Is it possible in C# .net Desktop application to create a file which is unreadable

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Hi Everyone..

Is it possible in C# to create a file which is unreadable (i.e.
no program can open it at all) and also at a later point to delete it?

Posted 4-Oct-12 23:39pm

krushna chandra jena

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bbirajdar 5-Oct-12 5:41am

Everything is possible. But first tell me why do you need it. I smell something malicious ...

krushna chandra jena 5-Oct-12 5:47am

@aspnet_regiis i need it because in my application when the user will run the program then i will check some information , and those information will be kept in that file

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OriginalGriff · Answer 1 · 2012-10-04T23:50:00

Solution 2

You can't create a file which is unopenable - any file can be opened as a stream of bytes.

However, it may be that you want the file unreadable, so just encrypt it: System.Security.Encryption holds many methods for doing that: http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/uploadfile/puranindia/system-security-cryptography-namespace-in-net/[^]

Posted 4-Oct-12 23:50pm

OriginalGriff

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krushna chandra jena 5-Oct-12 6:09am

the point is clear to me but one more question i have that if i want to make the file non editable then what i have to do ?

OriginalGriff 5-Oct-12 6:20am

Non-editable is the same problem - it depends on what programs people have. For example, I have a text editor (which replaces Notepad) called PSPad which looks the the file content I ask it to open and will open it in an appropriate manner - if it is a binary file, it uses it's Hex editor mode. If it is HTML it loads HTML syntax colouring, and so forth.

You can't really make any file which is readable non-editable, althouigh you can make it read-only which means that any changes can't be saved.

What are you trying to do? It may be that there is a better way to solve your problem than the route you are going down.

krushna chandra jena 5-Oct-12 6:39am

In the application when the user will run the program i will check some information ( like Mac address) , and kept it inside the file , and make it non editable because for second time i have to check user authentication from the data of that text file . it is important to my application . if the file is editable then user can easily edit the file and my application will not work properly

OriginalGriff 5-Oct-12 6:48am

AH! So stuff the user, let him change it. But detect the changes.
Just take his MAC Address and the name of your program, and any other info you want to, and generate the MD5 (or SHA) hash value from that. Store that in the file, instead of the MAC. Then when you check, generate the hash again, and compare that to the value in the file. If they match, all ok. If they don't...

It's just like the way you check a password - you don't store the password in clear text, you store a salted hash instead. That way, even if they access your password list, it is no use to them, because you can't work backwards from the stored value to the input password.

krushna chandra jena 5-Oct-12 7:03am

ok , i got it ...
Thank You..

Ambesha · Answer 2 · 2012-10-04T23:47:00

Solution 1

Yes Friend, it is possible . while creating the file create the extension as .xyz and for this extension any program will not be able to open the file and later you can delete the same

Thanks,
Ambesha

Posted 4-Oct-12 23:47pm

Ambesha

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krushna chandra jena 5-Oct-12 5:53am

but if the file is opened by notepad then it easily opens , how can i prevent it

Ambesha 5-Oct-12 6:07am

if you create the file with .xyz extension then you will not be able to open the file in notepad. because this extension is incompatible with notepad to perform any operation, create a file using notepad and save with abc.xyz or test.zzz kind of extension and then try to open it you will not be able to open the file with notepad even.

Thanks,
Ambesha

OriginalGriff 5-Oct-12 6:16am

Um.
This turns out not to be the case.
Create a file with the extension ".xyz"
Open Windows Explorer in that folder. Right click the file name. On the list of options you will see "Open with...". You can then directly select any installed program, and if you want, make it the default for all ".xyz" files.

In addition, there are at least five programs I have met that use ".xyz" as a fiule extension, so if any of those are installed, they will try to open it...

krushna chandra jena 5-Oct-12 6:14am

string path = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Desktop);
string filepath = path + "\\myfile.xyz";

File.WriteAllText(filepath, "Hi..");

i have done this code......
here in desktop the file can be easily opened by notepad