greggt@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Gregg Thompson) (12/06/88)
I am in need of protecting directories from being read by "normal" means. I need it so that ncd and other dos directory utility programs won't acknowledge the directory. Or something that will password the directory so that nothing can get to it unless some sort of password is given to unprotect it. If enough responses I will sumarize to the net. GRegg Thompson -- To live is to die, to die is to live forever; GRegg Thompson Where will you spend eternity? greggt@vax1.cc.uakron.edu
spolsky-joel@CS.YALE.EDU (Joel Spolsky) (12/06/88)
In article <46@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU> greggt@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Gregg Thompson) writes: > > I am in need of protecting directories from being read by "normal" >means. I need it so that ncd and other dos directory utility programs >won't acknowledge the directory. Or something that will password the >directory so that nothing can get to it unless some sort of password is >given to unprotect it. Gregg, The only thing you can do with DOS is set the "hidden" bit. If this is set DIR won't list the directory, but it's still there. I think, though, that most DOS directory utilities will find it. In Turbo-C this is done as follows: _chmod("filename",FA_HIDDEN); and reversed by _chmod("filename",0); +----------------+----------------------------------------------------------+ | Joel Spolsky | bitnet: spolsky@yalecs.bitnet uucp: ...!yale!spolsky | | | internet: spolsky@cs.yale.edu voicenet: 203-436-1483 | +----------------+----------------------------------------------------------+ | #include <disclaimer.h> | | | | | | | | | \ \ \ \_|_/ / / / \_\_\_|_/_/_/ | | happy hannuka! _|_
jmj@mhuxu.UUCP (J. M. Johnson) (12/06/88)
In article <46@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU>, greggt@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Gregg Thompson) writes: > I am in need of protecting directories from being read by "normal" > means. I need it so that ncd and other dos directory utility programs > won't acknowledge the directory. Or something that will password the > directory so that nothing can get to it unless some sort of password is > given to unprotect it. There are a couple of things you could do to make it damned difficult for any novice to poke around in your directory. 1) When you create the directory add a special character or two. This is done by holding the ALT key and typing the decimal equivalent for a character on the keypad. Try it with a letter first. 2) Set the hidden bit in the file attributes for the directory. There are many PD programs that can do this. Directories hidden this way can still be detected and opened with some difficulty. Using CHKDSK /V will reveal the directory name and if you redirect this command to a file and dump the hex codes to another file or the screen, you can view the special character/characters used in the name. Most people would never figure all this out so your directory would probably be fairly safe hiding it this way. Remember, anytime you want to access the directory you have to enter the special character/characters on the keypad while you type in the name. -- Life's just a game, you fly a paper plane, there is no end. - TBA J. M. Johnson, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Reading, PA ...!att!mhuxu!jmj
nanook@novavax.UUCP (Keith Dickinson) (12/06/88)
in article <46@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU>, greggt@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Gregg Thompson) says: > > > I am in need of protecting directories from being read by "normal" > means. I need it so that ncd and other dos directory utility programs > won't acknowledge the directory. Or something that will password the > directory so that nothing can get to it unless some sort of password is > given to unprotect it. > If enough responses I will sumarize to the net. > > GRegg Thompson > > -- > To live is to die, to die is to live forever; GRegg Thompson > Where will you spend eternity? greggt@vax1.cc.uakron.edu Gregg, There is a simple way to do what you are asking. It's not passwording, but instead makes the directory "invisible" or hidden. You will need some program (such as norton utilities or something) that will allow you to edit the actual directory that your sub-directory is listed in. When you look at an actual file entry in the dirctory, the FIRST thing that is part of the 32 byte listing is the file name. If you count out from the first letter of the name to the 11th byte you will be able to change the file attributes for the directory. You _should_ see probably a 10(hex) in the position. 