Linda in Phoenix wrote:
So, if I understand you correctly, I will make an archive of the Address Book. Days later, when I want to access it, I make an archive of the current Address Book and then open the older archive. When I am done with the older, unchanged archive, I then open the newer, more current archive. I want to password protect one unchangeable address book and leave another available for changes.
That is correct. If you want to password protect the permanent one, then [create an encrypted disk image|http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1578] in Disk Utility. Since you don't want to add much to this address book, I would just use a regular disk image and make it about 10-20% larger than your current addressbook folder. A sparse disk image allows you to set a very large size to grow into. Even though you may make it 50GB, if you only use 5MB, that is all that it will take up on disk. It can grow to whatever that max size you create it as.
To use it, mount the image and create the archive in that disk image (looks just like an external hard drive). After you have recovered the archive, eject the mounted disk image. When you want to get the the archive again, double-click on the disk image, enter the password, and it will mount like a hard disk. Eject it and it will go back to its encrypted state.
The reason I want to use Address Book is because of synching with MobileMe.
I still don't understand. No matter, though. I also don't have MobileMe, so trying to come up with a better way wouldn't be productive, I don't think.
