Down loaded this program on 2 computors, big trouble crashes etc, gave them the boot

downloaded it & windows kicked it out , trouble some some where, tread carefully

Being a naturist and enjoying holidays with like minded people does not make one a pervert, neither does it mean that everyone with access to my computer has the right to view my holiday photographs. This is a privilege reserved for my friends

(BTW, I encountered a bug - when I created a folder, clicked once to rename, entered new folder name, it had "Storage Error: Path not found.")

I will probaly use this software for storing photos of my own wife (OK, you can call the photos 'porno' because (by definition) it is "what gives the judge (me) an erection" ^_~).
Both she and I, we would not like to have the pix viewed by other people or to have them leaked to the internet.
(Storing important pix on the Web and marking them "private" is not a good option, I think.
Who can protect them from "evil hackers" or "dirty curios admins"?
)

Well after reading the comments about this program I am glad I could not access the website yesterday. Kept giving me a 500 error, so I eventually gave up.

Only a couple of the posted comments have been useful. While I don't need this and won't be trying it, I will address some of the comments here. Hide Photos claims that it doesn't make temporary unencrypted copies of photos (although it can't prevent copies in the page file), whereas general encryption software may make temporary unencrypted copies when viewing the encrypted photos. From the documentation on the website, there's no indication that it securely wipes the source after it has been encrypted, written to disk, and verified (actually, there's no indication that it verifies the encrypted file on disk, and I doubt that most encryption software which claims to do so checks that true disk contents are being verified, rather than cached data).

#11, Anthony H, private data can be read by non-Windows software (and even some restricted Windows environments). NTFS supports encryption, which few people use, and my understanding is that it was intentionally made breakable.

#25, The Z, sufficiently secure algorithms with sufficiently long keys (far more than 56 bits) aren't currently breakable (as far as anyone in the public sector knows), and may not be, unless quantum computers are realized, or mathematical weaknesses are discovered in the algorithms.

#21, internetexplorer, your question belongs in the forums. I'm resigned to using whatever browser I need for a particular situation. IE7 has convenient features and generally formats the best but is extremely buggy. Firefox is much more solid but lacks basic features, although it supports some things IE doesn't. I doubt Microsoft is going to fix anything in IE7; you can play with IE8, but I'll wait for a much more solid version.

Well, it might be useful for somebody who owns a great collection of saleable pictures ...

I am however after something more like protecting your pictures online from being copied ?? I wonder if this software can do this ???

If not, any free software to protect images online ???

P.S.

What I find most odd of all about this program is that its name, "HIDE PHOTOS" is what appears in the download window and in the program files list. It's a bit of a dead giveaway, dontcha think. You'd have to be hiding them from someone pretty stupid if you expect them not to notice and say, Hey, babe, what's this HIDE PHOTOS program? What are you hiding in there?

Boyz boyz boyz!!! Spare a thought for us girls. What about protecting the pics of the pool boy and/or the sugar daddy from the hubby?

#31, like my self, #26 is not "most women", but 'a' woman; don't lump us all into the same group as the ones you mentioned. Not 'all' women talk about stuff like that, nor do we 'all' watch Sex In the City - I have watched one episode of that show and only because someone else happened to have it on, and I watched some of it.

#32, I thought the same thing you did, until I went to the web site and read the info. What these folks are commenting on is basically what has been implied. When I looked at this software early this morning when it came out, I thought it was for securing photos of things, like artwork, that you would not want people downloading copies of for their own uses. The suggestions you made for uses for this software are good ones, and may make using this software worthwhile, if you only use it for that sort of thing. In fact, I wouldn't even have thought of using such a software, because I don't have any photos on my computer that I would want/need to hide from anyone. I do plan to scan a big bag full of photos onto my computer, but there is nothing in there that needs to be hidden...lol - family pictures, pictures of my DH with Navy buddies when he was in the Navy, and such as that.

#36, where did you find that description from the developer? I looked on their web site, and didn't see any such thing.