10H indicates that the file is a directory. By changing the bit-switches you can change the attributes of the file listing. Below is an list of the bit values and what they do: Bit Hex Dec What it Does ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0 1 1 Read only flag. 1 2 2 Hidden File... (set this bit for invisible entries!) 2 4 4 System file (can't be moved or opened!) 3 8 8 Entry is the Volume Label! 4 10 16 Entry is a sub directory. 5 20 32 Archive bit (flag for backup programs. no actual funct) 6 40 64 N/A (no use) 7 80 128 N/A (no use) If you had a directory entry and the value of the byte 11 was 10H (plain entry for a directory), you would set bit 1 (by adding 2 to it) making the entry 12H. This would make the directory entry a HIDDEN DIRECTORY. It wll NOT be viewed by most NORMAL DOS programs, but some (most actualy) utilities that show graphic trees tend to make the directory visible. Also a chkdsk/v will list the directory and it's contents during the run. If you have any more questions, please feel free to write! Keith Dickinson Nanook of the South ------- _ /| | Fidonet : 369/2 [(305) 421-8593] Brave Mew World South \'o.O' | Internet : nanook@muadib.FIDONET.ORG =(___)= | UUCP : (novavax,hoptoad!ankh)!muadib!nanook | nanook@novavax U | USNail : 433 SE 13th CT. J-202, Deerfield Beach, Fl. 33441 Ack! | Disclamer: This message was created by a faulty AI program. Don't blame me...I voted for Bill'n'Opus in '88
greggt@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Gregg Thompson) (12/07/88)
Hiding a directory doesn't solve the problem. Norton utility ncd will still see the directory even if it is hidden. I need something that will keep people from finding the directory even with norton and hiding the directory doesn't do it. Sorry guys. -- To live is to die, to die is to live forever; GRegg Thompson Where will you spend eternity? greggt@vax1.cc.uakron.edu
matt@nbires.nbi.com (Matthew Meighan) (12/07/88)
In article <48@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU> greggt@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Gregg Thompson) writes: > >Hiding a directory doesn't solve the problem. Norton utility ncd will still >see the directory even if it is hidden. I need something that will keep people >from finding the directory even with norton and hiding the directory doesn't >do it. Sorry guys. Another approach I have used, also not fool proof, is to put illegal characters in the directory name -- spaces are good; I can't remember if you can get backspaces in there or not. But somehow I got some invisible characters into directory names once (it's been a while) -- you might try ascii 255 (decimal), which prints as a space on the screen, as a trailing character in the directory name, and you might try some regular spaces, too. You can easily insert these characters into the name if you edit the directory directly with NU or debug or some such. This won't really give you what you want, either, but it would slow someone down a bit... -- --------- Matt Meighan "The eighties are the fifties in color." - Cowtown matt@nbires.nbi.com (nbires\!matt)
marc@rna.UUCP (Marc Johnson) (12/07/88)
In article <46@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU>, greggt@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Gregg Thompson) says:
]
]
] I am in need of protecting directories from being read by "normal"
] means. I need it so that ncd and other dos directory utility programs
] won't acknowledge the directory. Or something that will password the
] directory so that nothing can get to it unless some sort of password is
] given to unprotect it.
] If enough responses I will sumarize to the net.
]
] GRegg Thompson
]
I have seen a program called SecretDisk, which creates a completely hidden
logical drive on your hard disk, accessible only by "mounting" with a password.
It's extremely effective, as the disk (say, "D:") isn't even recognized by the
system if you haven't mounted it. By far the most effective scheme I've seen.
I'm afraid I don't know who makes it--try scanning BYTE or PC Mag.
You might also try using PKPAK/PKUNPAK with the password option. This will
allow you to encrypt whichever files you want, and optionally combine several
files into one archive. If you want to hide the very existence of files, this
won't do it. Combined with the earlier suggestions of hiding the directory,
it might be sufficient for your needs.
