Protecting Ext. Hard Drive Files

PatrickD32

Hey,

Im wondering is their a way to prevent copying of HD files from an external laptop.

Eg:

If I have all my work on an external HD can I make it protected so that if someone has it it cannot be copied and pasted onto a laptop or drag and dropped.

Any info would be appreciated.

(please no answers so as take stuff you dont want shared off etc, Jus answers of the question if anyone knows)

bhickey

Encrypt the drive. Google 'encrypt external drive'.

James G

bhickey wrote: »

Encrypt the drive. Google 'encrypt external drive'.

I encrypted my laptop drive so nothing could be recovered if it were ever stolen or lost. I recommend TrueCrypt.

PatrickD32

Thanks for answers.

Is it possible allow to view the files in programs, such as mp3s play in their player but not to copy them over to their hard drive by copy and past or drag and drop.

Or does encypt password protect it all for no access?

Will also check link out, thanks.

James G

PatrickD32 wrote: »

Thanks for answers.

Is it possible allow to view the files in programs, such as mp3s play in their player but not to copy them over to their hard drive by copy and past or drag and drop.

Or does encypt password protect it all for no access?

Will also check link out, thanks.

Encrypting it will prevent anyone from accessing it without the encryption key. It'll look like the drive is full of random, incomprehensible data.

CaSCaDe711

+1 for TrueCrypt

Razzuh

I don't think encryption is what you're looking for. If I understand you right, you don't want limit access to the files, you want to restrict the type of access. If you encrypt it you have to give anyone who has to be able to use the files the key. Once they have the key they can do what they want with the files.

What you're asking for is some kind of DRM for a hard drive I think. As far as I know, it dosen't exist. If a computer can read a file then it can copy it, they work on the same principle.

For example, take an image file. If I can see an image on my screen, I can copy that image file. With images, even if I don't have access to the file somehow, I could just take a screenshot of the portion of my sceen the image is displayed on and I've essentially copied it.
With MP3s, If I can play it through my speakers, I can use software that will record it as it's played, even if I don't have the file.

So even if you could do what you're asking for it would be kind of pointless, it would only be illusionary security in a way.

If you did want to do it anyway, the only way to do it that I can think of is to have your own software to provide the content. You'd hide all of the files away (in one big file say) so that only your software would know how to retrieve the data for a particular file. It would need to have it's own built in MP3 player, image viewer etc. I presume this is way beyond your budget though.

CaSCaDe711

@ OP, just wondering what option (if any) did you choose in the end..?