Read Only partition?

[groovicus]

I've got a little project I've been working on, but I'm stuck. I'm trying to find information about making a partition read only (for Windows ME), but not having any luck. Google gives me plenty of info about Linux systems, but other than that, I'm stuck. Anybody out there have any helpful hints?

Thanks,
groovicus

[phishphreek]

You can change the attributes on the files of a hard drive... but they can easily be changed back...

http://www.computerhope.com/attribhl.htm

Thats bout all I can think of ATM.

Something like...

c:\attrib +R /S *.*

Should make the whole "C" drive read only... I only tested it with one folder... so I don't screw up my file system.

EDIT: As tiger has pointed out... this wouldn't work on the "c" drive as it is the operating system partition. A partition that was for storage only would work.

All one would need to do to remove that is...

c:\attrib -R /S *.*

and you're right back where you started.

Now... If you were using NTFS, it'd be a lot easier.

[Tiger Shark]

Phish: Thats fine on a folder but if you tried the entire drive it would error out with access denied on all the important files. Now they are write protected by virtue of the fact that they are protected by the system.

Unfortunately, due to the way windows works, I don't think it is possible to create a bootable windows partition that is read only - pagefile is required to start with..... though it is quite well protected.....

With the attrib change you suggested if I was on the system and found I couldn't do things then the first thing I would do is an attrib *.* and see what you had done..... More, the kind of thing you do to prevent your 5 year old from messing up your computer......

[phishphreek]

Phish: Thats fine on a folder but if you tried the entire drive it would error out with access denied on all the important files. Now they are write protected by virtue of the fact that they are protected by the system.

You can change the attributes on the files of a hard drive... but they can easily be changed back...

Very true. I just used "C" as my example because thats all I have on this box.

If it was a partition that didn't have files in use or a non system partition (meaning for storage only) then it would work.

I understand that it is not a good example... but that is about the only thing you can do seeing that the file system is FAT. If it was NTFS... it'd be a different story.

This method would indeed be a lame way to do it... but thats all I could think of that'd do the job.

Thanks for pointing that out, as I didn't think it through too well. Quick 10second post... and its 430! Time to go home! And wait for this HURRICANE to blow my house away!

[groovicus]

Tiger & Fish, thank you both for your input, and double thanks for not just pointing me to software that would do it for me

In this case, the partition I want to make read only is for, umm, for lack of a better term, a "recovery" copy, so it doesn't need to be bootable, until I need it. I didn't think of just making all the files read only...DOH!

Now for the vanishing HD trick...

[nihil]

Hi Guys,

I think that part of the problem is with Me, which is fundamentally a FAT32 domestic system and not very secure?

NTFS is a professional product along with the Operating Systems that use it. They are much more easily secured.

I would have thought that you could get hold of a copy of NT4.0 pretty cheaply these days? I would be inclined to use that as my testbed for a security project. It is not that different from NT5.0 (oops I mean Win 2000 )

I have not tried a dual boot system, but I believe that it is possible? I have certainly had Me and XP on the same machine.

The reason that I am suggesting this groovicus, is that solutions derived on old Microsoft OSes will tend to be dictated by those OSes, and will be pretty much obsolete?

My gut feel for 9x/Me is that any solution is going to have to be some sort of additional security software, that would demand a password before allowing windows to boot?

Just a few thoughts

[groovicus]

well...I do have my system set up for dual ME boot, and the only way I could find to do it was indeed with a 3rd party. It's called OST2000.

I would go for NT, but I'd like to learn a little more about this system yet.