Creating a Private Folder

[jgbhardy]

Ok so i was searching around on Google trying to find a way of creating a private folder, all I found was articles saying that you had to create a disk image of a folder, the only problem is that the whole password system wouldn't always work.

So I thought of a better way, what you do is with the folder you wish to create private open the Get Info panel. Then open the Sharing & Permissions panel, enter your user password if prompted, turn all of them to drop box only, then click the lock, users will now only be able to view this folder if they unlock the panel with your user password and then change the style.

Hope this helps people who have been searching for something like this and that no one has posted something like this before, if so sorry but all the things i found before were useless.

 

[r.j.s]

But if they know your user password, it defeats the purpose. Encrypted dmgs are the best way to go.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Mac OS X: How to create a password-protected (encrypted) disk image

 

[jgbhardy]

Kids

This is mainly to just stop people wondering into folders if you are letting them use your computer for a while, if someone has stolen the computer and knows the password then yes an encrypted DMG is better. But this is say for family or friend use. Best to use File vault instead in the other case.

 

[r.j.s]

Mac OS X: How to create a password-protected (encrypted) disk image

And in video form

 

[jgbhardy]

Mac OS X: How to create a password-protected (encrypted) disk image

Did you not read the first part saying that I read those and found them quite insufficient!

 

[r.j.s]

This is mainly to just stop people wondering into folders if you are letting them use your computer for a while, if someone has stolen the computer and knows the password then yes an encrypted DMG is better. But this is say for family or friend use. Best to use File vault instead in the other case.

I'd much rather type a password than change the permissions every time I want to access the folder contents.

 

[jgbhardy]

I'd much rather type a password than change the permissions every time I want to access the folder contents.

I read in those articles that it did not always ask for the password, that once you log in you could always access it. If you have a friend using it then well its not going to be secured.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Did you not read the first part saying that I read those and found them quite insufficient!

I read that, but this is the only easy and third party free option. If you find this insufficient, then I fear there's nothing that will be sufficient...

And it will always ask for your password, as long as you don't check the "remember password" check box...

 

[r.j.s]

I read in those articles that it did not always ask for the password, that once you log in you could always access it. If you have a friend using it then well its not going to be secured.

And it will always ask for your password, as long as you don't check the "remember password" check box...

Exactly, just uncheck the "Remember password in Keychain" box and you'll be fine - once the disk is ejected, it's locked. I have no idea why that is checked by default.

 

[jgbhardy]

Exactly, just uncheck the "Remember password in Keychain" box and you'll be fine - once the disk is ejected, it's locked. I have no idea why that is checked by default.

Ok thanks the articles didn't specify that before, but also I don't like the idea of having the folder i want to access as a removable drive, I'd rather have it as a folder just because that's how I want documents stored. It seems to weird to have them stored as a DMG.
Thanks anyway was just posting as an alternative if anyone wished to use that way as well.

Also it could be used for the space conscious user, as I just used it on a folder with 24KB of usage, now 10.2MB for the DMG. And it will make copies of it and extra versions, which sure easy to delete, but its a lot quicker to set up the drop box, especially with the time it takes to encrypt even on 128.

 

[r.j.s]

Also it could be used for the space conscious user, as I just used it on a folder with 24KB of usage, now 10.2MB for the DMG. And it will make copies of it and extra versions, which sure easy to delete but its a lot quicker to set up too, especially with the time it takes to encrypt even on 128.

Yes, there is some overhead to a dmg. I don't know what you mean by extra versions. If you make it sparse to a large size, you shouldn't run out of room.

 

[angelwatt]

Since it's just friends and family you're worried about. Make use of the guest account or create a different account for them so they don't have to use your account and you don't have to worry about hiding things.

 

[jgbhardy]

Yes, there is some overhead to a dmg. I don't know what you mean by extra versions. If you make it sparse to a large size, you shouldn't run out of room.

Reading the article again people are talking about having to make it larger with restrictions being on the DMG etc, its sounding to complicated. With this method you can keep the original file, and even make whole system files private to stop anyone deleting or accessing the system files.

Since it's just friends and family you're worried about. Make use of the guest account or create a different account for them so they don't have to use your account and you don't have to worry about hiding things.

A lot of the time when a friend is using it, it will be so that they can have a look at say my newest photo's or documents creating a guest account wouldn't help.

 

[r.j.s]

Reading the article again people are talking about having to make it larger with restrictions being on the DMG etc, its sounding to complicated. With this method you can keep the original file, and even make whole system files private to stop anyone deleting or accessing the system files.

I'd be careful doing that. Modifying those files could lock the system out as well.

 

[jgbhardy]

I'd be careful doing that. Modifying those files could lock the system out as well.

Remember you do get the option for system as well, so as long as you don't change the system one its fine just change the user.

 

[Melrose]

TrueCrypt. Free. It's something like CIA/KGB/NSA/Eetc-level security or whatnot. Mounts in a flash too.

 

[Jethryn Freyman]

I read in those articles that it did not always ask for the password, that once you log in you could always access it. If you have a friend using it then well its not going to be secured.

It won't ask you for the password if you store the password in the keychain. When creating the disk image, or opening it, make sure you don't check the "store password in keychain" option.

 

[r.j.s]

It won't ask you for the password if you store the password in the keychain. When creating the disk image, or opening it, make sure you don't check the "store password in keychain" option.

Way to mattscott and not read the thread. That was covered in the two posts immediately following the one you quoted.

 

[m.-alex]

??? what is slower?

ok i just watched that video on password protected DMG.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjB3w1mXaeQ

at time 2:25 it says that 256 bit encryption will slower the performance...

the performance of what ??

I'm a musician & I mostly use audio applications (like protools or kontact).

I say this because I want to use an encrypted DMG to store a private sound bank that I will use for streaming my audio samples. Is this a bad idea ? Will my streaming be slower because I use a DMG as a soundbank?

thx

 

[r.j.s]

the performance of what ??

Mounting/ejecting the image mostly.

For what you are using it for, it shouldn't be an issue.