Can I put a password on a USB Flash Drive?

tradetime

That will take us to this screen, deja vu Here you select the encryption type, some encryption expert may suggest a level, I leave it as default as no spys are after me. Once selected click "Next"

Next screen we select volume size the guy who wrote the tutorial suggested 75% of you USB size, why? I don't know. I know why he said don't encrypt the whole drive, because if something goes wrong un-encrypting it can be a real problem, likely you'll lose your flash drive, but if you just put a container on it and something goes wrong it is a simple process, you just delete the container just like any other file, and your USB is empty again.
So we'll use his 75% that means for size we select 3072 MB so make sure MB is selected and enter 3072 (3GB) and hit "Next"
At the next screen enter your password this should be as long as possible, but you do have to be able to remember it. then hit "Next"

On this screen select FAT or NTFS file system then move your mouse around over the screen for 10 or 20 seconds, the program uses this to randomly generate encryption keys watch the numbers change in the screen as you move your mouse.
After 10-20 seconds hit "Format"

It will take a little while to create the container?volume , bigger it is longer, so it will take longer than the last one you made Voila

Ok, now your USB should look like this nice and tidy, the odd Icon is an encrypted Volume aka Container (for putting things in, like files)

Ok now we try it out, doble click on your TrueCrypt folder again and double click the TrueCrypt Icon to give you this screen. This time we will highlight a drive letter in the panel by left clicking once. This will be the letter used by your file when it is mounted (don't worry it'll make sense in a minute)
Choose one that your computer does not already use, (most computers reserve A for the floppy, C for the system drive and then work up through the alphabet so if you pick a letter high up your always safe)

I've highlighted P then hit "Select" as we are going to select the encrypted file we just created, we browse to our USB drive and click on our encrypted file, I called it "Personal" as you had, but whatever you choose to call it this time, either click once and hit open or just double click it, either way you will come back to the UI, when you get there hit "Mount" at this point you will be challenged for a password. Type your password in hit ok

The screen should now show your Volume mounted

Minimize the UI and open my computer and your encrypted container now appears as a drive with the letter you assigned to it

tradetime

Now you simply use it like a drive, you can save files to it, drag and drop, copy to, move to, just like any other drive.
When you have finished putting stuff in it bring up the UI, make sure the container/ whatever drive letter it is in the UI is highlighted again and select "Dismount" and it is encrypted again along with everything in it.

10past6

Trade, thx for taking the time to explain it, it's rather late now, I'll follow your instructions tomorrow when I'm able to focus better.

:A

Davesnave

10past6 wrote: »

Trade, thx for taking the time to explain it, it's rather late now, I'll follow your instructions tomorrow when I'm able to focus better.

:A

Thanks from me too. I have found this thread very interesting, having struggled more than a bit to understand Truecrypt when I set up a couple of USB sticks with encrypted volumes on them. It is a pity that people who make such a good (free) product should then stumble over the business of explaining it to the less technically gifted among us.

I store my bank account details (lots!) in a small encrypted partition on my hard drive using Cryptainer, which I find very easy to use: http://www.cypherix.com/cryptainerle/ Each container in the free version is a maximum of only 25mb, but that's is fine for this purpose. Then, in case my hard drive has an accident, I have 2 Truecrypted back-ups on USB sticks, one stored away from the machine. It is a bit of a pain keeping the three sets of data updated, but nothing like as bad as losing it all! Takes about 5 minutes when I make a change.

Yeah, I sound really organised, don't I? But, getting really 'into' this Truecrypt thing a few weeks ago, I had a few drinks, made a third encrypted drive from another stick I had, loaded it up with some files, drank a bit more wine, dismounted everything and went to bed. Two days ago I decided to open up one of these files and......my password isn't being recognised! I think I decided on the spur of the moment to make my usual password more 'secure' by adding a few more characters...... Well it's certainly that! Fortunately, I still have most of the files in their original location, but this might act as a warning to others. I'd just say: 'Don't mess with Truecrypt whilst under the affluence of incahol!'

Anyway, I think Cryptainer is worth a look, if you don't want to store large individual files.

tradetime

10past6 wrote: »

Trade, thx for taking the time to explain it, it's rather late now, I'll follow your instructions tomorrow when I'm able to focus better.

:A

No worries, take it slowly, and any problems don't be afraid to ask, I'm not a techi person either but will try to help if I can, this stuff is more familiarity than being tech orientated. Once you understand the principle, not necessarily the tech believe me it becomes fairly easy as it is just repeating the same steps. Honestly it is well within your capacity, it's just a little difficult to explain well like this. so anything that you don't understand is most likely that I have not explained it well.

