Can I put a password on a USB Flash Drive?

10past6

Trade, do you think them folders could be somewhere within the pen drive, which is why I can't safely remove it?

tradetime

10past6 wrote: »

I had 4 folders within my USB pen drive, I put them all into a new folder called USB, sent it to the desktop, then in order to wipe the pen drive clear, I deleted them.

Errr, I don't recall emptying the recycle bin, however, I've looked in there, and those folders are not there

OK when you use the "Send to Desktop" it says in brackets after it (create shortcut) It does not actually send the files anywhere, it simply creates a shortcut or link to that item.
If you deleted them they should be in the recycle bin.

tradetime

I put them all into a new folder called USB

Am puzzled why they are not in recycle
Go to Start > Search > Select "All files and Folders" Type USB or much better if you can remember a name of one of the files in the folder type that in instead then for "Look In" select "My Computer" and hit Search

10past6

tradetime wrote: »

Am puzzled why they are not in recycle
Go to Start > Search > Select "All files and Folders" Type USB or much better if you can remember a name of one of the files in the folder type that in instead then for "Look In" select "My Computer" and hit Search

OK trade, I'll have a play around with some words

10past6

10past6 wrote: »

OK trade, I'll have a play around with some words

Trdae, I can't find those 4 folders no matter what words I enter.

I won't trouble you any further, thanks for all your help :beer:

tradetime

Ok, either you emptied the Recycle bin, or possibly deleting files from a removable storage device bypasses the Recycle bin
For future reference, the command "Send to Desktop" merely creates a link on the desktop, to change the location of files, either drag and drop them or use the copy and paste or cut and paste function.
If the files are important you could try using a file recovery software, point it at your USB drive.
There is no guarantee that the files will still be there as the creation of the encrypted container may have overwritten them, but if they were important it's worth a shot..
Any improtant files should always exist in at least two places.

Davesnave

A bit of good news. I managed to get into my third Truecrypted USB stick today. It was just a process of trying many combinations of my usual password with the extra few letters/symbols I'd added whilst not 100% sober. The task might have taken much longer because I had the idea that I'd also changed to a capital for my first letter, but in reality this was a thought rather than a deed.

I'll just remind 10past6 and others about Cryptainer which I'm using for small files, though I haven't got it on a stick. I'd download it on to one of mine to see how easy that is if I had any empty ones left!

Edit: Just found an old pen drive with no important stuff in it, so put a Cryptainer mobile vault (volume) onto it. I havent placed anything in the vault, but it comes up OK as drive K when the stick itself is running as J. There are no issues with any of the other files on the stick, which are still accessible as normal.

10past6

Davesnave wrote: »

I'll just remind 10past6 and others about Cryptainer which I'm using for small files, though I haven't got it on a stick. I'd download it on to one of mine to see how easy that is if I had any empty ones left!

Hi Dave

I take it this is a different programme to Truecrypt?

Trouble is, I've lost all my important documents due to my own stupidity not understanding what I was doing :mad: when following Tradetime's simple advice.

*I knew there was a reason why I spent so much paying PC world to do stuff for me, I wish I was 40 years younger*

If I done a system restore to yesterday, would that help find my lost documents? even though I've done a search with no luck.

tradetime

If I done a system restore to yesterday, would that help find my lost documents? even though I've done a search with no luck.

I doubt it, but you could try. If the files have actually been on your hard drive you may be able to use a recovery software like the one I posted above, unless you are using some sort of secure erasing program then files are not removed when you delete, they remain on your drive untill they are overwritten.

10past6

Hello Trade

I had a look at that programme, I've no idea what I'm doing, as disappointed as I am, I'll have to reside myself to that fact, I've permanently lost my documents.