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Hi everyone,
I just have a quick query regarding hard drives.
A few months back, the motherboard in my laptop died. I bought a new laptop, and someone else (in my absence) took the old hard drive out of the old computer and put it into a new case so I could recover the files on it.
On connecting the old hard drive to my new laptop via USB, I was expecting it to state that I did not have administrator privileges, as the old laptop had a Windows password on it, which I believe would require me to 'take ownership' of the hard drive.
However, this never occurred and I was able to access/copy over the files without ever being prompted. Is this is an indication that the other person accessed the hard drive before me and took ownership at that time? I ask because there were some very private items on that hard drive and this person has a history of such privacy violations.
Or does the fact that the old computer had a Windows password not necessarily mean that the administrator privilege would be in effect?
Thanks very much.
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Hard Drive Query
#2
waldojim 
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Posted 04 August 2012 - 08:40 AM
melker, on 04 August 2012 - 05:21 AM, said:
Hi everyone,
I just have a quick query regarding hard drives.
A few months back, the motherboard in my laptop died. I bought a new laptop, and someone else (in my absence) took the old hard drive out of the old computer and put it into a new case so I could recover the files on it.
On connecting the old hard drive to my new laptop via USB, I was expecting it to state that I did not have administrator privileges, as the old laptop had a Windows password on it, which I believe would require me to 'take ownership' of the hard drive.
However, this never occurred and I was able to access/copy over the files without ever being prompted. Is this is an indication that the other person accessed the hard drive before me and took ownership at that time? I ask because there were some very private items on that hard drive and this person has a history of such privacy violations.
Or does the fact that the old computer had a Windows password not necessarily mean that the administrator privilege would be in effect?
Thanks very much.
I just have a quick query regarding hard drives.
A few months back, the motherboard in my laptop died. I bought a new laptop, and someone else (in my absence) took the old hard drive out of the old computer and put it into a new case so I could recover the files on it.
On connecting the old hard drive to my new laptop via USB, I was expecting it to state that I did not have administrator privileges, as the old laptop had a Windows password on it, which I believe would require me to 'take ownership' of the hard drive.
However, this never occurred and I was able to access/copy over the files without ever being prompted. Is this is an indication that the other person accessed the hard drive before me and took ownership at that time? I ask because there were some very private items on that hard drive and this person has a history of such privacy violations.
Or does the fact that the old computer had a Windows password not necessarily mean that the administrator privilege would be in effect?
Thanks very much.
The windows password is there to controll log in only. There is absolutely zero filesystem level protection. The closest thing you get, is bitlocker, if you pay for the pro version. If not, you get nothing. If you want filesystem level protection, you should eitger upgrade to pro, or get Linux.
"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'" -- Isaac Asimov
Spoiler
#3
LincolnSpector
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Posted 06 August 2012 - 08:30 AM
Hi, melker.
As Elite pointed out, the Windows logon password is not an effective way to protect your files. It's basically there to keep other people from logging in as you.
To truly secure your files, you need to encrypt them with a strong password. I recommend Truecrypt. You can encrypt your entire drive with this, but IMHO, that's overkill. A better solution is to keep all of your sensitive files in a Truecrupt "safe."
Lincoln
As Elite pointed out, the Windows logon password is not an effective way to protect your files. It's basically there to keep other people from logging in as you.
To truly secure your files, you need to encrypt them with a strong password. I recommend Truecrypt. You can encrypt your entire drive with this, but IMHO, that's overkill. A better solution is to keep all of your sensitive files in a Truecrupt "safe."
Lincoln
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