Linux copy protection from memory card. USB Manager How to protect files from being copied. Software ways to unlock flash media using standard Windows tools

USB flash drive necessary and convenient invention. I inserted the flash drive, copied the document in a few moments and put it in my pocket. Fast and a lot of information breaks. But what if you need to prohibit the use of flash drives on your computer in order to prevent theft of documents from the disk? How to make it so that it would be impossible to copy files from confidential information from computer disk to external media? How to protect information from copying? To save important information from copying, use the program to manage USB port mi computer USB Manager. The utility blocks access to USB ports and to flash drives connected to the port and other usb devices for storing information, as well as to printers, scanners and multimedia devices for sound reproduction.

Computer USB Port Management

To prohibit the use of computer USB port for flash drives, to block the connection of printers, scanners or USB audio devices, in the main program window, just click on the icon next to the image of the device type. If the device is disabled by the USB Manager program, then nothing will happen when it is connected to the port, the operating system simply will not see and detect the device, and therefore access to it will be impossible. For example, when connecting a USB flash drive when the program blocks USB drives, in Explorer Windows disk it just won't show up in the list of removable devices. To prevent the user from changing USB settings Manager, in the program settings you can set a password for USB control computer ports. And so that the user does not guess how access to ports is blocked, the program can run as a hidden process.

Screenshots of USB Manager

Official site: http://imakesoft.ru/
OS: 32.64 Windows XP/Vista/7/8
Supported languages: Russian and many others
Version: 2.0
License:freeware (free)

File size 1.4 MB

Other interesting programs:

• SmartLombard is the first Russian program that allows you to optimize the management processes of the pawnshop business
• UndeleteMyFiles Pro Free program to recover deleted files

previous programs.

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Do you want to buy flash drives with copy protection at a discount?
. In response, you will receive a letter with a PROMO CODE for a 5% DISCOUNT.
When buying on the ProtectMedia official website, inform the seller.

TrusCont Secure Flash Drive
4 GB: $2 off = ~68 rubles
8 GB: $3.5 off = ~119 rubles
16 GB: $4.5 off = ~153 rubles

PS: 1) the discount applies exclusively to piece-by-piece purchased devices of all volumes. When buying a box of copy-protected flash drives, the discount does not apply!
2) discount coupon for TSFD flash drives, valid only for the first 3 (three) days from the date of receipt!

TrusCont Secure Flash Drive(hereinafter abbreviated TSFD) - recordable flash drives with built-in copy protection software, multimedia and content files. Compatible with all operating systems of the family Windows (Windows 2000 - Windows 8.1).

TSFD is an improved UFD, specially created for the publication of almost any digital content. Copy protection of a flash drive is carried out by encrypting the content on it based on the encryption key built into the chip. Directions for use: Protection training courses, trainings, seminar materials, art albums, portfolios, small-circulation software, DBMS, e-books, video tutorials, presentations, PDF manuals, etc.

– Copy protection for software and other types of files
- CD-ROM and Read-Only partitions to protect your files from deletion;
- Huge capacity - up to 32 GB;
– Internet updates;
– Possibility to limit the time of use;
– Controlled number of installations / users;
– Real Autorun / autorun functionality;
– Digital Rights Management.

The flash drive comes with a license that allows you to work with free software. TrusCont TSFD Protection Toolkit within 1 year. Further, the flash drive will work with the latest files written to the protected area. To continue working, you either need to purchase a new one. TSFD or buy a license and extend the work for another 1 year.

The program primarily protects against copying, and not against unauthorized access, therefore, data decryption and bringing them to their original state are not provided. Encrypted files have the same size down to the last byte. Depending on the format, the file will either be fully encrypted or partially encrypted. So in executable files ( .exe), only a small part is encrypted to speed up the creation process.

On this moment Support for flash drives on the following controllers is relevant: SMI SM3257ENAA, SM3257ENLT. Personally, I used a flash drive for these purposes TeamGroup on the controller SM3257AA, which is also supported, but alas, it is almost impossible to find it on sale.

Controller Vendor: SMI
Controller Part-Number: SM3257AA-ISP L0131-AA-
Flash ID code: ECD58472 5042 - Samsung K9HCG08U5E - 4CE/Single Channel -> Total Capacity = 8GB

Protected file formats

TSFD Protection Toolkit provides strong protection, by default, only for the specific file types they claim. The table lists the available copy protection options for each of the supported file types.