marc
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
= Marc Johnson BITNET: rna!marc@rockvax.bitnet =
= Rockefeller Univ. Neurobiology UUCP: ...cmcl2!rna!marc =
= New York City INTERNET: marc%rna@rocky2.rockefeller.edu =
= (129.85.2.1) =
= =
= "Gimme the beat boys and free my soul, I wanna get lost in your rock & roll =
= ...and drift away" =
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=Ralf.Brown@B.GP.CS.CMU.EDU (12/07/88)
In article <838@novavax.UUCP>, nanook@novavax.UUCP (Keith Dickinson) writes: }in article <46@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU>, greggt@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Gregg Thompson) says: }> I am in need of protecting directories from being read by "normal" }> means. I need it so that ncd and other dos directory utility programs }> won't acknowledge the directory. Or something that will password the } }Gregg, } There is a simple way to do what you are asking. It's not passwording, but } [hiding the directory]. Since most utilities will make the directory visible anyway, another possibility is to leave the directory in plain sight, but make it impossible to change to it without knowing the trick. Just type "MKDIR FOO " where the last "blank" is really an Alt-255. You could even put the directory in your path as the last entry without the Alt-255 being noticed. It does, however, show up with CHKDSK/V. -- UUCP: {ucbvax,harvard}!cs.cmu.edu!ralf -=-=-=- Voice: (412) 268-3053 (school) ARPA: ralf@cs.cmu.edu BIT: ralf%cs.cmu.edu@CMUCCVMA FIDO: Ralf Brown 1:129/31 Disclaimer? I |Ducharm's Axiom: If you view your problem closely enough claimed something?| you will recognize yourself as part of the problem.
brown@nicmad.UUCP (Vidiot (Vid-e-it)) (12/07/88)
In article <48@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU> greggt@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Gregg Thompson) writes:
<
<Hiding a directory doesn't solve the problem. Norton utility ncd will still
<see the directory even if it is hidden. I need something that will keep people
<from finding the directory even with norton and hiding the directory doesn't
<do it. Sorry guys.
If you want to hide a directory for Norton, you will even end up hiding it
from DOS. In this case you might as well remove the directory. In order
for DOS to be able to still use the directory to find things, I assume you
still want to be able to get at stuff there, all you can do is hide it.
Since DOS doesn't have Unix mode bits, you are kind-of-out-of-luck.
Also, you can NEVER hide anything from Norton's Utilities, since the user
can look at every sector on the hard/floppy disk and can do pattern searches.
With the tools that are out there, the only completely hidden directory is
one that doesn't exist in any form.
--
harvard-\ att--\
Vidiot ucbvax!uwvax!astroatc!nicmad!brown
rutgers-/ decvax--/
ARPA/INTERNET: brown%nicmad.UUCP@spool.cs.wisc.edumitch@arcturus.UUCP (Mitchell S. Gorman) (12/08/88)
In article <44916@yale-celray.yale.UUCP>, spolsky-joel@CS.YALE.EDU (Joel Spolsky) writes: > In article <46@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU> greggt@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Gregg Thompson) writes: > > > > I am in need of protecting directories from being read by "normal" > >means. I need it so that ncd and other dos directory utility programs > >won't acknowledge the directory. Or something that will password the > >directory so that nothing can get to it unless some sort of password is > >given to unprotect it. Ok, here's something I discovered while playing around with Norton Utilities. It's got a lot of holes in it, and if you do this and then run CHKDSK, you WILL lose whatever was stored in the directory you are hiding, but here goes: First, make sure that you have a volume label for the disk, and that it's directory entry comes BEFORE the entry for the sub- directory. (Use Norton, or some similar program which shows directory as is exists on the disk, displaying all attributes for all entries.) Next, to hide the directory, simply turn on the Volume Label bit. That's it. The directory is completely sealed. Any files within the directory cannot now be found, by Norton's FF, or by any other program I wot of. To unhide it, RE-set the bit - there's that pesky directory again, with all the files intact. The danger with this method of hiding a directory is that the FAT must be treated very gingerly, else you'll lose the hidden directory and all its files. When you make a directory into a volume label, the FAT still has the allocations for the hidden files, but a program like CHKDSK will not be able to find the files that the FAT says it knows about, and poof! scads and scads of FILExxxx.CHK!! Like I said, this is NOT something that anyone who's not on intimate terms with a program like NORTON should attempt. If the files get munched, there is NO WAY to recover them that I wot of, and I don't want to hear from anyone who tried this!!! Mitch @ Rockwell, Anaheim Disclaimer: I have no association with Norton Utilities (although I did once send them my resume. Suffice it to say that I work for Rockwell!).
