passowrd protecting song files

[mikeis41]

Hey, is there any way to password protect my music files on my computer so they can't be copied? Would it still allow an employee to use the files during a show but just on that computer?

[admin]

Currently there is no provision for this within our programs. I don't think a password protecting access to them is feasible.

We are considering encrypting all KMA files as they import so they can only play on that Hoster. That would prevent your hired hands from running off with your files.

There are MANY reasons we are considering this, yours posted here is just one.

What are your thoughts on this direction?

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by admin

Currently there is no provision for this within our programs. I don't think a password protecting access to them is feasible.

We are considering encrypting all KMA files as they import so they can only play on that Hoster. That would prevent your hired hands from running off with your files.

There are MANY reasons we are considering this, yours posted here is just one.

What are your thoughts on this direction?

Would this prevent us from importing on our backup and copying the files to the show machine?
I have been doing some research on Microsoft's encryption that is available in XP Pro but not Home Edition. I am going to test it tonight on my unit at home and see if Hoster can play the songs if they are encrypted. According MS it should work. Their setup encrypts by user instead of program and allows sharing those files as well. So if I encrypt the files under an administrator logon and share it to a specific ordinary user that user should be able to use the files in that computer (Hoster, Microstudio, etc.) but would not be able to copy the files. If it works then your workload is lessened. May only need a link.

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by mikeis41

Hey, is there any way to password protect my music files on my computer so they can't be copied? Would it still allow an employee to use the files during a show but just on that computer?

I did quite a bit of research and testing on using Microsoft's encryption for this tonight. Here is what I found:

1. This will only work on XP Pro and not XP Home. I don't know about Vista but I am sure the same will apply.
2. You can encrypt the files or better would be to encrypt the folder which also encrypts the files in it but you must be an administrator on the machine.
3. Create your user, add to Power User group and set password.
   • Log in as this user.
   • Verify you can open Hoster then close it.
   • Open Windows Explorer find a file (not a system file), right click on it and go to properties.
   • On General page click on Advanced, check the encrypt file box, and click OK. On General page click Apply.
   • Click on Advanced again and next to encrypt click Detail button. You should see the user name listed. Click Cancel button then on General page click OK.
   • Right click on file again, go to properties.
   • Click on Advanced and uncheck the encrypt file box. Click OK and then OK on General page.
   • What all this did was to establish the user's certificate.
4. Now log off of this user and log back in with your administrator account.
5. Go to the folder you keep your KMA files in, right click on the folder go to properties and:
   • On General page click on Advanced, check the encrypt file box, and click OK. Depending on the number of files this can take a long time. I only did a test folder with 108 files and it took 4-5 minutes.
6. This next step is the real killer. To allow additional users (your host user that you created) to use the files you will have to:
   • Right click on each file individually (can't open a group) go to properties.
   • Click on Advanced button. Click on Add and a new window opens listing the users. Click on the User you want to add, then click OK three times.
7. When you finish you need to change the security for this folder and files so that Power Users only have Read and Execute permissions. This prevents them being able to copy the files to another computer or even another drive.

That is what I have found so far, but will continue researching.

[mikeis41]

Hi Dale, thanks for your reply to my cry for help. I must say that my head began to ache when I read that I have to open each file individually (because you can't select a group). I have something like 7,000 songs. That could take a lifetime for me.
What about taking the laptop apart and disableing the usb ports- too radical? I don't know what to do at this point.
Well, I'm off to read some more of your old posts!

Talk to you later

Mike Lang

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by mikeis41

Hi Dale, thanks for your reply to my cry for help. I must say that my head began to ache when I read that I have to open each file individually (because you can't select a group). I have something like 7,000 songs. That could take a lifetime for me.
What about taking the laptop apart and disableing the usb ports- too radical? I don't know what to do at this point.
Well, I'm off to read some more of your old posts!

Talk to you later

Mike Lang

I agree. I looked at that and thought about the 9000+ files I have and went "NO WAY!" The few (108) files I just did the encryption on took about 5 minutes just for that part. Let's see 9000/108 * 5 minutes?
I have looked for some way to do this for multiple files and could not find anything at MS to do it. Somebody would have to write a script file to be able to handle all those at once.

[Beavis]

isnt there a program called Dirlock ??

http://www.download.com/dirLock/3000...-10558978.html

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by Beavis

isnt there a program called Dirlock ??

http://www.download.com/dirLock/3000...-10558978.html

Yes but according to xtort.net? "dirLock doesn't encrypt the content of the folder you are going to lock, ... dirLock also disables the Security Tab from the Folder Properties when it loads.

This would not be a good thing. Other info is that it does not prevent another person with same rights from moving/copying the files in the directory. I have a feeling though that Hoster would not be able to work either.

The objective here is to encrypt the KMA files, allowing specified users to use the files in Hoster, but not allowing those users to copy, move or delete those files. Encrypting them is the easy part though time consuming because each file has to be done individually. The hard part is setting the additional users permissions to allow use. This has to be done file by file and cannot be done on a group of files at once.

[admin]

Originally Posted by ddouglass

Would this prevent us from importing on our backup and copying the files to the show machine?

Valid question, but since we haven't done this, I can't answer. What we have been thinking about is, like Hoster, you could have the encrypted songs play only on the machines (2) that the SongCode (used to protect them) is registered on. The song protection will be independent of the MTU Program playing them, so Hoster and Microstudio can both play them.