In principle, the utility can work with other formats, but protection is not guaranteed by the developer. So for example the documents Microsoft office (doc; docx; ppt; pptx; xls; xlsx), although they are not officially supported, but still the settings contain support for Microsoft Viewer (Word\PowerPoint\Excel), available. This is because protection will be able to protect against copying when using Microsoft Viewer, but will not save if you allow the use of a full-fledged Microsoft office.

So if you decide to add an officially undeclared extension, then for this, in the catalog installed program TSFD Protection Toolkit, there is a configuration file tcp_custom.ini.

Extension=.xxx
Description=XXX Files
Group=Custom

Extension=.xxx
Description=XXX Files
Group=Custom

We replace the characters xxx, both registers, with a specific extension. Further, in the process of program operation, our file will appear on the tab Custom, whose name is also defined in ini-file.

The process of creating a flash drive:

Although the program cannot boast of a Russian-language interface, but due to the fact that the process of its work is a step-by-step wizard, there should not be any particular difficulties.

We are prompted to select the required task:
# Create a new project- create new project
# Modify an existing project– open an already created project
# Write TrusCont Portable Image (*.tcpi)- burn a flash drive from a saved image
# Test a flash drive for compatibility- test the flash drive for compatibility with the program

So, we create a clean project ...

You need to add files that you need to upload to the protected area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe flash drive. Then apply certain settings for all files, as well as groups of files and individual subjects. For each type of files, the program contains certain features that may be most relevant for users.

The left panel contains all the files that you add. And on the right, only those with which work is declared or added using the file tcp_custom.ini. They are automatically sorted by bookmarks, depending on the type of content ( Web Content, Applications, Documents, Custom, Music).

Consider the main options:
1) Password (This password will be required each time the end-user tries to open the protected file)– password requested each time the file is launched.
2) Expiration date (After this date the file will automatically become invalid)- the date after which the file literally turns into a brick, which then cannot be launched in any way.
3) Enable Copy & Paste (Enable end users to perform copy-paste operations from protected documents to other application)– allows copying content from protected documents.
4) Allow printing (Allow end users to print protected documents)- allows you to print documents to a physical printer. Reportedly roll out the document to a virtual printer, it still won't be available.
5) Allow execution from another media (If check, a copy of the protected file is allowed to run from other media as long as the original USB is plugged in. Otherwise, the protected file can be launched only from the original USB)
6) Background checks every seconds and suspend after seconds (If checked, the protection will perform periodic checks of the USB during the software run. If the original USB is removed from the system, the protection will try to suspend the protected application and display a warning message)
7) Terminate on eject (If checked, the protection will perform periodic checks of the USB during the software run. If the original USB is removed from the system, the protection will terminate the protected application)- unlike the previous function, this one does not bother with any warnings, but silently cuts down the running economy (program).

To apply security settings to each specific file, right-click on it, and select Options, or click the “ Protection Options” under the right window.

1) volume label: usbdevru1– label of the volume on which the protected data is written.

2) Use external time source only– the function is available if you have activated the option for at least one file Expiration date. It forcibly prohibits the use of system time as a reference system and forcibly switches to external server on the Internet.

3) Rename TrusCont Autorun file to- assign autorun file ( autorun_tc.exe), another name.

4) Set a global password– common password for all protected files.

5) splash screen (Default, Disabled, Custom) - screensaver that appears when the flash drive autoruns or manual loading autorun_tc.exe file. Personally, I would not disable the splash screen, as it clearly shows whether autorun has worked or if you need to manually run autorun_tc.exe.

6) Restricted use mode: [none, computer, user, domain]; Count: [ 1 ] – limit the number of used computers, users, domains. By default, there are no restrictions (none).

Running a protected file is possible only if you have installed one or another program that was previously added to the list of allowed applications ( Allowed application). You can view the list, as well as make adjustments there, by clicking the button. Advanced.

