windows xp - Password protect folder on USB flash drive

08
2014-07
  • user3308082

    I would like to password-protect a folder on my USB flash drive, so when someone tries to open the folder, they are prompted to enter a password. I have a mac, but also need to use the flash drive with a pc running windows xp, which I am not able to install software to. If possible, I would like to avoid having to install any software to my computer, or the flash drive.

    It doesn't have to be very secure, or fancy, I just want a password on the folder to protect my files to some degree.

    • Answers
  • Big Chris

    A password protected zip folder, but these are quite easy to find the password for if you know what you're doing. The difference in OS and software install limitation means you can't use encrypted disks or more secure compressed files such as RAR or 7-Zip which are almost impossible to find the password using various tools...

    You can't password protect a folder because a folder is, in a way, a logical file grouping... It's kind of imaginary, I'm not describing it very well!


    • Related Question

    windows - I have a password protected USB drive with hidden partition, how to convert to normal USB drive?
  • deddebme

    I have a generic USB drive which has password protection, and I want to stop this password protection mechanism and to use it as a normal 8GB USB drive.

    I received this USB drive as a gift in Hong Kong, and there was no instruction menu whatsoever, not even the manufacturer name.

    When I plug the drive in Windows XP, the removable drive comes up as a read only 5.28MB partition with two files. When I try to add or remove any files or formatting it, it will says the drive is write protected.

    After launching the Login.exe and typed in the password, a 8GB read/writeable partition will be shown, and I'm free to do anything to it. But once after the drive is unplugged and replugged, the same read only partition will still comes out no matter what I did to the hidden partition.

    Anyone knows about this kind if USB drive? What did the manufacturer do to hide the partition? Is there a way to "low-level" formatting this drive to convert (or revert) it to a normal drive?

    Before typing in the password:

    alt text

    alt text

    After typing in the password:

    alt text

    alt text


    • Related Answers
  • William Hilsum

    A very tricky one and not that sure...

    Can I have a model, make or anything a bit further to help.

    I had a similar model from a trade show and I found that the application that does the locking was very unsecure, I resource edited it and basically remove the error box, so upon entering the program, I just pressed enter and it unlocked.

    However, on a friend's one, the section was write protected and we were unable to do the same method

    There many thousand of manufacturers and devices, without knowing a lot more, there is not a answer that fits all.

    It would be interesting to see that dll file and see how it "unlocks" the drive.

  • nik

    The HardForum has a thread on Deleting up hidden partitions.
    Do take a data backup of the USB before trying these things.

  • Nithin Philips

    What you're looking for is the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. It can perform low-level format of a USB disk drive.