How To Encrypt Computer Disk Partition Using TrueCrypt

Nowadays, it is not too hard for us to acquire the massive size storage devices. In Malaysia, with around RM300 to RM400 you may easily can have the hard disk with the size about 1 or 2 terabytes.

With that size of hard disk, many computer users usually divide it into few disk partitions in order to keep various types of data. For the computer users who want to keep the secret data, they may create a disk partition which must be encrypted to make it hard to access by the unauthorized users.

In order to encrypt the disk partition, again, you can use TrueCrypt. My previous article has guide you how to create the virtual encrypted disk using the same freeware.

 

BUT, TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO SHOW, HOW YOU CAN ENCRYPT A DISK PARTITION (IN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM) WHICH YOU ARE CONSIDER TO KEEP THE SECRET DATA INTO IT. THE DISK PARTITION CAN ALSO INCLUDE THE DISK PARTITION THAT REPRESENT THE USB THUMB DRIVE.



Before The Procedures

1. You have to download the freeware named TrueCrypt from its manufacturer website.
   
   
2. Install the freeware into your computer system.
   
    

The Procedures

1. Launch TrueCrypt by double click its icon on the computer desktop –-> the program interface like below will be presented to you.
   
   
   
   
2. Based on above, click the button Create Volume –-> the TrueCrypt Volume Creation Wizard appears like below
   
   
   
   
3. Based on above, click the radio button Encrypt a non-system partition/drive –-> click Next
   
   
4. Now, you can choose the type of TrueCrypt volume. For the novice users, you can click radio button that represent Standard TrueCrypt volume –-> click Next
   
   
   
   
5. At this step you will select the device you want to encrypt. Click button Select Device
   
   
   
   
6. You will be redirected to the wizard like below. Choose the disk partition you want to encrypt –-> click OK
   
   
   
   Click Next
   
   
   
   
7. At this step, you will start to apply the encryption technique on the disk partition you selected in the previous step (step 6).
   
   
   
   You either can choose to encrypt the disk partition and format it or encrypt the disk partition in place –-> click Next
   
   Note: 
   If the disk partition which you want to encrypt contain data, you can choose to encrypt it in place. If it contain no data, you can encrypt and format it. This is the faster way to apply encryption technique on the disk partition.
   
   
8. Choose the encryption algorithm that you prefer, eg: AES –-> click Next
   
   
   
   
9. Please verify the size of the disk partition you want to encrypt is correct –-> click Next
   
   
   
   
10. Now, you are going to create the access password for the disk partition you had encrypted. The strong access password is suggested to have alphanumeric (alphabet + number) characters with the symbol characters (eg: #@$%& etc.). It also good to has the long password.
    
    
    
    Note:
    If you want the disk partition you encrypted become harder to access by the unauthorized users, you can use the password together with the keyfile.
    
    To generate and use the keyfile, you can refer to my previous article. Please refer to the step 10, step 11 and step 12 under section The Procedures.
    
    Caution!!!:
    Please be caution that you should not modify the contents of the keyfile after you create it. It is because you will not be able to access the encrypted disk partition with the modified keyfile.
    
    
11. At this step the TrueCrypt will ask for your confirmation either you will keep the large file (larger than 4 GB size) into the encrypted disk partition.
    
    
    
    I suggest you to choose Yes for your own pleasure in the future –-> click Next.
    
    
12. Click button Format
    
    
    
    Read the warning appears in the warning box like below –-> click Yes to proceed the format process.
    
    
    
    Please wait until the TrueCrypt finish format your encrypted disk partition.
    
    
    
    Please read and take note the message below. This message appears when the formatting process done 100% –-> click OK after you read and understand its contents
    
    
    
    Click OK
    
    
    
    
13. Finally, the encrypted disk partition had been created –-> click Next to create the another encrypted disk or partition @ click Exit to finish the task.
    
    

Note:
Now, you have the encrypted disk partition in your computer. You can transfer all the files that you consider secret into the disk partition and the files will be encrypted automatically. The encrypted disk partition will look like below:

 

How To Use

In this section we will learn how to use the encrypted disk partition that we had created.

1. Double click the TrueCrypt icon to launch the freeware –-> you will be presented with the interface like below
   
   
   
   
2. Based on above, click Select Device… –-> when you see the selection box like below, click to choose the encrypted disk partition you created –-> click OK
   
   
   
   
3. Now, you will see the encrypted disk partition is saved in the drop down menu like below –-> click Mount
   
   
   
   
4. Insert the password –-> click the check box Use keyfiles –-> click the button Keyfiles…
   
   
   
   Then, you will see the interface like below. Click the button Add Files…
   
   
   
   Now, click to choose the keyfile that you had created before –-> click the button Open –-> click OK –-> click OK.
   
   
   
   
5. Now, the encrypted disk partition had been mounted. See below
   
   
   
   If you see inside My Computer, you will see the icon of local disk with the drive letter T:. This local disk is representing the encrypted disk partition.
   
   
   
   
6. Now, you can move the secret data into the local disk (T:). The secret data will be encrypted, once you paste it into the disk.

Important Note:
You also can encrypt the USB thumb drive using this procedures. What you need to do is to attach the USB thumb drive into computer USB port and then follow the steps listed above carefully. The USB thumb drive appears as disk partition in My Computer.