Advanced -> Application

For example, I'm looking for PDF-documents, using the free portable version PDF-XChange Viewer, which is absent both in the list of allowed applications and certified ones ( certified applications). To add a new application, click Add Application and enter the following data:

application name: PDFX_Vwr_Port
Process Name list: PDFXCview.exe
List of file extensions supported by the application for “Save As”: pdf;txt(for example Acrobat)

Optionally, you can block the application's access to the network ( Block Network Access for this application).

I also added 3 more rules:

7z
7zFM.exe
rar;7z;zip

WinRAR
winrar.exe
rar;7z;zip

WinDjView
WinDjView.exe
djvu;djv;bmp

You need to decide what operation you will perform next:
# Start duplicating- start creating a flash drive.
# Save project– save the project (.tupx).
# Create a TrusCont Portable Image (*.tcpi)- create a flash drive image for subsequent recording. All project files will be saved inside it.
# Create a self recording update file– create a self-recording file (.exe) that does not require a Toolkit utility. For example, it can be used to send updates to clients by mail.

Choose Start duplicating…

Here we need to select our flash drive.
UNKNOWN_DEVICE- unsupported device
NOLIC#201012240000000000000020 (N:) 8 GB– supported device, where the characters after the # symbol are serial number devices.
- a flash drive already with a hardwired license for TSFD protection and two partitions.

So I choose (*)TSFD, but if the flash drive is virgin, then you need to look for zeroes (NOLIC#).
The drive information will be displayed below:
Flash drive compatibility: TrusCont Secure Flash Drive (compatible)
license status: Valid until Jun-21-2015(license expiration date for a specific flash drive)

Select partitions

Here we are invited to choose the future configuration of areas on the flash drive ( Partition Configuration):
CD-ROM (read-only, support Autorun)
Read Only Removable (FAT32)
Write Enabled Partition

If you do not need a second unprotected partition, then it is better not to activate it, but limit yourself to a single CDROM. It will be recognized faster by the operating system and will not collect viruses.
About Read Only Removable (FAT32), I don’t even advise you to experiment, waste your time in vain.

The picture shows that I entered the password usbdevpass, but if you did not create it when you first flashed the flash drive, then you will not need it. If you created it, then be sure to remember it or write it down, without it you will never be able to re-record it on this USB flash drive.

We are warned that the next step will lead to the complete removal of all information on the flash drive. Well, if necessary, do backups files from a flash drive.

Below are some details about the processed flash drive:
volume label: usbdevru1
Drive: (*)TSFD:000000000016F2D1 (I:, J:) 8 GB

Duplication in Progress

Flash drive conversion, data encryption, data recording and so on. The write speed is not high, for example, the tested flash drive in its normal life develops a write speed of up to 12 MB / s, and judging from the picture, we have a current of 4.5 MB / s.

Completion of creation

In addition to your files, two more files (Autorun.inf and autorun_tc.exe) are created at the root of the CDROM partition, which are responsible for autoloading.

autorun_tc.exe– a content manager program, after launch it becomes a protection driver in random access memory PC. Compiled for each specific flash drive and written after writing encrypted files.
Functions:
1. Check for the presence of the original encryption key in the flash drive chip. If found, serve file operations.
2. Decrypt files directly to the requesting application without creating an intermediate copy on disk.
3. Block Windows features APIs responsible for save/restore, copy/paste, print, printscreen, etc.

We distort the flash drive in the USB port and you can safely use it.

A small test of the fruits of this product

Two computers were used as test subjects:
– stationary based on the AMD A85 chipset, with Windows XP ENG SP3 installed;
- HP laptop, on Windows 8.1 x64 RUS.

1) BOOTICEx86_2013.12.10_v1.3.2.1.exe, standard settings
XP:OK
8.1x64: installed antivirus Avira Free, stubbornly assured that it was a virus. But the stability of the work was tested when trying to delete the file with all sorts of under-programs (antiviruses).

2) GetMPInfo_v6.01.exe, Background checks every + Password
XP:OK
8.1x64:OK

3) NOTEPAD.EXE, standard settings
XP: not working
8.1x64: similar

Refuses to work from a flash drive created by the current version of the TSFD Protection Toolkit (v2.5). Can be used previous version V2.4, which is available from the ProtectMedia website.
As explained to me, there are other problems with executable files. For example: files with a very small code size are not supported, because there is simply nowhere to build protection.