jamesa@amadeus.LA.TEK.COM (James Akiyama) (12/08/88)
> Joel writes: > > The only thing you can do with DOS is set the "hidden" bit. If this is > set DIR won't list the directory, but it's still there. I think, > though, that most DOS directory utilities will find it. Actually, another way of doing it (outside the "normal" means of DOS) is to build a "non-DOS" partition, then use a custom DOS device driver to handle it. Note that you don't even have to use a DOS file system (in fact, from a security standpoint, it probably better not to). This alternate partition can then be encrypted for additional security, if desired. I've written a similar driver (actually mine was to allow very fast I/O by "raw" dumping to a non-DOS partition), but the concept should be the same; unfortunately the source is not public domain. James E. Akiyama jamesa@amadeus.LA.TEK.COM UUCP: ....!tektronix!amadeus!jamesa ARPA: jamesa%amadeus.LA.TEK.COM@RELAY.CS.NET James E. Akiyama jamesa@amadeus.LA.TEK.COM UUCP: ....!tektronix!amadeus!jamesa ARPA: jamesa%amadeus.LA.TEK.COM@RELAY.CS.NET
derek@hsi.UUCP (Derek Lee-Wo) (12/08/88)
There is a public domain program out there that allows you to password protect your hard-drive. I know because my room-mate last year had it on his computer for a few weeks. I think it could have also password-protected just a single directory. I don't have the faintess idea what the name was, but he got it off a bulletin board in Rochester, NY. -- |Derek Lee-Wo, Health Systems International, New Haven, CT 06511. | |E-mail address :- ...!harvard!yale!hsi!derek. Phone :- (203)777-3125. | |"Hear me now, believe me later". |
thaler@speedy.cs.wisc.edu (Maurice Thaler) (12/09/88)
I think the low tech solution is sometimes the best. For example, my SO
keeps a $2 LCD clock attached to the side of her computer instead of
using a TSR. How about saving your secret files, and placing them on a
floppy disk in your sock drawer.
Maurice Thaler SYSOP Audio Projects BBS (608) 836-9473
SYSOP Power Board BBS (608) 222-8842 simon@ms.uky.edu (Simon Gales) (12/09/88)
In article <2961@arcturus> mitch@arcturus.UUCP (Mitchell S. Gorman) writes: > > Ok, here's something I discovered while playing around with >Norton Utilities. It's got a lot of holes in it, and if you do this >and then run CHKDSK, you WILL lose whatever was stored in the >directory you are hiding, but here goes: > [ Stuff about setting Volume-Label bit on dir to be hidden ] > > The danger with this method of hiding a directory is that the >FAT must be treated very gingerly, else you'll lose the hidden >directory and all its files. When you make a directory into a volume >label, the FAT still has the allocations for the hidden files, but a >program like CHKDSK will not be able to find the files that the FAT >says it knows about, and poof! scads and scads of FILExxxx.CHK!! > > Like I said, this is NOT something that anyone who's not on >intimate terms with a program like NORTON should attempt. If the files >get munched, there is NO WAY to recover them that I wot of, and I don't >want to hear from anyone who tried this!!! > Seems like chkdsk would recover all of the files intact, but with new names (ie: file0000.chk ...). When chkdsk looked at the FAT, it would see a lost chain for each file in the hidden directory, and would recover each chain into its own new file (file0000.chk...). I think this is how chkdsk works, if I'm wrong, I'm sure someone will correct me :-?. All that is left is to look into the files and restore their names. There will also be some lost clusters due to the clusters the directory itself was stored in. Of course, if you did all this, and then un-hid your directory and played in it, you would be in it up to your ears. Instead of hiding directories, why not stash your files in an encrypted archive - you could even have your program call the archiver to do the packing and unpacking. (What are the legalities with using zoo this way?) -- /--------------------------------------------------------------------------\ Simon Gales@University of Ky UUCP: {rutgers, uunet}!ukma!simon Arpa: simon@ms.uky.edu MaBell: 263-2285/257-3597 BitNet: simon@UKMA.BITNET
cpp90221@dcscg1.UUCP (Duane L. Rezac) (12/09/88)
