How can I lock out / password protect a secondary internal HD?

[audiobahn1000]

Is there A way to “lock out” a secondary hard drive and only allow access to it via a password? Something that will still work if the HD is taken out of the computer and transferred to another. Something that basically will only allow someone to access it if they reformat it. I know there are programs to encrypt a HD but for a program that will encrypt 320 GB. I will be paying big bucks and I need something that will give me fast access to the HD for I use it multiple times a day.

 

[PC eye]

Certainly unavailable in 98 and ME but included in 2000 and XP is the ability to password protect your sensitive files and folders without buying a high priced software. While you are most likely running XP there you may find the PC World article valuable despite the methods also usable on a 98 or ME as well at the link here. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,110663-page,1/article.html

EFS can also be used to encrpyt hard drives as described in the Microsoft article seen at http://www.microsoft.com/singapore/sme/english/issues/sgc/articles/protect_data_efs.mspx

 

[audiobahn1000]

Uhaaa... It says:

Create and safeguard a recovery key to ensure that encrypted data can be safely recovered when the original user cannot do so.

• Create recovery agents who can recover encrypted files when the original user cannot do so.




I dont think so... I mind as well not encrypt it at all in that case. Not secure enough. I found a program called TrueCrypt. Is that a good program?

 

[PC eye]

I haven't used that one while the reviews rate that as excellent as seen at http://www.snapfiles.com/reviews/TrueCrypt/TrueCrypt.html and http://www.download.com/TrueCrypt/3000-2092_4-10527243.html for the freeware program there.

Another one that generally works well is a retail software known as Hide & Protect. What you will need is a lock for securing the drive when removed from one system and placed in another. The encryption method does get around the need for setting permissions in user accounts since that is independent of any OS. But the awkwardness and unfortunate decryptiion tools that can pose a potential problem are the drawback.