4) MPALL Setting.pdf, Password
XP:OK
8.1x64:OK

5) UPTools Error Code List_OPEN.pdf, Enable Copy & Paste + Allow printing
XP:OK
8.1x64:OK

6) Jerry Honeycutt - Registry Microsoft Windows xp. Professional's Handbook.djvu,
XP:OK
8.1x64: not tested

7) Dancing minus – City.mp3, Password
XP:OK
8.1x64: an error appears, after closing which everything is reproduced.

player Windows Media
Windows Media Player cannot access the file. The file may be in use, access to the computer where the file is stored is not allowed, or the proxy server settings are incorrect.
[Close] [Web Help]

8) Dancing minus - Gardens are blooming.mp3, standard settings
XP:OK
8.1x64:OK

9) 6633b2.jpg, Password + Enable Copy & Paste + Allow printing
XP:OK
8.1x64: OK, but the opening is preceded by an error, after which the picture opens without a problem.

Attention
Operation blocked
The iexplore.exe program cannot be used to view the protected file because it is a 64 bit process. Use a 32 bit program to open the file
[OK]

Are you afraid that your information can be stolen from your work computer and carried away on a flash drive? Or vice versa, are you afraid of losing data stored on a flash drive due to the fact that they are easily deleted? How to protect files from being copied to removable media without prohibiting its use in the system? And how to protect the copied from deletion?

Write protection of a flash drive can be implemented in several ways, depending on the goals pursued. Some of them prohibit writing to a removable disk using the system itself, which makes it impossible to write files to any flash drive on your computer, while others allow you to prohibit writing to a specific media, regardless of which computer it will be connected to. Let's consider them in more detail:

Disable writing to removable media by editing the registry.

Small changes made to the registry will make it possible to prohibit writing to any removable drives. In order to make the necessary settings, open the “Run” window using the Win / R key combination and launch the registry editor (to do this, enter the “regedit” command in the window and press the Ok or Enter button):

In the editor, we are interested in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE section,

in which we sequentially open /SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/

In the Control subsection, we need to find the StorageDevicePolicies folder (and if it is not there, create a new one) and replace the value zero with one in the WriteProtect parameter:

To do this, double-click to open the parameter and edit its value:

In the event that we created the StorageDevicePolicies ourselves, we need to create the WriteProtect parameter in it, for which we need right click mouse open context menu, select “32-bit DWORD Value” and name the new parameter WriteProtect, and then change its value to one, as described above.

After closing the Registry Editor, restart your computer to apply the changes. Recording to removable drives is no longer available, nothing can be copied to a USB flash drive, and files existing on it cannot be deleted and renamed:

To disable write protection, set the WriteProtect parameter to zero.

Prevent writing to flash media by changing group policy

Another way to achieve similar results is to make changes to the local group policy. Open the editor using the familiar Win / R keys with the command gpedit.msc in the Run window:

Let's sequentially go along the path Computer Configuration / Administrative Templates / System / Access to removable storage devices:

Here we are interested in the parameter “ Removable drives: disable recording”, which must be set to on:

This method is good because it does not require a system restart to apply the settings - after clicking the "Apply" button, the prohibition of writing to disks is turned on immediately.

Also, the prohibition of recording is immediately turned off, it is enough to set the parameter “Removable disks: disable recording” to “Not configured”, or “Disable”.

Both methods are good for preventing writing on your computer, but they are not capable of protecting important data on a flash drive when using it to transfer files to another computer. This requires a completely different approach:

Protecting a flash drive from writing by setting access rights

To use this method, you need to format your flash drive with standard Windows tools to the NTFS file system:

All data will be destroyed in this case, so if you have important documents on it, copy them first to your hard drive, and after formatting, return them to a USB flash drive.

In the “Properties” we are interested in the “Security” tab, on which we can make changes to the access rights of the file system:

Set the group “Everyone” to write ban, apply the changes:

Now, regardless of the computer to which your flash drive will be connected, no user will have write rights (and, accordingly, delete files). Moreover, you can restore rights only on the computer where the initial changes were made by returning the checkmark for the “Record” item to the “Allow” position.

If you wish, you can experiment with different user groups, for example by allowing only the group with administrative rights to write. However, please note that these settings will only be valid for administrators on the computer where the changes are made and not on any other.