From article <46@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU>, by greggt@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Gregg Thompson): > > I am in need of protecting directories from being read by "normal" > means. I need it so that ncd and other dos directory utility programs > won't acknowledge the directory. Or something that will password the > directory so that nothing can get to it unless some sort of password is > given to unprotect it. I have been experimenting with this approace. I have not had much time to test it, so be carefull if you try it. I have been able to hide directories by hiding an entire drive. This has worked on a Zenith Z-248, I'm not sure how well it will work on other systems. My procedure is as follows: 1. use dsksetup to change the partition assingment flag to manual 2. use part to create a new partition to hold the data you wish to hide 3. re-boot the system 4. use asgnpart to assign the new partition to the next available drive 5. copy all of the file you with to hide to the new drive 6. re-boot the system When you boot the system with the partition assingment flag set to manual, DOS (at least it does on the Zenith, DOS 3.3) will only assign the first partition of the drive, and will not assign any other partitions. If you try to access the "hidden" drive, you will get a "drive not valid" or similar error message. To access the "hidden" drive, use asgnpart to assign that partition to the next available drive, and then you will have access to the "hidden" data. Chances are that if anyone can figure out what you have done, there will not be any way to prevent them from finding the files. DISCLAMER: I HAVE ONLY EXPERIMENTED WITH THIS METHOD A FEW TIMES. THERE MAY BE SOME HIDDEN SIDE EFECTS OR DANGERS, SO USE WITH CAUTION. -- +-----------------------+---------------------------------------------------+ | Duane L. Rezac |These views are my own, and NOT representitive of | | dsacg1!dcscg1!cpp90221|my place of Employment. | +-----------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
paulg@iisat.UUCP (Paul Gauthier) (12/09/88)
In article <3513@nicmad.UUCP>, brown@nicmad.UUCP (Vidiot (Vid-e-it)) writes: > In article <48@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU> greggt@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Gregg Thompson) writes: > < > <Hiding a directory doesn't solve the problem. Norton utility ncd will still > <see the directory even if it is hidden. I need something that will keep people > <from finding the directory even with norton and hiding the directory doesn't > <do it. Sorry guys. > Well, there is a rather round-a-bout way to do it. Use ARC (PK or whatever, most can do this) to ARC up the files into an ARChive and use the file encryption method. Then just have your batch file un-arc it with the password before you use it, into a temp dir. When you're done just delete the temp dir (in the batch file). No one will be able to use a disk-sector searcher to find the files cause they're encoded in the ARChive. If you name the arc into something that wouldn't raise suspicions and place it somewhere obscure in the dir tree no one will even know the arc is there. As an added bonus, the arc'd file takes up much less space on your HD... :-) -- |=============================================================================| | Paul Gauthier: {uunet, utai, watmath}!dalcs!iisat!{paulg | brains!paulg} | | Cerebral Cortex BBS: (902)462-7245 300/1200 24h/7d N81 | |==============================================================================
hollen@spot.megatek.uucp (Dion Hollenbeck) (12/09/88)
OK - here's another low tech way to protect a directory. Make the
directory and all its sub-directories and resident files. Go up to
the top directory and use PCTOOLS or NORTON or similar file
utility and HIDE the directory. You or any program that KNOWS ABOUT
THE DIRECTORY BY NAME can access it. Anyone mucking around the disk
without a file utility which will show hidden files, will not know
about it and if they cannot supply the path by name, they cannot
access it. It's not password protection, but it is a first level
of security. I use this method for my consulting clients to put
a directory for myself with tools which they should not use (NORTON)
because of a lack of knowledge.
Dion Hollenbeck (619) 455-5590 x2814
Megatek Corporation, 9645 Scranton Road, San Diego, CA 92121
seismo!s3sun!megatek!hollen
ames!scubed/dmnhieu@watdragon.waterloo.edu (Duy-Minh NHIEU) (12/10/88)
I wonder if the following solution works, my knowledge to pc-dos is minimal,
1) Find all clusters occupied by that directory and the files under it.
2) Remember the above clusters
3) Delete that directory
4) Mark the remembered clusters bad so that when you save new files, the
system won't use those cluster.
to retrieve information from that directory, one has to unmark the clusters and
undelete that directory.
