I just got a new computer and I attached my harddrive to it. This is my first computer with spotlight. To my horror when I search in spotlight it shows all of my personal files on the harddrive. How do I stop this. I see that I can prevent searching of the hard drive but I would have to set that up on each user and they would be able to turn it off, not to mention that they would like to search there own files on the hard drive. How do I protect my sensitive information.
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Hiding my personal files
- Thread starter davidwes
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Where are your personal files? On the external drive or on the internal drive? Other users cannot see anything inside a sub-folder of your user directory. So if you throw things in there, they will not be able to spotlight them. If the external drive is an issue, I'm pretty sure spotlight can be disabled for it in a way that works for all users automatically. Depending on your drive's setup, some different options are reviewed here.
I do keep them on the external drive. I put the hard drive on my privacy list, but can other users (admins as well) take that off? Is there a way to make a private user folder on the external harddrive. So that people can't even go into those folders manually?
Did you look at the link I provided?
If you really need privacy, your best bet is to create an encrypted disk image using Disk Utility. You then mount it (passwording in), and it appears as another drive in Finder. You save files "on" it and eject it when you're done. The file (wherever it is, internal or external) is secure and not subject to access of any kind by anyone who does not know the password.
for my porn, i do the following:
go to disk utility
file - new blank disk image
give it a name, choose a size or choose 'sparse disk image' which will grow as you add stuff to it
choose 128 bit encryption
make it and select a password
to use it, just mount it, enter your password and do what you will.
and i dont really use it for porn. i use it for.... uhm...... other stuff.
go to disk utility
file - new blank disk image
give it a name, choose a size or choose 'sparse disk image' which will grow as you add stuff to it
choose 128 bit encryption
make it and select a password
to use it, just mount it, enter your password and do what you will.
and i dont really use it for porn. i use it for.... uhm...... other stuff.
Open "Disk Utility", go to File, then New->, Blank Image From Disc...,
choose the size (make it large enough to hold all your files and all the files you think you will put in it in the future), name, location (on your ext. HD), and change encryption to AES-128. It will then ask you for password. Give it one, and remember it!
The disc image will attach itself (kinda like your ext. HD). Simply drag any personal files into this volume. When you are done, eject the volume and your files will be password protected. Always remember to eject it! To mount the volume again, just double-click the file's icon.
choose the size (make it large enough to hold all your files and all the files you think you will put in it in the future), name, location (on your ext. HD), and change encryption to AES-128. It will then ask you for password. Give it one, and remember it!
The disc image will attach itself (kinda like your ext. HD). Simply drag any personal files into this volume. When you are done, eject the volume and your files will be password protected. Always remember to eject it! To mount the volume again, just double-click the file's icon.