Is there a way to prevent files from being dragged-and-dropped from a CD?

Is there a hack, software utility or method to prevent a casual user
from copying a file from a CD? thanks! Julia

Julia Briggs

Julia Briggs wrote:
> Is there a hack, software utility or method to prevent a casual user
> from copying a file from a CD? thanks! Julia

Just like everything else - if the user can see the contents of the file -
they can copy it. Same is true for the Internet.. And it would be even
worse with a CD/DVD where the user has physical access to the media with the
data and unlimited time.

You are not the first to request this, for answers that other have gotten in
the past:

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Misc..._20657234.html

http://www.codeguru.com/forum/showth...ion+or+protect

http://www.webservertalk.com/archive...-1-105070.html

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Shenan Stanley

Julia Briggs wrote:
>
> Is there a hack, software utility or method to prevent a casual user
> from copying a file from a CD? thanks! Julia

While you haven't provided a whole lot in the way of details, exactly
what type of CDs are you trying to protect? Music CDs? Data CDs?

If they're files that *you* have burned to CD, you might consider
some type of files encryption.

Google "cd copy protection" and/or "cd encryption" for more answers.

Notan

Notan

Julia Briggs wrote:

> Is there a hack, software utility or method to prevent a casual user
> from copying a file from a CD? thanks! Julia

When asking such a question you should post what OS you are talking about...

Im

Imhotep

Julia Briggs wrote:
> Is there a hack, software utility or method to prevent a casual user
> from copying a file from a CD?

Imhotep wrote:
> When asking such a question you should post what OS you are talking
> about...

Looking at the groups Julia posted to:

- alt.computer.security
- comp.publish.cdrom.software
- microsoft.public.windowsxp.general

I'd assume Windows XP - but you are correct - she should have stated that in
her post.

You've now tweaked my interest however.. Is there a way in one OS or another
to do this when you do not necessarily know the target OS of the person
receiving the media from which you do not want them to be able to copy the
files from yet still be able to use the files as intended?

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Shenan Stanley

Shenan Stanley wrote:

> Julia Briggs wrote:
>> Is there a hack, software utility or method to prevent a casual user
>> from copying a file from a CD?ile
>
> Imhotep wrote:
>> When asking such a question you should post what OS you are talking
>> about...
>
> Looking at the groups Julia posted to:
>
> - alt.computer.security
> - comp.publish.cdrom.software
> - microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
>
> I'd assume Windows XP - but you are correct - she should have stated that
> in her post.
>
> You've now tweaked my interest however.. Is there a way in one OS or
> another to do this when you do not necessarily know the target OS of the
> person receiving the media from which you do not want them to be able to
> copy the files from yet still be able to use the files as intended?
>

So, you want the user to be able to read the file but not copy it? If so, I
am not sure that is possible with the standard OS tools (file permissions,
etc) because to read something implies the ability to copy something. You
might have to insert some kind of middle layer (between the logical file
and the user) to accomplish this.

Let me know what you find out. That was an interesting question...

Im

Imhotep

Imhotep wrote:

> Shenan Stanley wrote:
>
>> (snip)
>>
>>You've now tweaked my interest however.. Is there a way in one OS or
>>another to do this when you do not necessarily know the target OS of the
>>person receiving the media from which you do not want them to be able to
>>copy the files from yet still be able to use the files as intended?
>
>
> So, you want the user to be able to read the file but not copy it? If so, I
> am not sure that is possible with the standard OS tools (file permissions,
> etc) because to read something implies the ability to copy something. You
> might have to insert some kind of middle layer (between the logical file
> and the user) to accomplish this.
>
> Let me know what you find out. That was an interesting question...
>
> Im
Hi,

If you can read a file, you can copy it as well, no way to stop that...

There is one exception to this:

Microsoft's "Windows Rights Management Services" (RMS) is an
option for documents and e-mails produced by Microsoft Office
2003 Professional (a pretty "heavy" solution though):

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserv...t/default.mspx




--
torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...r/default.mspx

Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)

Torgeir Bakken (MVP) wrote:

> Imhotep wrote:
>
>> Shenan Stanley wrote:
>>
>>> (snip)
>>>
>>>You've now tweaked my interest however.. Is there a way in one OS or
>>>another to do this when you do not necessarily know the target OS of the
>>>person receiving the media from which you do not want them to be able to
>>>copy the files from yet still be able to use the files as intended?
>>
>>
>> So, you want the user to be able to read the file but not copy it? If so,
>> I am not sure that is possible with the standard OS tools (file
>> permissions, etc) because to read something implies the ability to copy
>> something. You might have to insert some kind of middle layer (between
>> the logical file and the user) to accomplish this.
>>
>> Let me know what you find out. That was an interesting question...
>>
>> Im
> Hi,
>
> If you can read a file, you can copy it as well, no way to stop that...
>
> There is one exception to this:
>
> Microsoft's "Windows Rights Management Services" (RMS) is an
> option for documents and e-mails produced by Microsoft Office
> 2003 Professional (a pretty "heavy" solution though):
>
>
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserv...t/default.mspx
>

This type of technology is nothing more than the "middleware" I spoke of.
Even worse it appears to be proprietary...

Im

Imhotep

On 10 Sep 2005 23:55:50 -0700, "Julia Briggs" <>
wrote:

>Is there a hack, software utility or method to prevent a casual user
>from copying a file from a CD? thanks! Julia

What about using PGP or similar and writing encrypted files to a CD
then e mail the key. Won't matter then if files are dragged and
dropped off the CD they are useless without a key. Actually I am not
sure its possible to do this I have never tried it, don't see why not
though on the surface.

Jonah

jonah

I think it's going to be impossible to implement any sort broad
reaching protection with every OS -- because it's too late. That is,
too many operating systems have existed for too many years, at
different version levels, with mass userbases, that such a feature
wouldn't deter someone from popping a CD into a older machine? .....
but what if some modification to the CD could cause it to error on
"most" operating systems to deter casual duplication of files?

Not quite the same, but see:
http://www.cdmediaworld.com/hardware...otect_cd.shtml

Apparently someone figured out a minor edit to the CD that causes it to
copy a blank version of itself using popular copiers like NERO and
EasyCD.

No real 100% way to protect a CD against all attacks in this world, but
maybe some other method like this can deter 99% of people from
drag-and-dropping a file away from the CD folder. I know some people
drag and drop away from CD folders into media players -- but I imagine
there is a way.

For the life of me I can't find the thread, but I clearly read in a old
2000 posting that, I believe it was Sony, had disc-copy protection on
some music CD's that prevented the user from drag-and-dropping files
away from the CD!

.......Any existing commercial CD protection tools or ideas come to mind
by anyone to achieve this feat? Julia

Julia Briggs