How to remove such write protection if access to source computer no, or if this computer has been reinstalled operating system? In this case, only formatting the flash drive again will help you. Do not be alarmed if you store important documents on it - copy them to a folder on your computer's hard drive, and then boldly format your storage medium. After formatting file system will return to the initial state, to be sure, you can choose FAT system as a new file system.

Removable media write protection with built-in switch

Do not forget that some manufacturers provide a switch that allows you to block recording on a flash drive. This applies mainly to memory cards and adapters for them, however, USB drives can also be equipped with them:

In the event that your media has such a switch, simply switch it - and until you return it to the reverse position, it will be impossible to write anything, or accidentally delete files. The main thing is that you yourself do not forget that you have enabled the write lock on the flash drive, otherwise you are guaranteed unpleasant emotions when you cannot submit a report to your boss due to the fact that you cannot copy files to the flash drive, now protected.

When the USB flash drive or memory card is write-protected, you can only view and copy files from the media. Write data or delete them from the disk, as well as format it, will not work.

You can fix this error by disabling the write lock in one of the following ways.

ytimg.com

There may be a switch on the casing of SD cards and some USB drives that activates physical write protection. Even knowing about its purpose, users sometimes forget about this detail, which is why they experience difficulties.

If your flash drive has such a switch, disconnect it from the system and slide the lever so that it is not in the Lock position. Then try recording again.

If there is not enough space on the flash drive to copy files, the system usually reports this in plain text. But sometimes, instead of a standard message, the computer writes that the flash drive is write-protected.

Just in case, look at the free volume of the drive and, if it is not enough to write new data or is simply too small, remove it from the USB flash drive extra files. After that, try again to write down the necessary information on it.

Errors related to write protection can be the result of running malware. Check the drive - or better, the entire computer - with. Perhaps this will solve the problem with the flash drive.

If protection is enabled as a result of a software failure or a change in Windows settings, the Registry Editor can help you. To open it, press Win + R, type regedit in the field and click OK.

Use the sidebar to navigate to the directory: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies. When you see the WriteProtect option, double-click it and make sure its value is zero. Change it if necessary and click OK.

If there is no StorageDevicePolicies directory on the system, create it yourself: right-click on the Control partition, select New → Partition and name it StorageDevicePolicies.

If the WriteProtect parameter is missing, you can add it as well. Right-click on the StorageDevicePolicies section and select New → DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it WriteProtect. Then open it and make sure the parameter value is zero.

5. Disable Write Protection at Command Prompt (Windows)

The protection can also be deactivated with command line. To open it, type cmd in the system search, right-click on the found element and select "Run as administrator".

1. In the window that appears, type diskpart and press Enter.
2. Then type list disk followed by Enter again.
3. When the table of disks opens, determine by size which one is your flash drive, and remember its number.
4. Enter the command sele disk [your flash drive number] (the number without square brackets is indicated) and press Enter.
5. Then attributes disk clear readonly and again - Enter.

After that, the write protection should be removed and the flash drive will work as it should.

Write protect message on Mac can be caused by software failure on a flash drive. In this case, you should check the drive with " Disk Utility". Open it in Finder → Programs → Utilities.

In the sidebar, select the problematic flash drive. Then click on top menu"First Aid" and click "Run". If the system finds errors on the drive, it will try to restore it.

If none of the above steps help, try using the built-in tools or third-party utilities. This will erase all the contents from it, but you can first copy important data from the drive to your computer.

If you can't format the drive, you may have to use special utilities from manufacturers.

Those who actively use flash drives in the course of their work have probably thought more than once about the question of how to protect the device and the information stored on it. Protect against viruses that can infiltrate the drive if it has to be connected to other people's computers. Protect, perhaps, from the deliberate actions of colleagues at work, eager to destroy the stored information. Protect from children. You can protect yourself at least from viruses and childish pranks using a mechanical write protection switch, if the flash drive provides one. If there is no such switch, you can resort to software analogues of such a mechanism. And if necessary, also enhance the security of stored information. About this, in fact, we will talk further.