It may sound complicated but one can always write a program that do the above.huilin@hpindda.HP.COM (Hui Lin Lim) (12/10/88)
marc@rna.UUCP (Marc Johnson) writes: > In article <46@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU>, greggt@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Gregg Thompson) says: > ] I am in need of protecting directories from being read by "normal" > ] means. I need it so that ncd and other dos directory utility programs > ] won't acknowledge the directory. Or something that will password the > ] directory so that nothing can get to it unless some sort of password is > ] given to unprotect it. > ] If enough responses I will sumarize to the net. > ] > ] GRegg Thompson > > I have seen a program called SecretDisk, which creates a completely hidden > logical drive on your hard disk, accessible only by "mounting" with a password. > It's extremely effective, as the disk (say, "D:") isn't even recognized by the > system if you haven't mounted it. By far the most effective scheme I've seen. > I'm afraid I don't know who makes it--try scanning BYTE or PC Mag. > The program is from Lattice (the same people who do Lattice C, Sidetalk etc. I would agree with the comments above, the only problem is a loss of speed in reading stuff off it since it is encrypted. I have also come across some Syquest 5Mb (removable hard disk) units where they implement encryption (be warned that it's very slow tho') so that might be an alternative. Hui-Lin Lim ARPA: huilin%hpda@hplabs.hp.com UUCP: {ucbvax,hplabs}!hpda!huilin Phone: (408)447-2835
pervect@bsu-cs.UUCP (Barrett Kreiner) (12/11/88)
In article <190@nbires.nbi.com>, matt@nbires.nbi.com (Matthew Meighan) writes: [Munch Munch] > Another approach I have used, also not fool proof, is to put illegal > characters in the directory name -- spaces are good; I can't remember > if you can get backspaces in there or not. But somehow I got some > invisible characters into directory names once (it's been a while) -- > you might try ascii 255 (decimal), which prints as a space on the > screen, as a trailing character in the directory name, and you might > try some regular spaces, too. You can easily insert these characters > into the name if you edit the directory directly with NU or debug or > some such. > > This won't really give you what you want, either, but it would slow > someone down a bit... > > -- > --------- > Matt Meighan "The eighties are the fifties in color." - Cowtown > matt@nbires.nbi.com (nbires\!matt) Oh! yes, you can do Wonderful things with directory names. A favorite trick is to create a directory, hide it, put a Delete as the first character (ascii 127 or hex 7f) then place a hidden batch file that has the 'CD' within the directory. Finally, adding the directory to the search path and there you have it: a simple password'd directory. No flames about how NCD and XTREE can change this, my end users have problems inserting the disk in the proper way. A realated note: once you "Hide" a directory, it becomes invisible to "TREE", a useful feature. I have also found that playing with the R/O, System and Hidden bit's in different combinations will confuse some (not many) NCD *type* programs (I've had a couple say it became a 'file'). Looking forward to Finals next week :-[ |---------------------------------------------------------------------|-----| | Barrett Kreiner UUCP: <backbones>!{iuvax,pur-ee}!bsu-cs!pervect | :-] | | Technical Manager, Fine Arts Computer Lab|--------------------------|-----| | Ball State University. Muncie, Indiana |This space left blank on purpose| |------------------------------------------|--------------------------------| | How am I computing? Let my parents know at ddsw1!kreiner (HI ma & dad) | | Disclamer: "I don't know them! I'm a student, nobody listens to ME!" | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
magik@chinet.chi.il.us (Ben Liberman) (12/11/88)
In article <239d466a@ralf> Ralf.Brown@B.GP.CS.CMU.EDU writes: >...but make it impossible to change to it without knowing the trick. Just type > "MKDIR FOO " >where the last "blank" is really an Alt-255. One of the orig. requirments was immunity from access with Norton util. One of the things that Norton Change Dir. (ncd) will do, if you type a partial name, is find the next dir. that is as similar a possible. Thus, "ncd FOO" would take you to the dir. without regard to the end of it's name. It would also show up in an "ncd" map, so you could go right to it. -- ------------ ---------------------- Ben Liberman magik@chinet.chi.il.us
rudolf@acadch.UUCP (Rudolf Kuenzli) (12/13/88)
A good way to hide directories is using 'Secret-Disk' from Lattice. This software encrypts a part of the harddisk. Activating that part with your password gives you an additional logical drive which can be handled like an ordinary disk. Naturally this software is not free. It's being used in our company since years without problems. Rudolf Kuenzli ....uunet!acad!acadch!rudolf
bjornb@rhi.hi.is (Bjorn H Bjornsson) (12/15/88)
Another method is
MD subdir<CTRL><BS>
The <CTRL><BS> will show up on the screen as char 127 (a little house),
but is impossible (?) to reproduce without ctrl-bs. Alt-127 won't do.