If I die tomorrow, I want everyone I love to find the pictures I have. Why would I want to hide them? If you have something to hide, I suggest you don't hide it on your computer. Your Grandchildren will find it! Is that how you want them to remember you?

If you want to hide file (data or photo) use TrueCrypt period, end of conversation. Google TrueCrypt, download it, read the manual and secure your files. This is not worth $30. Truecrypt is free.

Who cares what kinds of files you need to secure, that's your right. If you want to hide porn from your GF ,wife or kids use TrueCrypt.

For those people who feel like they're exposing some kinda big secret that people look at porn... get over yourselves. Hide the porn, hide the letters, hide anything you want and don't feel ashamed.

I'll attest to what #20 said. I've been using free hide folder for years and his g friend still hasn't seen my porn, either. Whoops! Forget I said that!

Downloaded and installed no problem XPro SP2. Individual files or completed folders can be added to or copied from or moved from any container you create - wide range of formats supported. Of course the program uses thumbnails as one means of accessing images, AFTER you have accessed the encrypted container by password. Only problem I found is increased storage overhead of container and thumbnails approx. 40% on 18MB of JPGs.

I do wish that people making reference to what they consider to be programs offering the same functionality as the current GAOTD would clearly indicate the areas in which it is equivalent or superior. The current offer allows easy creation and use of 256 bit AES encrypted containers for images. Easier and/or more secure than the alternatives suggested so far.
Thanks GAOTD for another keeper.

Porno ,Scorno,Double Dorno! Who Really cares about who's hiding Porno : | What about those "Halloween Pictures of You in a tutu" Or that "Highschool Nightmare" That your aunt Tilly E Mailed you but you just can't seem to delete. Maybe even those "Who wants to see Uncle Bernie in his Big Orange Bellbottoms" But You Prmoised Aunt Gerdy youd definitly keep it as a Desktop Background. People hide those kind of things too- Ok so maybe you don't. But, We do in My Family, Trust me WE do! Thats about all I have to say.. Oh yes and I really like the Software

I have thought of one legitimate reason for this program. Let us say, my family shares a computer. Let us say, I want to make a slide show for my wife using pictures borrowed from family and friends. Let us say I want to make it special in a way that will take time. With this program I could have a folder with all the photos and theoretically she would not be able to see the photos (except for the thumbnail thing). I would be able to edit and reedit my slide show at will. Unfortunately, this program only works on photos which means I would have to encrypt the slide show using a different method.

My questions is does this protect your files from thieves? I sell some of my photos & when you post something on the web you have to worry about such things.

Thanks.

Mmm, Must admit like most of the others, There's no reason to hide pics unless there's porn on youyr PC (or a pic of your GF is seen by the wife!)

I'll just stick to zipping and locking, zipped images don't show a thumbnail.

And of course hiding files is a very nice way to keep files out of peoples sight.

how about trying PictureRelate? free non commercial use-

http://www.walthelm.net/picture-relate/index.php

For the purposes of commenting on the software itself, the program downloaded and installed seamlessly and does its job exactly as described. But the implications are far more serious than this.

The developer themselves give the following description of their software -

It’s no secret that almost every owner of a digital camera has such images, which are not intended for public viewing. According to a happy few, if your wife accidentally discovers the mistress or photos with guests while viewing pictures on the stiff-topless photo of your wife:) How can store these photos? We offer a truly reliable option!”

What kind of company is this? If the purported purpose was to stop, say, colleagues from accessing copyrighted images then this would be entirely different but by the developer's own admission it is to hide unethical activity - note the word "the" in "the" mistress implying that everyone has one... Such statements also encourage association with criminal activity and despite the fact that thumbnails are available, this is a program with a wholly underhand purpose; the program is, as ever, non-commercial use so it can only protect images from the people who use your home computer; I am sure that the majority of non-criminal (and non-mistress-having) people have no need for such an application.

