How to restrict drive access to single user?

[njkemps]

Running Vista Home . . . while searching how to restrict hard drive read/write access for a specific user, I encountered this, which looks like exactly what I'm looking for. Just one problem, though - when stepping through Option 1 - Vista Home doesn't appear to have a Group Policy Editor.

Since it appears this is a precondition for a single-user restriction, I'm stuck for the moment - what are my options?

Thanks -

 

[MilesAhead]

I have this table for Windows 8.
Group Policy Search

You could search to see if the Vista setting is there.

 

[njkemps]

Thanks for the quick response . . . to me this looks like Option 3 from the originally-linked page, which prevents all users from accessing the drive. (Forgot to mention that it's an internal data storage disk, not "C:\", and that I've already set it up to be invisible within "My Computer".)

On our XP machine we have a few folders with security at the user level (some have it, some don't) and I'm trying to extend this to our newer PC.

Thanks -

 

[MilesAhead]

My inclination would be to go with the .reg fine downloads that restrict all drives. Make some backups(there is an excellent Registry backup tool called ERUNT) including system image to an external drive if possible. Then attempt to edit the .reg files to your purpose.

If you use a system imaging backup tool such as Macrium Reflect or another that uses WinPE then you should be able to restore your Registry if badly damaged, by booting the WinPE disc or usb and using the ERUNT restore. See the readme file that comes with ERUNT and especially the section how drive letters will be different when you boot a restore disc. It's just a simple matter of having a small text editor that will run from the restore disc or usb so that you can edit the batch file to set the correct drive letter.

As this is one of Brink's tutorials he will know more about it than I. He may have a suggestion more to the point or simpler to carry out.

Edit: In fact if I were you I think I would post a link to your thread here right at the end of the tutorial. It's not uncommon for questions getting a tutorial to work to be posted on the tutorial thread itself.

 

[townsbg]

Running Vista Home . . . while searching how to restrict hard drive read/write access for a specific user, I encountered this, which looks like exactly what I'm looking for. Just one problem, though - when stepping through Option 1 - Vista Home doesn't appear to have a Group Policy Editor.

Since it appears this is a precondition for a single-user restriction, I'm stuck for the moment - what are my options?

Thanks -

The vista "home" versions do not have group policy editor. Only Business, Ultimate, and enterprise have it. It's the same thing for XP and 7.

 

[njkemps]

My inclination would be to go with the .reg fine downloads that restrict all drives/

Since it looks like what I want to do isn't up to Vista Home's inherent capabilities, I'm starting to think something a little cruder will work best - namely, to deactivate this data drive in BIOS and reactivate it only when it's needed. Can't get much more invisible than that.

. . . .

Edit: In fact if I were you I think I would post a link to your thread here right at the end of the tutorial. It's not uncommon for questions getting a tutorial to work to be posted on the tutorial thread itself.

I'll do that . . . on some boards posting in a thread that's been inactive for two years would be considered impolite, so that's why the new thread here.

 

[MilesAhead]

I'll do that . . . on some boards posting in a thread that's been inactive for two years would be considered impolite, so that's why the new thread here.

Good netiquette. On Vista I think they take into consideration the activity is much lower. Also it is exactly the issue. Brink will scold me if I'm wrong.

 

[Brink]

Hello NJkemps,

If the drive had been formatted using NTFS, then you should be able to also change the permissions of the drive to not allow access for a user.

You could add the user to permissions at the top, then "Deny" the user access.

Permissions - Allow or Deny Users and Groups - Windows 7 Help Forums

Hope this helps,
Shawn