I saw this done a year ago. Of course I was still able to get down with PcTools
and Nortons CD, but I stumbled upon <ctrl><bs> last month by accident.
(or was it maybe <shift><bs> ?)
Bjossi
--
Bjorn Heimir Bjornsson Internet: bjornb@rhi.hi.is
University of Iceland UUCP: {mcvax,enea}!hafro!rhi!bjornbstl@sfsup.UUCP (Saify Lanewala) (12/15/88)
In article <213@hsi86.hsi.UUCP>, derek@hsi.UUCP (Derek Lee-Wo) writes: > > There is a public domain program out there that allows you to password > protect your hard-drive. I know because my room-mate last year had it on his > computer for a few weeks. I think it could have also password-protected just > a single directory. > I know (knew ?) of a company in New York City that had developed a plug-in board that allowed one to set up levels of file/program/directory protection via encryption. The twist was that application programs had no idea that the files were encrypted, AND you did not have to go through a manual encrypt/decrypt process. The files in question were always stored on disk in encrypted form, and decrypted on the fly when accessed. If you are interested, the company was called Progamit, Inc. I don't know if they are still in business, though. Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Programit, Inc. execpt for some brochures I got once long ago (about 1983, I believe). Saify Lanewala UUCP: ...attunix!stl
oawx@vax5.CIT.CORNELL.EDU (12/18/88)
Here's a pain-in-the-butt way, and I don't know if ncd or other programs can see it. Use a disk search utility (NU or whatever) to scan the disk for the name of the directory. When you find the sector that the directory name is on, edit it. It is at this point that you can do whatever you want, ie put weird chars in the name field, change pointers to a bogus locations, or whatever. The pain comes in that you will have to re-edit that sector and restore the previous values to re-gain access to that directory. Happy hacking, Eric Cox
I78BC@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (Michael Polymenakos) (12/20/88)
In article <17581@vax5.CIT.CORNELL.EDU>, oawx@vax5.CIT.CORNELL.EDU says: >Use a disk search utility (NU or whatever) to scan the disk for >the name of the directory. When you find the sector that the >directory name is on, edit it. It is at this point that you >can do whatever you want, ie put weird chars in the name field, >change pointers to a bogus locations, or whatever. > >Eric Cox Even better, use lowercase characters in the directory name. While most programs can enter a directory with a weird name (especially NCD and XTREE - type programs), using lowercase characters will choke most programs (every program I've tried this with, anyway). Same pain as above though: You have to manually change the name to a standard one later, in order to access the directory. Besides, there are many people around who also know how to change back the name. Also, such a directory will prevent CHECKDSK or BACKUP from working properly (no potential damage though). You may also want to try this: if you have a partitioned hard disk (divided to two logical disks) say C and D, then you can store all your secret data on drive D. Use a program (from drive C !) to scramble the FAT table or the root directory of D (with direct disk writes.) Provided you have a way of restoring the tables to their original state later, this should do the job. NU provides a facility for editing the FAT table; DEBUG can also do the job (not easily though). Remember to turn the machine off (or reboot) immediately after you scramble the FAT. I would not mess with the file pointers; it can create subtle problems if there are disk writes after the pointers are changed. ------- || | ||| | | || || ||| | || | ||||| || Michael S. Polymenakos BC-CUNY |||| ||| || | ||||| ---------------------- New York ||| || | || || | ||| | #! rnews 1