How to privatize certain Public folders?

[Carol W.]

I have responsibility for a new Win 7 64 bit machine on which there are currently four user accounts. One is an admin account (Tech Committee), two are standard accounts (Thrift Shop and Fund Development) and Guest is turned on.

Most of the files were transferred from the old XP (SP3) computer into Public Documents. That was my choice (I did the transferring) because I wanted the users, with the exceptions of the two standard account users, to all use Guest. So far this has been working out (It’s been less than two weeks in operation).

However, now there has been a request to “privatize” certain folders in Public Documents. I know that I could set up separate user accounts and move the folders in question out of Public Documents and into Documents for those accounts. My question is: Is there any other way of doing this? I would like to keep the number of user accounts to a minimum so I was wondering if there is a way (either within Windows or via 3rd party software) to keep the folders in question in Public Documents but simply protect them with a password.

Thank you, in advance.

[StuartR]

Carol,

This sounds as though you are trying to force Windows to do something that is against its design. If all the users are logged in as Guest then I don't think there is an easy solution.

You could use application level encryption (for Microsoft Office documents) which will require the user to provide a password to open each document, but depends on each user remembering to apply this when they create new documents.

You could use a product like TrueCrypt to protect virtual disk drives, the user would need to mount the disk with a password to access the contents, but only one user could access each protected area at a time.

[ChrisJakarta]

Carol,

Not sure if you're having the same problems I had with sharing the User folder, but perhaps the article Windows 7 File Sharing: Fixing the “Entire User Directory Shared” Problem may help you as it did me.

Chris

[Carol W.]

Stuart,

I think I'll have to end up setting up separate accounts and taking the folders out of Public Documents and putting them in the user account's documents. Thanks for setting me straight.

Chris,

I'm not trying to share a user folder. I'm actually trying to protect a folder in Public Documents but still leave it in Public Documents. Ideally, I'd like to password protect a folder in Public Documents. Any last minute tips on that before I set up separate accounts?

Thanks.

[Charlotte]

It doesn't really make sense to password protect a "public document". If you want to restrict a document to only specific users, create a new folder and limit the users that can see it.

[Carol W.]

Thanks for the reply, Charlotte. I've never done this before so please bear with me.

I already have a folder. The folder is currently in Public Documents. Do I need to remove it from Public Documents, create a new user and place the folder in the new user's documents? Or, can I do something with the share settings? See attached screenshot.

share folder.jpg

Thanks again.

[DaveA]

If the folders and/or files are in the Public area, then you can NOT control the access to them.

[Carol W.]

DaveA,

Well, that settles that issue. I'll have to move the folders in question out of Public Documents and into Documents under a private user account.

[DaveA]

You can make a folder outside a users area, and set the properties to be accessed by a controlled group of users.

[Carol W.]

DaveA,

Please let me make sure I understand this.

I can move a folder that is currently under Public Documents to C:\Users. IOW, it would not be under a specific user. Is this correct?

If the above is correct, then I can control who sees this folder by right clicking the folder, clicking properties and the Sharing tab. Then I would click Advanced Sharing. From there, I would check "Share this folder" and then click Permissions. I could then add specific users and control their access with the three checkboxes (Full Control, Change and Read).

Is this what you had in mind? Thanks.

[DaveA]

"to C:\Users" would be within the user folder, I said OUTSIDE of thes user folder.

It should be at the Root of the C: drive. Such as "C:\new Folder"

[Carol W.]

Sorry. I thought you meant outside of a specific user's folder.

Are the rest of the steps correct?

Thanks.

[DaveA]

"Are the rest of the steps correct?"
I believe so.