Protecting USB data from deletion

[billcarson]

Hi, I have all of my family photos, work documents etc., backed up on an external hard drive. I am concerned, because unlike my pc, there is no recycling bin, therefore, if anything is accidentally deleted, its gone for good. Is there any way to lock a folder or file so it cannot be deleted accidentally? Or, is there any software that exists like a recycle bin specifically for external USB storage devices?

Thanks, Bill Carson

 

[carnageX]

If you do a regular delete and not a shift+delete it does store the deleted item in the recycle bin.

I suggest checking out the following article that explains NTFS permissions:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/277867

So you'd want to restrict the Full Control & Modify permissions to only certain groups.

 

[billcarson]

Hi, Not on xp. Anytime I delete something from any USB storage device, it is not sent to the recycle bin, it just disappears. I apologize, but I'm not very tech savvy, so I had difficulty understanding the other technical jargon you were suggesting.

 

[carnageX]

The permissions still apply even though you're not on XP.

Read this to get an understanding of how the recycle bin works for Windows and drives:
External hard drive has recycle bin--how to access? - Forums - CNET

For setting permissions, you would have to right click the folder -> Security tab -> modify the permissions through that dialog. You can restrict permissions to only certain groups - so you could modify the Everyone and/or non-Administrator groups to remove the Modify security permission.

 

[billcarson]

OK. Thanks, I'll give it a try. I just found a program called ibin, apparently, it's specifically designed for USB devices. Anyone know if this is reliable and safe to use?

 

[1etherer]

Never used it, but it seems to be a very simple program, just make sure you download a safe version