Windows network question

In my household there are 3 computers (plus an iPod touch) that connect to the internet over the same network. On my computer, I want for certain activities to be private. I use Truecrypt and sometimes Tor; however, some of the documents I've accessed are showing up under Network/*computer 2 name*/users/*user 2 name*/searches/everywhere, despite being stored solely inside Truecrypt. I checked the same path on "computer 2" and none of these documents showed up, but I am still concerned as I don't know how this all works.
Could anyone shed some light on this? Some of my important Truecrypt documents are visible outside of Truecrypt. One other thing to note: I deleted one of the documents inside this "everywhere" folder, and the corresponding document inside Truecrypt was also deleted. Why is this? How do I keep these "everywhere" documents hidden or prevent them from showing up? I am using Windows 7.

Originally posted by trollz
In my household there are 3 computers (plus an iPod touch) that connect to the internet over the same network. On my computer, I want for certain activities to be private. I use Truecrypt and sometimes Tor; however, some of the documents I've accessed are showing up under Network/*computer 2 name*/users/*user 2 name*/searches/everywhere, despite being stored solely inside Truecrypt. I checked the same path on "computer 2" and none of these documents showed up, but I am still concerned as I don't know how this all works.
Could anyone shed some light on this? Some of my important Truecrypt documents are visible outside of Truecrypt. One other thing to note: I deleted one of the documents inside this "everywhere" folder, and the corresponding document inside Truecrypt was also deleted. Why is this? How do I keep these "everywhere" documents hidden or prevent them from showing up? I am using Windows 7.

Not a solution but a workaround and prevention.
Dont keep it under My Documents, instead, create a new folder under C:\ directly, then modify its properties to limits to your self only, then Truecrypt or whatever you use.
Good - Pretty much not shared
Bad - If you forgot the pass, consider its gone.

Another way better is to use USB stick, which is much much better in terms of privacy and security. If the FBI/CIA/MIB knock on your door you simply can toss the thing out, much better than tossing your computer out.

Keep some mayonaise handy, you could probably manage to swallow a USB in a hurry, much, much safer.
But the could need some antacids.

Originally posted by NullVoid

Originally posted by trollz
In my household there are 3 computers (plus an iPod touch) that connect to the internet over the same network. On my computer, I want for certain activities to be private. I use Truecrypt and sometimes Tor; however, some of the documents I've accessed are showing up under Network/*computer 2 name*/users/*user 2 name*/searches/everywhere, despite being stored solely inside Truecrypt. I checked the same path on "computer 2" and none of these documents showed up, but I am still concerned as I don't know how this all works.
Could anyone shed some light on this? Some of my important Truecrypt documents are visible outside of Truecrypt. One other thing to note: I deleted one of the documents inside this "everywhere" folder, and the corresponding document inside Truecrypt was also deleted. Why is this? How do I keep these "everywhere" documents hidden or prevent them from showing up? I am using Windows 7.

Not a solution but a workaround and prevention.
Dont keep it under My Documents, instead, create a new folder under C:\ directly, then modify its properties to limits to your self only, then Truecrypt or whatever you use.
Good - Pretty much not shared
Bad - If you forgot the pass, consider its gone.

Another way better is to use USB stick, which is much much better in terms of privacy and security. If the FBI/CIA/MIB knock on your door you simply can toss the thing out, much better than tossing your computer out.

I don't have anything under My Documents, and as far as I know, everything is already set so that on the network, everything on my computer except the name should be invisible.
The USB stick would be great though, I may end up getting one sometime.

when you browse a website you download every part you need to view it such as images/html/css/xml etc files so that the browser can actually display the webpage correctly no i assume you dont want to leave a trace on your computer now a good idea is to made a ramdrive and point the browser to use that as your cache as the moment you lose power to the machine all the details are lost

but without knowing a few more basic details like os/browsers etc its hard to give more robust advice

Originally posted by Maxatoria
when you browse a website you download every part you need to view it such as images/html/css/xml etc files so that the browser can actually display the webpage correctly no i assume you dont want to leave a trace on your computer now a good idea is to made a ramdrive and point the browser to use that as your cache as the moment you lose power to the machine all the details are lost

but without knowing a few more basic details like os/browsers etc its hard to give more robust advice

I have Windows 7 and I primarily use Chrome for internet browsing. If the files are showing up from the internet, how do I prevent them from being copied/stored in the "everywhere" folder?

reply to post by trollz
Regarding the TrueCrypt volume, at least - unless you leave it mounted all the time (in which case contents will show in Windows Explorer), its contents shouldn't show up.

Can you just mount it whenever you need to access those files, and then immediately unmount when done?

Originally posted by Praetorius
reply to post by trollz

 

Regarding the TrueCrypt volume, at least - unless you leave it mounted all the time (in which case contents will show in Windows Explorer), its contents shouldn't show up.

Can you just mount it whenever you need to access those files, and then immediately unmount when done?

That would be rather inconvenient. My main concern is how to prevent them from showing up in Windows Explorer even when I am inside TrueCrypt. Is this possible? And how do I get rid of the files that have already shown up without also deleting the corresponding files inside Truecrypt?

reply to post by trollz

That would be rather inconvenient. My main concern is how to prevent them from showing up in Windows Explorer even when I am inside TrueCrypt. Is this possible?

As it's a mounted volume, not that I'm aware of, since you've got it decrypted for session with the files accessible.

