# Best way to hide or password protect photos on a pc? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2012, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240 "2012-12-17T00:31:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![CoastalMaineiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@CoastalMaineiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoastalMaineiac)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/41 "2012-12-17T17:16:30Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > okay, it’s time to ask the computer techs here: do you really waste time on the job, browsing through your client’s computers? If he has a huge porn collection, would you even know it existed, and if so, would you care enough to open the files? > > Take a typical repair, (say, replace the fan, add some RAM , do a re-install of Windows because of a virus problem, or whatever. Or, in the case of the OP, it appears to be a home visit to hook up the cable box and internet connection. ) > You probably have several more clients to get to that day. Do you go snooping through each client’s hard disk? And if so, what are you looking for? No matter how much porn he has,you’re not likely to find anything that you couldn’t find by yourself at home on your own internet connection. And if he has his tax returns or stock portfolio, is that interesting enough, as a total stranger, to be worth hunting for? > (I’m not talking about your ex-girlfriend’s computer. 🙂 ) No, I don’t, unless it is part of fixing whatever the problem is. Reminds me of a law that was proposed in Maine a long time ago (I don’t know if it ever passed or not) requiring any tech guys to report to the Maine State Police if we worked on a computer that had illegal porn on it. I was dead set against it for several reasons. #1. I believe in respecting the privacy of people for whom I do that kind of work. I don’t access anything unless it is necessary in the course of the work I do. So unless such images are right in front of my face, I’m not going to know about them. This law could have, effectively, punished me, and others like me, for things we’re unaware of–for not doing what I consider unethical. #2. If it _was_ right in front of my face (like a desktop wallpaper or something like that), I’m reporting it anyway, law or not. I don’t need the threat of punishment to do the right thing. In answer to the OP. The tech guy should not have to access anything more than your web browser, mail client, and the wireless network properties to set you up. He should have no problem with you supervising him while he has your computer. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/42 "2012-12-17T17:32:07Z")
My suggestions, in order of increasing difficulty/better protection: 1. Just rename the folder to something like “/CAR REPAIR LOG/2007”. Ideally, you already have a group of boring folders you can put it amongst (I mean, even a snooper probably won’t look at REPAIR LOG/2007 if he’s already seen that REPAIR LOG/2011, REPAIR LOG/2010 and REPAIR LOG/2009 are all actually logs of car repairs). You could I think make the folder a hidden system file, for a little more obscurity, but if someone does find it that will just raise suspicions. 2. Throw them all into a ZIP folder with a password (obviously don’t name the file ALL MY EMBARRASSING PICTURES.ZIP). Crackable, but it’s going to take some special software that a tech shouldn’t be bringing to your house. And it will take a little bit of time and a lot of motivation, especially if the ZIP file is somewhere boring and remote. well-hidden, disguised ZIP folder is probably enough to even keep out techs at a repair shop. Maybe not enough to protect it from, say, bored computer-savvy teenager living at your house, though. 3. Truecrypt. Why mess around with anything less when this is completely secure? The only drawback is that it takes a bit more work to hide the fact that you have an encrypted partition, but it is do-able. 4. Move everything to $5 thumb drive, which is in your pocket the whole time the tech is there. A little riskier, but pretty secure. For max security, I imagine truecrypt or something else can encrypt the drive. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/43 "2012-12-17T18:27:05Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > (I mean, even a snooper probably won’t look at REPAIR LOG/2007 if he’s already seen that REPAIR LOG/2011, REPAIR LOG/2010 and REPAIR LOG/2009 are all actually logs of car repairs). yes, but what about file size? Most of the repair logs are simple excell sheets or whatever, maybe 2-3 megabytes. And suddenly “repair log 2007” (with the secret porn videos) is 10 or 20 giga . That might cause a technician to open it because it appears to be a legitimate problem. I like the idea once posted somewhere on this site: a guy who kept a shortcut on his desktop (alongside My Documents) labeled " My Porn". I like an honest guy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Noelq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noelq/32/16438_2.png) [@Noelq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noelq)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/44 "2012-12-17T20:22:46Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > okay, it’s time to ask the computer techs here: do you really waste time on the job, browsing through your client’s computers? If he has a huge porn collection, would you even know it existed, and if so, would you care enough to open the files? No. I really, really don’t care about what’s on your computer. The ONLY time I ever look at what’s in the files on someone’s computer is if the hard drive is full. I then usually just do a “properties” on the Music folder. If a guy has a 200-gig hard drive, and there’s 190 gig of music, I’ll recommend that he delete some of it in order to free up hard drive space. That’s about it. I’ve got automated programs to delete all your temp files, I’ve got automated programs to delete all your Windows Update files, and other little processes to clean stuff up. Unless you’re hiding your pictures in the c:\windows directory, I won’t even look at any personal stuff on your machine. I just want to get you up and running again so that you stop whining at me every 10 seconds about when your computer will be done. So I can get to the next user - who is whining at me every 10 seconds about when I’m going to start working on his machine. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/45 "2012-12-17T21:04:24Z")
