicks. Anyways, all of the folders were hidden as well and no one ever found my stash.
Click to expand...

A quick search will turn that stuff up. Imagine if someone installed Google Desktop Search or Yahoo Desktop Search on that machine.
 
Originally posted by: Malak
Delete your windows folder, that resets your file/folder settings and gives you a right-click option to hide any file!

The less painful route of course is to stop looking at things you shouldn't be looking at.
Click to expand...

Yeah right, and finding the results of nocturnal emissions on his underwear in the morning is so much less painful.
 
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