Guide Encrypt your USB Flash Drive using TrueCrypt

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Encrypt your USB Flash Drive using TrueCrypt



Ever felt the need to keep your secret stuff or some confidential data away from prying eyes. I'm writing this guide which help you to encrypt your USB Flash Drive, thus making it impossible for anyone else to use it except you.

By chance if anyone get hold of your USB stick, all they will found is an encrypted container which, without teh password is absolutely useless. ;)

Lets Begin....

How-To Encrypt your USB Flash Drive:-

Step 1: Download TrueCrypt from here.

Step 2: Run the file and accept the license terms and then select Extract rather than Install.

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Step 3: Extract the files to your desktop.

Step 4: Plug in your Pen Drive and note the drive letter. (eg F: )

Step 5: Open the file named TrueCrypt Format.exe present in your extracted TrueCrypt folder and select Create an encrypted file container.

Step 6: Select Standard TrueCrypt Volume.

Step 7: In the Volume Location field box, enter F:\Document (substitute the drive letter of your USB if it is not F:\ ) This is the file(named Document) in which your encrypted files will be stored.

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Step 8: Leave AES and RIPEMD-160 selected and Click Next.

Step 9: Enter the size of the encrypted drive.

Step 10: Next enter your password, make sure you enter a strong password.

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Step 11: Click Next and your encrypted drive should now be created, this may take a few minutes.

Step 12: Once complete close the window.

Step 13: Now open the file named TrueCrypt.exe, and go to the Tools > Traveller Disk Setup.

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Step 14: In the Traveller Disk root directory specify the location F:\ (substite the drive letter of your USB if it is not F:\ ).

Step 15: In the autorun configuration select Auto-mount TrueCrypt volume.

Step 16: Enter the TrueCrypt volume to mount select your file(Document in this case) and click on Create.

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Step 17. When done, close all windows that you have opened and remove the USB key.

How to use your USB Flash Drive:-

Step 1: Insert USB and you'll see a similar popup, select Mount Truecrypt Volume and then enter your password.

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Step 2: A window will open up which has a new drive letter but there will be no files in it.

Step 3: Copy your files to the new encrypted area. Voila! You are done!

Step 4: In order to remove the USB Flash Drive, first dismount it by clicking on TrueCrypt icon in system tray and select Dismount all devices.

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Hope this guide helps you keep your private data safe.

Comments and Reps are always welcomed.. :)
 
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i think there is a loop hole in the software.

i had got a hold of such a pen drive from a friend but when you explore it in winrar all the files could be seen (i.e on a computer not installed with Truecrypt).
 
ggt said:
i think there is a loop hole in the software.
i had got a hold of such a pen drive from a friend but when you explore it in winrar all the files could be seen (i.e on a computer not installed with Truecrypt).
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Not true actually.

I tried to open the Document file in WinRar and got the following error:-
snap8b.png


However, if I open the file normally, i.e. using TrueCrypt then I'm able to access my files..

Seems like your friend used some different set of methods to encrypt his/her pendrive.

Give this method a shot. This is fully secure and there is no loop-hole for this method AFAIK. :)
 
adi_vastava said:
Just to add, Make sure Truecrypt is installed on second machine as well.
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Nope, not required. ;)

Try this method. It doesn't require you to have Truecrypt pre-installed in the second machine. It just you and your USB stick.
 
@OP: I was thinking of writing a similar guide for encrypting data using TrueCrypt, but I'm not getting enough time these days :S

I've few comments on your guide:

1. Title of thread is misleading, it obviously doesn't encrypt the USB but a file inside the USB :P

2. The guide is useful for users of Windows XP or earlier, as autorun is totally disabled in windows 7, which most of us are using these days, however a simple batch file will do the job for windows 7.

3. You forgot the main point/limitation of using this method, TrueCrypt needs admin rights for using this portable mode.

Any thanks a lot for your time.
 
Parv said:
1. Title of thread is misleading, it obviously doesn't encrypt the USB but a file inside the USB :P
Click to expand...

Actually, there is a method to encrypt the whole USB stick but I prefer this method over that. :P

Parv said:
2. The guide is useful for users of Windows XP or earlier, as autorun is totally disabled in windows 7, which most of us are using these days, however a simple batch file will do the job for windows 7.
Click to expand...

Simple bath file? Hmm?

Parv said:
3. You forgot the main point/limitation of using this method, TrueCrypt needs admin rights for using this portable mode.
Click to expand...

Yup. The only limitation. However, if TrueCrypt is pre-installed on second machine. Then, even if you plug in the USB drive with non-admin rights, you can open your encrypted files.

Thanks all of you.
 
XTechManiac said:
Nope, not required. ;)

Try this method. It doesn't require you to have Truecrypt pre-installed in the second machine. It just you and your USB stick.
Click to expand...
Alright got it, :), My bad for not checking it in advance.

What id does when you say create is copy the application exe and driver for 32 & 64 bit, Next it creates autorun.inf which when executed will execute the application exe and will mount documents

So problem with this method is if auto run is disabled it will not ask you to mount, though still as the USB has all the files one can follow the steps given in autorun.inf and be done with it.

That is why I said you have to have the software in target machine :), in this case though we are not installing it, but it is present in target with autorun.

Nice finding though.
 
those with win7 (like me) can just use bitlocker driver encryption that comes with wn7. it puts a password too. :Psimple and effective.
 
de.das.dude said:
those with win7 (like me) can just use bitlocker driver encryption that comes with wn7. it puts a password too. :Psimple and effective.
Click to expand...

I prefer TrueCrypt over anything. :)
 
jojothedragon said:
Thanks for the guide. I've win7 and will try this asap.
Click to expand...

No problem. :) Post your views after trying it out.

de.das.dude said:
WHY? i mean if you want something with true crypt to be read on another PC, you will need to install true encrypt there.
Click to expand...

Errr as I said, no.

Try this method. It doesn't require you to have Truecrypt pre-installed in the second machine. It just you and your USB stick. That's the advantage of my guide. ;)
 
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