Programs like this regardless of the fact that they could be used legitimately (I cannot think of one likely reason though) suggest it is OK to partake in unethical behaviour so long as no-one finds out. It makes it seem a little more acceptable as this is a supposedly respectful company. To hide photos legitimately one only has to go to the likes of Photobucket and make their album private or back up to disk rather than have them on a hard-drive - to do otherwise implies behaviour that should not have taken place in the first place and in my view any company encouraging as such is only adding to society's warped belief that you can do as you like so long as no-one finds out.

Thank you, #29, The Z--at least I now know it's not just me or my XP rather, and it confirms that it's not an sp3 problem, which I didn't believe anyway. BTW, altho technically still a beta, sp3 is now in RC2 stage, which means Release Candidate #2, i.e., they have fixed the bugs they know about and think it's ready for prime time, unless someone finds one they didn't know about before. I understand that this one has stood up so well that they are now scheduling sp3 for the final stage, known as RTM, or Release to Manufacturing anytime now. I'm very happy with it so far--it cleared up my intermittent internet problems and has speeded loading Add/Remove Programs, etc.

Thank you GAOTD.

To all the people who are wondering what to do if Windows crashes and you have to format your HDD, you could:

1) Simply download the trial and use it - surely 30 days (I'm guessing that's the time limitation of the trial) should be enough to retrieve all your photos from the vault (assuming that the only limitation to the trial is time), or
2) Keep an unencrypted backup of your images on a cd that you store somewhere where it's safe (like in a physical vault not located where you live).

If you chose option 2 and you're wondering why you would want to have the images on your harddrive, my reply would be that you might want to access the images without having to retrieve your CD from the safe-place. (Also, if you chose option 2, it probably means that your images contains blueprints for the next generation weapon you are designing for the US Army, lol.)

I am just using this program to store pictures of me posing as a "model" , (decent model) and pictures of my b/f's chest. That's all. No nudity nor porn.

I am a pretty decent person.

I'm amazed at how everyone can only think of porno. How about scans of your ID? Your passport? Your medications list? All these things might be needed when visiting abroad. Hide them on an innocent-looking CD and they are safe if you need them.

Company letters, letters of introduction, alternate photo ID, bank statements to prove you are solvent - All can be required for some countries. If you need any of them, download the trial version, or any program than can access 256-bit AES encrypts and you can temporarily access them on any computer anywhere you are.

How about other forms of security, like pictures of your valuable items should your house ever be robbed - The police will stand a much better chance of recovering items if they have pictures of them.

How about an emergency disk incase you live in an area prone to severe weather or flooding? Keep scans of your insurance policies, house title deeds, equipment receipts, insurance policies or extended guarantees for them - even your phone book to contact these insurance comapnies and/or realtives incase of emergency. Keep them on your laptop, but hidden - Or on a removeable disk.

I have even hidden vital documents in encrypted zip files on cards for cameras for friends and relatives who go overseas. The cards can still be used in the camera, but can provide vital information incase of an emergency or illness.

Sorry, there must be so many other uses that I've not thought of - I'm sure many others will think of alsorts of things that have not occured to me...

#26 Grow up! Maybe you husband should devorce you for being such a hypocryt and a prude! Most women are such hypocryts, they bad mouth porn but watch shows like sex in the city "Mental porn" or talk at the office about how tight Brad Pitts but is and how they would love to jump on that! Also, what about all the so called romance novals(porn) that are out and about!!! BTW, arent atleast half of the worlds porno acted with Women actors!

Funny comment #3 but thats all I can see a need for this program to do. Fortunately for me, no one else uses my computer so I have no need + theres good free ware to do this and more. No thanks today gaotd, I'll pass.

#21,

Verified SP2 IE7 will not show comments, but Mozilla Firefox will.

