Since this is the partition from which the machine boots, it takes additional steps (and complexity) to encrypt the entire drive and still be able to boot from it. A system partition/drive: this is the partition containing Windows itself.A non-system partition/drive: this is a separate partition or drive that will be completely encrypted.It’s useful if you don’t want to encrypt an entire hard disk, or if you want to copy the file container from machine to machine. It appears on unencrypted drives as a large file containing random data, and must be “mounted” to make its contents accessible. An encrypted file container: this is a stand-alone file that contains the volume.There are three types of encrypted volumes you can create using VeraCrypt: In general, you can accept the default settings, and when the installation is complete, double-click the VeraCrypt icon on your desktop to start the program.Ĭlick on the Create Volume button to begin. The setup is fairly standard, so I won’t walk through all the steps here. Installing VeraCryptĭownload VeraCrypt from its primary site. If someone does walk away with the drive, they’ll have a nice, empty-looking drive they can do whatever they want with – except access the encrypted data. Once mounted, it operates like any other drive, until you shut down the computer or explicitly dismount the drive, at which point it again appears to be an empty drive. When you encrypt an entire drive, it initially looks like an empty, unformatted drive containing “RAW” data. To access the contents of the drive, you must first “ mount” it, providing the proper pass phrase to enable its unencrypted access. In a forehead-slapping moment, I realized I was going about this all wrong. If that conveniently small, portable drive walked off in someone’s pocket, they’d have access to a lot of my stuff. Some of the data on that drive is encrypted in various ways, but the vast majority is completely unencrypted. VeraCrypt has a variety of bug fixes and supports modern PCs with EFI system partitions, a configuration many Windows 10 PCs use.Some time ago, I realized the external hard drive I carry with me when traveling was an easy thing to lose. VeraCrypt is a project based on the source code of the old TrueCrypt software, which was discontinued. VeraCrypt handles the encryption in the background, and everything else happens transparently. It can also create encrypted file containers, but we’re focusing on encrypting your system drive here. You use your computer normally after it boots. It’s not complicated to use: After setting it up, you just have to enter your encryption password each time you boot your PC. RELATED: How to Secure Sensitive Files on Your PC with VeraCrypt It works on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and even XP. VeraCrypt is a free and open-source tool you can use to enable full-disk encryption on any Windows PC. Of course, this doesn’t protect you against malware that attacks your PC while it’s running-just against someone stealing your PC or its hard drive and trying to view your files. Even if someone gains access to your physical hard drive, they’ll need your password (or key file) to actually see what you have on the drive. It scrambles your files into random-looking gibberish and you need a secret key to access them. RELATED: How to Enable Full-Disk Encryption on Windows 10Įncryption is the best way to ensure attackers can’t read your files. If you’d rather not, you can use the free and open-source VeraCrypt software to get full-disk encryption on any version of Windows. Some Windows 10 devices ship with “Device Encryption”, but other PCs require you to pay another $99 to get BitLocker on Windows Pro for full-disk encryption.
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