I am looking for an application that will password protect my USB drive, or at least folders on it. I am looking for one that does not need to be install on the host machine. I'm not looking for encryption, just passwording of folders and files on the drive.
Thanks
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Otherwise, how is the password applied and how is it protected?
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
You might be right. If you are I am still looking for a portable app that will allow me to lock out the drive, that doesn't need to be install ed on the host computer and is (hopefully) freeware/opensource.
Thanks
I would prefer TrueCrypt. I know, you don't want encryption. But TC has another advantage:
you can specify drive letter!
Most people just have 1 or 2 drives (C: / D:) and at least one DVD-/CD-ROM device. In most cases the other letters aren't in use (k,l,m,n,...). So you can mount TC Container on a rarely used drive letter. That prevents problems with exensions and themes. Just use the same drive letter each time.
I haven't found a tool for pass protection right now. Most aren't freeware or portable. I am continuing the search.
greetz Bulldash
i did hear of this program called cd-lock that can password protect drives (it was meant for cds but it theoretically works for any drive.) but this is not opensource or freeware. so that is a drag. it is not really encryption, it doesnt seem to have strong algorithms and it doesnt really protect files in the way encryption programs do, it just has a password you need to put to open the folder... not really a great program but it is the best i found for doing what you are trying to do...
The thing I don't like about TrueCrypt is that it requires administrator access to install the PC side driver. So I can run it at home but not at work. I've started using BCarchive which creates an password protected encryoted container file. It doesn't have a drive letter but works well enough for my needs.
www.jetico.com
I checked out the program you mentioned "BCarchive" and it looks really interesting. Can you explain further your setup and how it works for you? It would be nice to have a solution that does not require admin permissions. Thanks.
Actually I'm not using it very much right now after all as it just doesn't do what I want either. For what it does do it works very well though.
I have a number of individual files inside a bcarchive archive. In BCA it looks like a folder. You can double-click a file and it opens with the default application. You can drag and drop into an app, etc. Saving the file puts it directly back in the archive. They claim that if working directly from the archive the actual contents of the file is only in memory and never goes to the hard disk.
But there's no command line and you can't put a folder of, say, Firefox profile and have firefox find it since it's not seen by Explorer. You'd have to drag the folder to a "proper" location, run the app and then drag it back into the archive again when done.
The idea here https://portableapps.com/node/2605 looks interesting though I haven't had a chance to test it out.
My SanDisk Cruizer Mini came with an app, you can download it from the web site.
I've not tried it so I have no idea as to how well it works.
Thanks! I will take a look at it!
This seemed a good idea but it does not seem to work. The installer does not recognize my device or the drive letter and just running the app gives me invalid license errors and does not run.
Thanks though.
My Bored Mind
Sorry about that, as I say I don't use it.
Now I think about it, if anyone finds my USB key and plug it in they will have all of my passwords via my Firefox profile.
Maybe it's time to investigate these.
i also have a sandisk drive so it has the software preinstalled. it is ok but it is annoying how you can only encrypt files, not folders. things get disorganized fast.
by any chance have you found out a useful way to fix that.
also did you register? is it worth it....
Kingston DataTraveler Elite comes with TravelerSafe+ software which can create "Private" area (encrypted and password protected)
Embrace your dreams
Similar to the Kingston DataTraveler Elite the super fast Transcend USB JetFlash 110 Drives offer Private protected and Public areas.
Hello,
I wanted to do the same thing as you, I found this after some searching. The only catch is that you can only create a maximum of 25Mb of protected storage with the free version, but I use it for some private documents etc. Here is the url: http://www.cypherix.com/cryptainerle/mobile.htm
I have used it for some months and it works perfectly.
/aticatac
StorageCrypt 2 by Magiclab Software located at(www.magic2003.net/scrypt/index.htm) works great on USB Drives (Supported maximum storage capacity : 2048 GB) but unfortunately it is not free. It uses 128 bit AES encryption for maximum security and does not store the password on the removable device. Once encrypted, the removable drive can not be opened on any computer. StorageCrypt can work on public partition. You may take it to anywhere on the fly without the software installed on each machine .
I tried TrueCrypt and CryptainerLE to create encrypted volumes on a USB hard drive. One thing I noticed is that, if your encrypted drive is of a significant size, it takes quite a bit of time to open or close it. And it's writing the whole encrypted drive each time you close it, even if only 1 file was changed. Doesn't that wear a flash drive out that much sooner?
If I'm not mistaken, the nature of a USB drive prevents it from 'wearing out'. That is, the memory is solid state, not a magnetic or optical, so wear from changing data should be a minimal concern.
Not quite...my first USB device, a 256 Lexar Jumpdrive, lasted about 2 1/2 years under heavy usage. Eventually, it gave out.
This is something I've seen in a couple of different products with solid state in them, up to and including (who'd have thought?) my current clothes washer.
Believe it or not, hard disk drives are more robust--don't let the moving parts fool you. See, a typical Flash drive has a designated number of write cycles--usually around 100,000 (though some are rated for 1,000,000 writes)--and once an area of the disk has been written to more times than that, that area should theoretically no longer be able to be written to. Obviously, your mileage will vary.
This, plus the high price of Flash media compared to magnetic media, is why solid state memory is still not the primary storage medium in computers.
LockDisk will let you go up to 35 Mb with the free version.
Not sure if it is COMPLETELY portable. I installed it and put a copy of the program directory on my usb drive and unistallled the program. Still works when used from the USB drive. I even put the USB into another machine and it worked.
http://www.klonsoft.com/lockdisk/
Is there a program like TrueCrypt that does not require admin rights?
Basically, I am looking for the same end result: Protecting the drive from easy access. If I lose my drive in the street, it will most likely NOT be picked-up by a hacker, but by some commoner who will plug it in his computer, look at the programs and then format (read "delete everything") it if he/she doesn't see anything interresting. So my basic need is to hide the contents until a pwd has been entered or something similar. I don't want encryption as when I get to a couple hundred megs of e-mails, encrypting the Thunderbird profile is long, especially when you don't really need the encryption. I was looking for some app which would mess around with the FAT table or something similar to hide one/many folders. That would give instant results, but granted, would not be as secure.
Anyone know of this kind of app?
Just got it today. An AData FP1 Biometric Security 1 GB USB Flash Drive. It has an encryption tool as well, but it hides all the files from visibility without fingerprint or password access. Unfortunately, like TrueCrypt, it needs admin rights. It seems to mount as 2 drives. I has the access software, and it comes up as a CD drive, read-only. The other doesn't even mount unless you get access, and that's the rest of the flash drive. Useful for me, since I mostly work at home, friends, and a job where I'm the closest thing around to a network administrator, so I can give myself admin rights anywhere I need.
It is really too bad that all these need admin rights. You would think that the biometric engine would be in the drive and would prevent the drive from even answering to usb commands until the fingerprint was confirmed. That would make true security... The drive itself wouldn't even register on the computer until then... But I guess here is not the place to ponder these ideas...
So in the mean time, I'm still looking...
I am looking for the same thing you are huques. The requirement for admin permissions rules out use in many situations for me. As someone who travels I have to use "public access" computers which pretty much ensures no admin permissions. If you find anything please pass it along. In the meantime I am going to try and put together a similar setup as "lazyart" describes at:
https://portableapps.com/node/2605