Yeah, a guy who’s just trying to get in do the job and get out probably won’t care. It’s the person who has the machine sitting in their shop and is nosy that you have to worry about. Or, as mentioned, the guy who has to clear out some disk space from a full drive and finds that 3/4 of the disk space is used by a folder called “ThosePhotos”. Also, if it’s internet browsing, you past browsing history is usually on display unless you clear it - nobody has to be nosy to find it, it will pop up as you start typing an address in IE. Clear your internet cache. Delete the contents of your “recycle bin”. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/46 "2012-12-17T21:25:40Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > I like the idea once posted somewhere on this site: a guy who kept a shortcut on his desktop (alongside My Documents) labeled " My Porn". I like an honest guy. 🙂 Back to the OP, you want a folder labeled ‘My Porn’, but have it contain lots of pictures of expensive sports cars or some other non-sexual not really embarassing objects of lust. Then the real stuff goes in /Program Files/MS Office/Word/Templates/Languages/US English or somewhere equally boring. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/47 "2012-12-17T21:39:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Then the real stuff goes in /Program Files/MS Office/Word/Templates/Languages/US English or somewhere equally boring. That might be counterproductive, for hiding them from the computer repair guy. He might notice that the MS Office folder is bigger than it should be, and suspect that that might be related to the problem you’re having. He would then go tier-by-tier through the directory structure to find the bloated subfolder, to see what’s causing all the peculiar bloat. On the other hand, if you actually put all of the real porn in a folder called “My Porn”, then the tech guy won’t be surprised to see that that folder is very large, and so might not bother to search through it. A computer tech would have no motivation to actually go looking for your porn. He already knows how to get all the porn he’d like from Internet sources, and his tastes are almost certainly different from yours anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/48 "2012-12-17T21:43:48Z")
OK, disable hibernation, put the naughty stuff in a zip file in the root directory, rename it hiberfil.sys and mark it Hidden + System. The Windows tech probably won’t bat an eyelid at a huge file of that name in the root directory. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/49 "2012-12-17T21:47:12Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > A computer tech would have no motivation to actually go looking for your porn. He already knows how to get all the porn he’d like from Internet sources, and his tastes are almost certainly different from yours anyway. \ There are people who _don’t_ like nude pipe cleaner people doin’ the twistie? ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/50 "2012-12-17T22:04:44Z")
Intrigued as to how “personal pics” evolved into a huge megabyte chewing Rule 34 grade porn stash between the OP and here, I double checked my files, which by contrast seem so mundane that I shall add a bow and print Christmas cards for friends and family. Those of you who provided helpful tips: check your box. Conclusion jumpers: expect coal. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/51 "2012-12-17T22:09:44Z")
WooHoo! I’m a winner!!! ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/52 "2012-12-17T22:21:07Z")
> [@Troppus](#): > > Intrigued as to how “personal pics” evolved into a huge megabyte chewing Rule 34 grade porn stash between the OP and here, I double checked my files, which by contrast seem so mundane that I shall add a bow and print Christmas cards for friends and family. Those of you who provided helpful tips: check your box. Conclusion jumpers: expect coal. Eh, come on, the discussion has become more general since then. You set the challenge of how to hide a large number (“too many to transfer to USB”) of private files if one has no access to the usual privacy tools such as TrueCrypt and people are just kicking ideas about, that’s all. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/53 "2012-12-17T22:30:37Z")
As above, just put it in a folder labelled something no one wants to touch or has any real business looking at. I keep some of my stuff in a folder called “Insecure” buried under a Security folder. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/54 "2012-12-17T22:47:24Z")
A little late to this party but wanted to add my endorsement of TrueCrypt. I’m not very tech savvy but I was able to figure it out pretty quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/55 "2012-12-17T22:54:03Z")
My ex owned a computer repair business for a while and one of his techs liked to snoop through people’s drives to see what he could find. My ex hated it and tried to put a stop to it whenever he could but his business partner thought it was funny and encouraged the guy. I remember numerous times seeing them going through a customer’s computer and laughing. I’m almost sure I remember him taking copies of things for himself too. My brother’s friend was a computer tech and he used to brag about the stuff he found and copied off people’s machines. I’ve been in his shop and seen him doing it. I was shocked because at the time I was there as a customer and he was complaining to me that there was nothing worth copying off my machine (last time I ever went to a tech recommended by my brother). An Australian Olympian had pornographic pictures of himself with his wife copied off his machine by a computer repair shop that apparently routinely scans customer’s drives for such images. [http://m.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/olympic-stars-fury-over-sex-images-stolen-by-staff-at-a-computer-store/story-e6freuy9-1226390559208](http://m.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/olympic-stars-fury-over-sex-images-stolen-by-staff-at-a-computer-store/story-e6freuy9-1226390559208) It’s despicable and unprofessional, but I just assumed it’s widespread. I imagine it’s a similar percentage to the number of people who will snoop through their host’s bathroom cupboard. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/56 "2012-12-17T23:22:29Z")
There’s a bigger chance of someone seeing your sensitive stuff if you send a computer in for repair than with a cable guy that only needs 30 seconds with the network settings as part of a cable/wireless installation. Of course he might open a browser to make sure everything works, so don’t leave goatse as the home page. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/57 "2012-12-18T00:15:45Z")
> [@Oukile](#): > > Be careful: this isn’t really a password-protected folder. It is more like a smartly hidden folder. The short program locker.bat will ask for a password before “un-hiding” it. However, the folder can be “un-hidden” without any password, and everyone who is a little bit nosy and knows a little about computers will figure out how to do it in one minute. Yes, the link explained that, as well. It’s new to me, though, even having one thin, flimsy layer of protection to help keep someone from single clicking and opening something is welcome news to me. Peace. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/58 "2012-12-18T00:33:16Z")
> [@Troppus](#): > > […] a huge megabyte chewing Rule 34 grade porn stash […] You forgot “illegal”. **CoastalMaineiac** touched on that a few posts back. Hope this helps! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240/59 "2012-12-18T00:54:05Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > Sometimes kids and techs snoop where they shouldn’t. > > **I don’t think they need to know what a mom and a dad and another woman with a penis and a midget do to a donkey.** > > New Years Eve can present some unique problems. Let’s not compound them by bringing the kids in to it.😉 Interesting, do you have a newsletter or perhaps a website we might subscribe to?😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-hide-or-password-protect-photos-on-a-pc/644240.md?page=2)