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password on individual client backups RRS feed

  • Question

  • It seems that whoever has the WHS password can view any file in any of the backups from different client PCs.  Is there a way to password protect a backup so that only the client PC's owner can view the backups?

    Thursday, April 23, 2009 1:25 AM

Answers

  • It seems that whoever has the WHS password can view any file in any of the backups from different client PCs.

    That's correct.  It's the administrator password.  Only the administrator needs the password (the other users can access the server shares without having that password).  That password should only be given to someone you trust (since it's for the Administrator account).

    Is there a way to password protect a backup so that only the client PC's owner can view the backups?
    No.
    • Proposed as answer by kariya21Moderator Thursday, April 23, 2009 1:31 AM
    • Marked as answer by unprovoked Thursday, April 23, 2009 7:44 PM
    Thursday, April 23, 2009 1:31 AM
    Moderator
  • Feel free to register at Microsoft Connect and issue a suggestion (or vote for existing similar suggestions).
    Best greetings from Germany
    Olaf
    • Marked as answer by unprovoked Thursday, April 23, 2009 7:44 PM
    Thursday, April 23, 2009 9:33 AM
    Moderator

All replies

  • It seems that whoever has the WHS password can view any file in any of the backups from different client PCs.

    That's correct.  It's the administrator password.  Only the administrator needs the password (the other users can access the server shares without having that password).  That password should only be given to someone you trust (since it's for the Administrator account).

    Is there a way to password protect a backup so that only the client PC's owner can view the backups?
    No.
    • Proposed as answer by kariya21Moderator Thursday, April 23, 2009 1:31 AM
    • Marked as answer by unprovoked Thursday, April 23, 2009 7:44 PM
    Thursday, April 23, 2009 1:31 AM
    Moderator
  • Feel free to register at Microsoft Connect and issue a suggestion (or vote for existing similar suggestions).
    Best greetings from Germany
    Olaf
    • Marked as answer by unprovoked Thursday, April 23, 2009 7:44 PM
    Thursday, April 23, 2009 9:33 AM
    Moderator
  • I posed the original question to find out if there was any existing add-in for such a feature, and from the replies, the answer is no. 

    In some cases a small group might want automatic backup on a WHS, but maintain some privacy of their own files (e.g. a dorm in which suitemates share a WHS install; or apartment building neighbors who do the same; even a family in which Mom/Dad want to keep some of their files private from their computer-savvy son who is the WHS Admin).

    I guess the solution is to encrypt those sensitive folders with TrueCrypt or by making the folder "Private".  Will WHS handle the backup and security of such files correctly?

    I'm curious as to whether there is something fundamentally incompatible about the design of WHS (for example the way it stores duplicate clusters just once) and password-protection.  Any thoughts?

    Thursday, April 23, 2009 5:15 PM
  • I remember from threads in the past, that WHS will not back up a client, if TrueCrypt is running on the client.
    And sure mom and dad should not share the Admin password with the computer savvy son - the interface is made for ease of use.

    Best greetings from Germany
    Olaf
    Thursday, April 23, 2009 6:39 PM
    Moderator
  • Thanks for the reply.  I'll look for the TrueCrypt threads.

    Actually, what I meant from the mom/dad example is if mom and dad are not savvy at all and it is the son or daughter who bought, installed, and admins the WHS.  Mom and dad are moderately computer phobic.

    But I understand that WHS is made for ease of use and targeted to home users, and that it cannot do everything for everyone.  But what it does (automatic backup, efficient and redundant storage, media sharing), it does very well. 

    However, I still believe that password-protection is a useful feature, and I'll try to register at Microsoft Connect as you suggested.

    Thursday, April 23, 2009 7:44 PM