Question

Password Protect Files or Folder

  • 18 March 2024
  • 4 replies
  • 82 views
B
Badge

We are looking into migrating our paper-based personnel files into powerDMS but they are required to be secure from access.  I know I can lock the folder to the position that needs access, but superadmins would still have access.  Is there a way to password protect the files so the superadmin may be able to see and move files, but not access them?

Alternatively, can PowerDMS accept password protected files? If I upload a secured .pdf or secured .docx will powerdms accept that?

How are you all managing personnel files?

4 replies

T
Userlevel 1
Badge

The only way I can think of would be to disable the PDF viewer option, which would require a user to download a file instead of simply being able to view it on the screen in PowerDMS.  If the downloaded file were protected, I don’t think it could be opened without the password.

The downside would be that you’d lose the PDF viewer for all documents because it’s a site-wide setting.

Lt Tim Gould / Vermont State Police / timothy.gould@vermont.gov
D
Userlevel 2
Badge

@Brian.S40 You can’t prevent a PowerDMS Master Administrator from accessing anything in your PowerDMS site, but you can store and maintain password-protected PDF files in PowerDMS to prevent unauthorized personnel, even PowerDMS Master Administrators, from viewing the contents of secured documents. (We have maintained several password-protected files in PowerDMS since at least 2018 and it works exactly as intended.)

T
Userlevel 1
Badge

@dalbers  - will those password protected files not display in the PDF reader in the PowerDMS window?  If so, that’s good to know.

Lt Tim Gould / Vermont State Police / timothy.gould@vermont.gov
D
Userlevel 2
Badge

@Timothy.G15 As long as you enter the password correctly, it will render like any other PDF document in PowerDMS. That said, I can’t speak to the technical aspects of it, but I can say that it works with the “old” document viewer experience and the “new” document viewer experience, and it works in Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.

The only downside, if you want to call it that, is that you will lose out on two great PowerDMS functions: (1) the document compare feature will no longer work (it will just error out), and (2) the search functionality (Find Anything and Advanced Search) will not show search results from within the document.

Reply


Terms & ConditionsCookie settings