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john_satc

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 14, 2005
398
0
B'ham Uk
Simple question but i am stuck ... how do you password protect a folder? i was able to with MS but duno how now.
thanks!
 

yellow

Moderator emeritus
Oct 21, 2003
16,018
6
Portland, OR

jsw

Moderator emeritus
Mar 16, 2004
22,910
44
Andover, MA
You cannot - unless you use a 3rd party product - pasword protect a folder. You can, however, change it's properties so that only you can access it (which would fail of people could access your desktop while you were away) or, better, use Disk Utility to create a new, encrypted folder which is extremely secure and which no one can open unless they have the password to decrypt the files.

I can give more details later.
 

jsw

Moderator emeritus
Mar 16, 2004
22,910
44
Andover, MA
Specific instructions for created an encrypted, password-protected folder:

  • Open Applications->Utilities->Disk Utility.
  • Click the "New Image" icon in the toolbar (or use Images->New...->Blank Image)
  • Fill in "Save as:" field with a name.
  • Select an appropriate size
  • Set the excryption to AES-128
  • Keep the format as "read/write disk image"
  • Click "Create"
  • You'll be prompted for a password - enter one
  • Very important: Unselect "Remember password (add to Keychain)" before clicking OK to set the password.

This creates the password-protected .dmg file. Double-click it to open it (supply the password, and don't opt to store it in your keychain, or else anyone in your account can open it). It then looks like a mounted disk image - drag things into/out of it. Eject it to return it to it's password-protected state.
 

Chaszmyr

macrumors 601
Aug 9, 2002
4,267
86
jsw said:
Specific instructions for created an encrypted, password-protected folder:

  • Open Applications->Utilities->Disk Utility.
  • Click the "New Image" icon in the toolbar (or use Images->New...->Blank Image)
  • Fill in "Save as:" field with a name.
  • Select an appropriate size
  • Set the excryption to AES-128
  • Keep the format as "read/write disk image"
  • Click "Create"
  • You'll be prompted for a password - enter one
  • Very important: Unselect "Remember password (add to Keychain)" before clicking OK to set the password.

This creates the password-protected .dmg file. Double-click it to open it (supply the password, and don't opt to store it in your keychain, or else anyone in your account can open it). It then looks like a mounted disk image - drag things into/out of it. Eject it to return it to it's password-protected state.

Great! Thanks :D
 

john_satc

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 14, 2005
398
0
B'ham Uk
jsw said:
Specific instructions for created an encrypted, password-protected folder:

  • Open Applications->Utilities->Disk Utility.
  • Click the "New Image" icon in the toolbar (or use Images->New...->Blank Image)
  • Fill in "Save as:" field with a name.
  • Select an appropriate size
  • Set the excryption to AES-128
  • Keep the format as "read/write disk image"
  • Click "Create"
  • You'll be prompted for a password - enter one
  • Very important: Unselect "Remember password (add to Keychain)" before clicking OK to set the password.

This creates the password-protected .dmg file. Double-click it to open it (supply the password, and don't opt to store it in your keychain, or else anyone in your account can open it). It then looks like a mounted disk image - drag things into/out of it. Eject it to return it to it's password-protected state.

Oh thanks loads! wonder why there isnt an option built in. anyway. cheers!
 

About2SwitchOvr

macrumors regular
Mar 22, 2004
150
0
Boston
"DEVICE BUSY"?

john_satc said:
Oh thanks loads! wonder why there isnt an option built in. anyway. cheers!


I followed these instructions exactly, and it says, "Device busy"
I wonder what that could mean? I'm not doing anything else... any help?
 

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