Lazybit

It IS possible to delete the .dpd file that I created. If for some reason this file is deleted, how will I get my data back from the private disk that is linked to that .dpd file? For example if somebody wants to get to my data, but with your Private Disk it is protected, so now they delete the file to get back to me. What now?

You are correct, the encrypted image file can be deleted, regardless of the 'obfuscation' measures you will take (ex: store it in nested directories, give it the name of a system file, set the hidden and system attributes, etc).

Moreover, even if we added a module to Private Disk, that would monitor the state of the file and prevent others from deleting it - a malicious user would be able to circumvent this by connecting the storage device to another computer (where Private Disk is not installed).

In other words, there is no way to prevent the file from being deleted by a skilled person who knows how file systems work and is familiar with the low-level details of an OS; while setting the file to 'system' and 'hidden' is a measure good enough to filter out the majority of unskilled 'aggressive data hunters'.

The only thing that protects your data is encryption. To counter the possibility of the image getting deleted - create encrypted backups at regular time intervals. This is 100% efficient, being secure on both accounts:

• the data are encrypted, hence cannot be accessed without authorization
• the data are located on other storage media, hence cannot be deleted

I occasionaly have to rezize a private disc partition (either it was too big or too small). I was wondering why it takes the program so long to delete the partition. Why can't I just use Windows Explorer to delete the .dpd file?

You can definitely use Windows Explorer (or any other file manager) to delete the file. But there is a difference between this and Private Disk's image deletion procedure.

In the second case, the file is not just deleted, it is wiped, i.e. the data are deleted, and then overwritten with something else - making it much more complicated to recover the deleted file.

In contrast, Windows Explorer will not actually delete the file, it will be marked as 'deleted' and the space it takes will, at some point in the future, be used by other data. The trick is that before "that point in the future", the data are there and they can be recovered in an easy manner.

In the end you get to choose between speed and security: Windows Explorer deletes fast and insecure, while Private Disk does it slower, but safer.

I want to test Dekart software, and I made my private disc... one month ago... now I don't want to buy the program, but in my disc I have one important file which I need now. The disk is locked, the test period is over... what shoud I do?

If the trial period is over, you can run the program on another computer in order to access the data. This is quite easy, because Private Disk does not require an installation, you can simply copy the program's files to a removable drive and use it on another PC without leaving a trace. The procedure is described here - How to encrypt a CD or a USB drive, while newer versions of Private Disk (starting with 2.09) make it even easier, use the Install to Removable disk option:

If you have a computer network, then there is an alternative way - run Private Disk on another computer, mount the encrypted disk, share the resulting virtual drive and then access it via the network.

Sometimes we ignore little details, which is a bad thing - because others can use our negligence against us.Most routers and ADSL modems come with a web interface that is used to control and configure the device. The administration panel is accessed with a web-browser, and it provides access to data such as:

• your user name and password
• a log that shows which sites are visited, which network hosts are connected to the router
• port forwarding rules
• etc

There are two things that have to be done if such a device is used in your household:

Read more »

I used Private Disk light to send a file attached to e-mail through AOL. I created the file with Private Disk Light and added JPEG (*.jpg). It attached to the e-mail and I sent it to myself through Comcast no problem. How can I get it to go through AOL? The disk size was 6 MB.

The problem is at the level of the mail server, some servers are configured to restrict attachments that:

• are too large,
• have a double extension (like .dpd.jpg),
• that contain password protected archives,
• that contain executable files (.exe, .com, various scripts, or screensavers),
• etc

It is quite difficult to guess what kind of restrictions you will be dealing with, as each administrator prefers different methods to reject potentially harmful attachments.

The most common way to get past these restrictions is to archive the file and password protect it, or to change its extension. However, this still won't get you past a clever filter. So, how to exchange files over the Internet if I don't have a FTP server or something similar?

Solution
I suggest you to use a file exchange service instead of email, try yousendit or rapidshare, these services will help you solve the problem at no cost, allowing you to upload files of any type with size restrictions that are quite relaxed.