And how do I get rid of the files that have already shown up without also deleting the corresponding files inside Truecrypt?

That I can't even try to answer offhand, as I've never had this problem. Best I can suggest is referring you directly to the TrueCrypt forums for more assistance on this, as I think you may need a larger number of normal users to sort some of this out.

Sorry I can't help much, never had that file issue you mentioned and am otherwise just an occasional user. Good luck!

Originally posted by Praetorius
reply to post by trollz

 

That would be rather inconvenient. My main concern is how to prevent them from showing up in Windows Explorer even when I am inside TrueCrypt. Is this possible?

As it's a mounted volume, not that I'm aware of, since you've got it decrypted for session with the files accessible.

And how do I get rid of the files that have already shown up without also deleting the corresponding files inside Truecrypt?

That I can't even try to answer offhand, as I've never had this problem. Best I can suggest is referring you directly to the TrueCrypt forums for more assistance on this, as I think you may need a larger number of normal users to sort some of this out.

Sorry I can't help much, never had that file issue you mentioned and am otherwise just an occasional user. Good luck!

edit on 5/21/2012 by Praetorius because: (no reason given)

Thanks for the help, I'll check out the forums there.
Also, here is a screenshot of what I am talking about just for the record.

reply to post by trollz
And that's Win7, huh...I'll have to tinker with mine when I get home (only had Win 7 for a few months myself), and I'm assuming that the "Everywhere" folder might actually just hub everything up from all different file locations - basically, isn't actually a separate folder, but more like a shortcut to everything you've got on the PC (instead of having to drill down to individual folders)?

So I don't think it's making copies of whatever you're working with, it's just providing a different route - so, you save a file somewhere, it also shows up there, and you delete a file out of there, you'll also delete it from its actual location.

Just a shot in the dark there, and I'd need to get to my unit to verify.

UPDATE:
Yep, that looks right regarding the "Everywhere" folder - it just shows all files on your PC: linky

ANYTHING you delete out of there will be deleted from its actual location, since that's just showing you *all* your files, and isn't copies or the like.

Originally posted by Praetorius
reply to post by trollz

 

And that's Win7, huh...I'll have to tinker with mine when I get home (only had Win 7 for a few months myself), and I'm assuming that the "Everywhere" folder might actually just hub everything up from all different file locations - basically, isn't actually a separate folder, but more like a shortcut to everything you've got on the PC (instead of having to drill down to individual folders)?

So I don't think it's making copies of whatever you're working with, it's just providing a different route - so, you save a file somewhere, it also shows up there, and you delete a file out of there, you'll also delete it from its actual location.

Just a shot in the dark there, and I'd need to get to my unit to verify.

UPDATE:
Yep, that looks right regarding the "Everywhere" folder - it just shows all files on your PC: linky

ANYTHING you delete out of there will be deleted from its actual location, since that's just showing you *all* your files, and isn't copies or the like.

edit on 5/21/2012 by Praetorius because: (no reason given)

Yep, I customized the theme. I'm also using RocketDock and Rainmeter. My desktop is completely clean, no icons. The RocketDock "icons" are as minimalist as possible.

I think you're right. I just realized that when dismounted from TrueCrypt, the files in the Everywhere "folder" can't be opened... But they're still visible, including their actual location within TrueCrypt.. I need to find a way to make them not even visible. If I right-click on Everywhere in the address bar, there is an option to delete history. Will this delete everything, or just the Everywhere files?

reply to post by trollz

My desktop is completely clean, no icons. The RocketDock "icons" are as minimalist as possible.

Man after my own heart - my desktop only has the recycle bin (Linux got me on the clean-desktop kick the few times I used it), and I've got a glass theme on rocketdock with the size shrunk down.

I think you're right. I just realized that when dismounted from TrueCrypt, the files in the Everywhere "folder" can't be opened... But they're still visible, including their actual location within TrueCrypt.. I need to find a way to make them not even visible. If I right-click on Everywhere in the address bar, there is an option to delete history. Will this delete everything, or just the Everywhere files?

Hmmm. I would assume just the Everywhere files, as long as that's all you've got selected - I don't think will be necessary, though:

You might also try to back out of or close the folder, then go back in - I think it's only holding them visible since you had access when the Crypt was unlocked and were still in that folder - since they're no longer accessible, I don't think you'll have to do anything to get them to not show up on new searches/browsing in that folder - should now be invisible as far as your computer is concerned, once you don't have that same browse session open in the everywhere folder.

I think its in the Security in folder sharing option.
There are a lot of way to limit certain directory to certain user.
Also Windows have this Delegate/propagate access permission to sub folder, its troublesome

I believe "Everyone/Computer" have the permission to
"List contents", "Read & Execute" and "Read " on the directory

For more info about what I'm saying , RTFM about "Access Control"

As far as I understand it, you are talking about one of the two predefined saved searches that Windows 7 (Windows Vista may have them too, I don't remember) has.

They are just that, predefined searched that, when clicked, show all files in the computer or all files in the indexed folders (indexed searches are much faster).

As with all search results in Windows 7, what you are seeing in the results are the original files, so, if you delete them, you delete the files.

But if you are worried about all the files on your computer appearing on that predefined search, just delete the "Everywhere" file.

It's called virtual folders and I agree it is a security risk on a multi-user system.

If you delete the file from inside the virtual search folder it will delete the corresponding file. You can delete the "everywhere" folder but it has been reported to repopulate.


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