Anyone tried the MS Private Folder 1.0?

Microsoft Private Folder 1.0 is a useful tool for you to protect your private data when your friends, colleagues, kids or other people share your PC or account. With this tool, you will get one password protected folder called 'My Private Folder' in your account to save your personal files. Download and have your private folder today!

http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/of...ylang=en#441c2998-248b-49cf-b084-f3a237b58f71

Anyone tried it? Any opinions as to how secure (or not) it really is? Thanks.

 

This is the second time I've tried to download this app and both times have failed. Even searching the MS download site for "private folder" yields no hits. Have MS pulled this for some reason?

I wanted to download and evaluate it more from curiosity than anything else. As to whether you feel it will be secure and trustworthy, remember that MS are the company that brought us the "enhanced computing experience" of Windows Genuine Advantage Notification, without telling us exactly how invasive it was.

 

It is only availavble for US customers (change your location to US if you want to defeat it at your own risk). Also, wga validation is required to download. It appears to hide the contents from the normal windows API when passworded. One thing this could cause is if the folder is locked, defragmentors probably won't work on the contents. It does have the ability to stay unlocked on a timed basis up to 60 min or indefinately.

 

Well here another download link. Just replace the xx with tt. hxxp://download.microsoft.com/download/9/f/e/9fee44c7-70ac-46d8-a11c-c3fdc2c3c265/MSPF10ENU.msi

What I meant by how secure is it was, how difficult is it to look into the folder and see what's in it? For example has anyone used some type of bootable cd to attempt to get a look into the folder or perhaps with a second computer or hard drive? I tried getting a look in safe mode, but was unable to view the contents. I just want to be sure that there aren't any easy ways to get a look inside the folder. Thanks.

 

I can download it after validation

 

My PC is already validated with the WGA Validation Active X Control. The problem I had was that I couldn't even see the download nor any mention of the utility on the MS web site. I have since changed my location to the USA and have subsequently downloaded it.

I have yet to install it though, because I am afraid that if it detects I'm in the UK, it'll warn me with a systray pop-up balloon every 10 minutes until I go to hxxp://www.microsoft.com/aliens/howtotell and buy a house in the USA for a discounted price.

 

Hi! Am a Hungarian citizen(well, EU), and downloaded and use it with success, and quite content with it. Easy to handle and only noticed one problem - when tried to open a doc file directly from within the folder, Word 2003 cried for conversion. Never have been able to reproduce the phenomenon afterwards - seems like it got "used" to it. No problem when U unlock it, and then U try to open the file.

 

I like it. And it's free.

 

What a shame. It's ridiculous. It's so Micro~snip....Bubba~ .

 

Use Truecrypt. Free, opensource, stable....

 

No I stay with this one - it's simple and I use a standalone notebook back home.
One interesting issue: SpySweeper 5.07 (1608 build) defines My Private Micr. Folder and its content as "potentially rootkit masked files". In fact it can be some rootkit-technology - but in this case I don't care.

 

You can still download it here:

http://www.softpedia.com/progDownlo...Folder-Download-44412.html#download_locations

Gerard

 

If you ask me it's dumb and over reacted decision. I've never heard more ridiculous excuse for it's removal really.

 

Be fast.

The RO-downloadlink is the only working one...

 

US works as well if you wait about a minute.

 

Then you are more lucky i am.

Have tried it several times, but no luck at all...

 

Don't worry, i'm hosting it on FileFront...

MS Private Folder 1.0
http://files.filefront.com/Microsoft_Private_Folder_10/;5257722;;/fileinfo.html

 

And do U like it? I came to. It's cool - 100% safe. What's Your opinion? BTW automatic lockup-function does not work.

 

Thanxx !

 

I didn't like it because it interfered with another sofwtare in my system, so I ended up ditching it.

IMO, a better alternative is using Truecrypt which allows you to encrypt and lock an entire HD partition if you wish:

http://www.truecrypt.org/

As always, back up your data to avoid unpleasant surprises.

 

Why do I get:

your download has failed. You have an invalid session set. Click here to try your download again.

I try again and Fx just keeps opening more tabs with the failed notice.

I'd love to have this. I was a bit too late to get it from Microsoft.

 

Try this bro:

http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/Microsoft_Private_Folder/1152200243/1

Using FF and the download went fine.

 

Thanks! That worked great using Fx. Now I have to reboot.

 

Yep I installed it.

Just thought that I'd mention that when I run a Raxco PD7 defrag the results log always disclose the contents of the [not so] Private Folder

familyman