I'm curious if there's a way to create an illusion that a file has vanished from a CD-R after it's first accessed. I know you can't actually erase data from a CD-R, but could there be a method to make it seem like the file is no longer there? I've heard some people might have done something similar using autorun features.
5 Answers
Yeah, it is possible to create that illusion! One way could be to load your application into memory, then unmount the CD drive. After that, you could use the 'subst' command to map a hard drive path to the same drive letter. It would look like whatever you want, but honestly, I wouldn't recommend going down this path.
It's been a while since I've worked with CDs, but if I remember correctly, you can write more data to a CD-R. There’s an end mark that when written prevents any further writing, though. You can’t modify data directly, but sometimes it might be possible to mark it as old and replace it.
Kinda! Most operating systems will need admin or root privileges for that, and an antivirus could potentially block it. What you might want to consider instead is giving users a menu with a different number of options when they first run your program. You can store information about the first run in system settings or the registry and use that later.
Did someone say Sony BMG? There's a notorious case where they used rootkit technology to hide files, processes, and registry keys on a system. The rootkit filtered what was visible to the OS, making some files invisible. It's a sneaky way of cloaking software!
If you've got control over the OS, then yes, it's doable. But if you're running in a restricted environment, like a sandbox, it could be a no-go.
Or if you control the sandbox, then you might have a chance! Maybe think about doing it in an emulated environment.