How to protect a flash drive from viruses and erasing information

Ratool program

Protect removable drives- flash drives, SD cards, optical discs - from writing unnecessary information and deleting, on the contrary, the necessary information is able to do a small portable program called Ratool. It can be downloaded for free from the developers website:

https://www.sordum.org/8104/ratool-v1-3-removable-access-tool

Two main features of the program:

Prohibition of writing data to the media and blocking the deletion of existing data;

Complete blocking of the carrier.

We start Ratool. To prohibit writing to a USB flash drive and deleting data from it, in the program window, select the item "Allow read only". Click the "Apply Changes" button.

We will see a notification that says that in order to apply the changes made, the flash drive needs to be reconnected. We press "Ok".

Remove the flash drive from the USB port and insert it again. Now when you try to copy files to a USB flash drive in Windows Explorer this process will freeze at 0% and will not move forward in any way.

And when deleting files from a flash drive, the operation will simply be ignored. And here Total Commander who wants to work unauthorized with our flash drive will tell about what is happening. When copying files inside file manager we will see a message that, they say, there is no access.

And when you try to delete data, Total Commander will ask you to remove the write protection.

Ratool, if necessary, can block the flash drive completely - make it so that the computer will not detect it at all. To do this, in the program window, select the last item "Lock USB drive" and apply the changes.

And, as in the previous case, reconnect the flash drive.

To return everything back - to make the USB flash drive defined by the computer or to allow data writing - in the Ratool window, select the first item "Allow reading and writing ...", apply the changes and reconnect the media.

From smart third parties who can reveal the secret of protecting a flash drive from writing, Ratool has the ability to access the program if you enter a password.

The simple and convenient mechanism of operation of Ratool, alas, is not without flaws. Carried out by means of this program, the media blocking applies only to the current computer device. On another PC, on another laptop, the flash drive will not be write-protected. On any new device, you will have to run Ratool and carry out an operation to disable data recording regarding this particular device. Fortunately, the program weighs very little, so you can put it on a USB flash drive and always carry it with you. Ratool is a program for Windows, it starts from an EXE file, therefore, it will not help in cases of connecting a flash drive to computers based on other operating systems.

Windows Local Group Policy Editor

Ratool, in fact, is a simplified mechanism for blocking removable storage media, which can be implemented on your personal or work computer using Windows itself - using the editor group policy. The latter cannot be used in the Windows Home edition, but in the Pro edition it can be used to block flash drives, SD cards, optical drives and other drives for both all and individual accounts computer. How to work with the editor in principle and in terms of creating restrictions only for individual users is considered in detail. In its paragraph 3, a method for disabling data writing to removable media is described.

Even the first method, not to mention the second, is good when the flash drive is used in a limited circle of Windows computers. If the circle of computers is wide, other actions will be more appropriate. It is possible, for example, in a separate way protect the flash drive from the possibility of malware penetration. Well, it is advisable to replace the issue of blocking the possibility of deleting data by third parties with the issue of restricting access to drive data in principle.

Flash drive virus protection

The mechanism for writing special hidden files with zero size to it will help protect the flash drive from viruses. They have the names and extensions of autorun files, which are usually disguised as malware, and are not deleted or overwritten. They are simply stored on a flash drive without taking up space. If the virus tries to overwrite them, it will fail to do so. For example, the free portable utility Flash Defender can create such fake files, you can download it on our website. cloud storage link:

https://cloud.mail.ru/public/GpFu/PxPLjziXf

We start the utility. On the left side of the window, tick the flash drive. On the right, click the "Select All" button, then "Delete".

If the flash drive previously existed hidden files with names from the Flash Defender list, they must be removed in order for the utility to create its own such files. Next, on the right side of the window, again click the "Select All" button and click "Create".

That's it - now you can not be afraid to connect a USB flash drive to the computer of each oncoming-cross. At a minimum, such protection will work against classic malware distribution scenarios.

Flash drive encryption

Windows has its own mechanism for encrypting disks and removable media, but since we need a universal way to access flash drive data, it cannot be considered in this context. BitLocker is not available in the Windows Home edition, the dominance of which we can observe on many OEM-devices of the inhabitants. Universal way protection can be offered by the cross-platform program TrueCrypt. It encrypts the media, password-protects access to it. She can work with Windows systems(including the portable version), Mac and Linux. We considered in detail the work of this program in articles about "" and.