The Z

Shame on all you Commenters-Pointing out the obviouse-I've always found that thoes who talk the loudest hide the most. If you weren't hiding anything,then you wouldn't have to take such great pains to make sure you point out that everybody else is hiding that "Stuff". Besides that-Your mind has to be dirty to think of that in the first place. I mean,you can't talk about what you don't already know. Come on You guys-" Get Your Minds Out of The Gutter " Now,Lets all be Adults here and comment on the Actual Softwear- I Give it 6 out of 10 ! Oh ,and before all you Commenters, who are gonna come back at this and ask me What I'm hiding, start rambling, I'll be plain out and say "Thats none of your Business"-HA !

if you want a simple free way but not well known in windows xp (or other NTFS based) to hide a file, use alternate data stream (ADS). You don't need any software (except for windows itself), and you can read there how to use it:
http://www.heysoft.de/nt/ntfs-ads.htm

Of course, it doesn't protect the hidden file from an user that know the trick, but how many people know it? Even among experienced users it's not well known.

Seriosuly, if you use this program to hide pornographic material while being married or having a g/f then you are a loser, and your wasting your wife's or girlfriends time. Let that woman find someone else and be happy.

I will use this program to hide personal pictures of myself, but nothing pornographic, not everyone has the same intention. If I were your wife and you were watching pornographic material I would divorce you.

#7: Funny! I just had to bust out laughing!

#13: As of this writing (14:18 EST) there are 16 comments (mine makes 17), and there are a total of 115 votes:

47 Yeahs
68 Neahs

WTF?

My comments are from someone who will not be downloading the software, but would like to have my comment read by the supplier to help them in future.

I will admit to having had pictures on my laptop garnered from a legal adult site show up in Picasa while I was finding travel pics for my significant other! "If I had pictures of you, I wouldn't need these!", I say.

That said, I could see a legal reason for someone to need (OK, _want_) a way to hide images. The same reasoning goes for [child] porn, true enough.

But to #7's point, perhaps you need a default icon, or no icon, dispayed if a person truly wants an image 'hidden'. And even if they were, I believe in most countries encryption of files on a suspect's computer is considered an admission of guilt in a crime, the same way that owning or possessing a handgun with removed/destroyed serial numbers is admission of a felony.

In cases where the files are obtained by 'authorities', the files are decrypted. The 56-bit encryption export restriction aside, this company, along with most others, provides the U.S. Government with the means (not mechanisms) to decrypt the files. There is no enryption above being decryption by a 3rd party-it is just a matter of time and computing resources.

So if you plan on doing anything illegal, there are several ways files used on your computer can be gathered and observed, in the clear, even if you have used such an encryption program. You aren't "safe", and this, or any other, program will not conceal your actions.

For the rest of us, perhaps Bolide would have success against their [free] competitors by taking notice of #7's comments.

Thanks, GAOTD, for the variety of categories in your daily offerings!

The Z

Thank you GAOTD, but i will pass, for this one.

I have no need to encrypt any of the saucy images i do have, you know? LOL

To #21 (internetexplorer):
I thought SP3 was beta, unless they just released the real version within the last couple days (I haven't checked lately). If you have a beta, that could explain why you are having problems.

From publishers website...

Hide Photos ™ never extracts anything onto the hard disk, and leaves absolutely no traces while you're busy with the image and after you finish.

LOL!

Since you have so few commenters today, maybe someone could answer me this: why can't I print the comments using Internet Explorer 7.0? I have to use a different browser to print them for some reason which I haven't been able to figure, since IE7 otherwise prints & works fine. Maybe it's some sort of unusual scripting language being used to code the page, and if so I'd like to know so I can change browser setting, etc. and hopefully fix the problem if it is in fact possible. I have been having this problem for a while, but I just upgraded from XP Pro sp2 to the new sp3 (RC2), in case it makes a difference in answering. All kidding aside I appreciate what GAOTD does, so please keep it up.

Try free hide folder its free and stores my porn away from the g friend

#'s 9 and 15, thanks for the giggle. Especially 15. Although perhaps the best name for it is Fornication Obfuscator 6.9 lol.

Thanks GOTD team, but I have no need to hide my photos, and besides, even in I did, like No. 1 said, if I have to restore my machine, I'll lose all my pix.

True crypt is open source, will hide any file you want with encryption until the end of time. No licensing required. I'll pass on this one.

Congratulations--you were only down 10 hours or so this Saturday(?)! Guess that explains only having so few comments at this time of day. As to this software, I agree with #2-3 & 7-9, but #4 is over-reacting as the combo of encrypted and thumbnail seems contradictory for such illegals but would do nicely to keep your "stash" away from your wife & kids. I think it would be even better if it required a password to run the program and thus be able to see the thumbnails of the actual photos. Thanks #11 for several valuable points (the most interesting being burning of DVD's with encrypted photos) but as to the modified date, there should still be the original file creation date to go by.

AxCrypt is probably better and works for any file. Maybe if you need to encrypt personal files at work, etc.

http://www.axantum.com/AxCrypt/

#9: A reasonably better marketing name would be: "Fornication Obfuscator 1.0"... ;-)

This app looks nice and all and thank you GAOTD. team. I have not downloaded this on count of this thought, what happens after you lock all these files, folders, etc. ? then say you have a issue with your computer and have to formatt ? granted these files would be backed up to CDR-w, or whatever. Only problem is, now this application is toast. How would one get these locked files, folders, etc. back ? Would one have to purchase this program from the vendor in order to be able to retrieve your encrypted stuff back ?
I would caution everyone to give serious thought to this. It would be a hell of a thing to happen to anyone here that installed this application and have all your files that were encrypted and next week, month, etc. and have to re formatt their computers only to learn, you can not install this program at a later date on count of, "this program is only good for this date it was given away for free"
Something to give serious thought to before you download and install this software then, encrypted all of them files you wanted to so call hide.
Just a thought. Not to say I am correct about anything I mentioned above.
Have a great weekend everyone.

I sure don't understand how there can be almost 70 (as I write this) ratings and no comments. Either the counting system is broken or there's a bunch of people leaving ratings that don't have a clue what they are doing. Unreal!

This program installed and opened just fine, no glitches (win xp sr2). I have not used the program yet, but I have been looking for a way to encrypt & protect images, and this one looks very good. Plus, can't beat the price! If I find anything weird I'll report back. Thanks GAOTD!

$29.95 for a software like this? Who determines the prize anyway??

I found the software quiet easy to use. Importing pictures to the program is easy. I simply select tons of folders from my drive, which contains all different types of files. The program then filters out the files and only imports the pictures.

Export the pictures back to Windows is not as easy. When importing supports drag-and-drop, export does not. I can only do it one folder at a time. One workaround is to create a folder first as the root folder, and then put subfolders inside it. When you export the root folder, you export everything with it, including subfolders. However, if you want to just export selected folders, you can't select multiple folders, and you have to do it one at a time.

After exporting the files, the modified dates of the pictures are changed to current date instead of the time the pictures were taken or modified. This date is rather important for many people.

Although you can change the thumbnail size to fit your need; however, you don't have the function in Vista where you can easily change the size of thumbnail on the fly. A nice feature is the highlighted picture is displayed in larger size on the left panel. Also, you can modify the comments and tags of pictures, but they are not compatible with the comments / tags attributes used in Windows.

The bottom line, Windows XP and Vista already have security system for your files, providing your drive is in NTFS format. In XP, simply marked the folders that you want to hide as private. Add a password to your Window login, so others can't access it, even if they have accounts on the same computer. By doing this, you can lock all your files, not just your pictures. To be fair, this program's storage file can be burned to DVD with pictures encrypted inside; you can't do that with what comes in Windows. And lastly, you can do slideshows, but so does Windows.

Why would we need to hide our photos?

They should have just named it what it is, "Hide the porno".

Very useful indeed (I'm sure) Nudge Nudge.