Oh and last but not least, technology is not infallible, never commit anything to a flash drive that you do not have a backup of, the encryption process could fail, (though TrueCrypt is one of the most tried and tested encryption programs) the flash dive can corrupt, always have at least one copy of important data.

tradetime

Thanks from me too. I have found this thread very interesting, having struggled more than a bit to understand Truecrypt when I set up a couple of USB sticks with encrypted volumes on them. It is a pity that people who make such a good (free) product should then stumble over the business of explaining it to the less technically gifted among us.

I'm glad if it was of some use, believe me I am not particularly techi either so I cannot for example explain the ins and outs of the program, just what I understand it can do. I had never created an encrypted volume on a usb drive before so when 10past6 ran into problems I had to simulate the procedure to see what was involved. Once you do it a couple of times you wonder what all the fuss was about.

Bernie

Microsoft include a very useful thing that works extremely well with TrueCrypt - it's freebie "Briefcase".

Right click on the desktop, create a new Briefcase. This is a just a special folder.

Drag files or folders you want to access remotely from your main PC into the Briefcase, copies willl be created in the briefcase. When happy, drag the Briefcase into the mounted TrueCrypt volume on your USB stick and bingo! You can now work on your doc either on the home PC or the travelling copy and everything will be synchronised whenever you open the Briefcase.

I used this setup when working from home as a Recruitment Consultant. At home, I used the PC, away I used the company laptop. The two could not be networked so I used a briefcase from each PC to keep my working files synchronised and totally secure behind a very lengthy and secure password.

When the TrueCrypt drive is open, the two Briefcases called "Laptop" and "Main PC" were visible and the files are accessible just like any other. The Briefcases do all the donkey work in keeping all the files up-to-date. Worked brilliantly!

:beer:

davmail

buglawton wrote: »

OK I did the basic create traveller install on the usb stick, then created a volume as a file. Initially Truecrypt was auto starting on inserting the usb stick, now it does not, need starting manually from within the stick. Then I find the file by its name within the usb drive and mount it, enter pw and an additional drive apears in Windows which is my encrypted virtual disk.

Not bad but rather too techy for the missus to use. For her I imagined:

1. Plug in the usb stick
2. Enter pw into the one and only prompt box
3. Now can see the virtual drive whose contents will always be encrypted.

Still, for me a useful free enhancement to the usb stick, it wil feel much safer losing it this way!

(Edit) Just had a look at lockngo - there is absolutely no demo to show how easy it is or is not to use once set up, just screen prints on how to lock your drive.

After downloading lockngo,install on the usb stick,then double click it,it will ask you to enter a password(Twice)it then locks the drive.....simple,but don't forget the password,cos you won't get back in,you can use a different password each time,then when finished,double click the logo again,and enter password,and its locked again.

tradetime

buglawton wrote: »

OK I did the basic create traveller install on the usb stick, then created a volume as a file. Initially Truecrypt was auto starting on inserting the usb stick, now it does not, need starting manually from within the stick. Then I find the file by its name within the usb drive and mount it, enter pw and an additional drive apears in Windows which is my encrypted virtual disk.

Not bad but rather too techy for the missus to use. For her I imagined:

1. Plug in the usb stick
2. Enter pw into the one and only prompt box
3. Now can see the virtual drive whose contents will always be encrypted.

Still, for me a useful free enhancement to the usb stick, it wil feel much safer losing it this way!

(Edit) Just had a look at lockngo - there is absolutely no demo to show how easy it is or is not to use once set up, just screen prints on how to lock your drive.

That should be possible from what I have read, but a little more steps to setup. I have used Truecrpt quite a lot but not for encrypting flash keys just creating safe storage area on laptops.
The consequence of this is that I don't have a flash key to hand to experiment with, the description that I have given here is the boring, safe way of just creating a safe storage area on a removable disc. We are not using Truecrypt in "Traveler Mode" by my step by step, but rather we are using it as a portable application.

I have had a look at the "Traveler Mode" screen, and from what I can see, you should be able to create an auto run to load the encrypted volume as a drive name of your choice everytime at a password prompt, but as I say without a flash key to test it on I am not prepared to risk anyone else's.

The other thing with autorun is that it is disabled on most security savvy peoples computers due to the risk of being virused by any unknown media you put in your computer. Even with known media such as your flash drive, if it is being used on multiple computers that you have no control over, ie they aren't yours, there is a risk that a virus can be saved to the flash and autorun will open the door on your system next time you plug it in.

10past6

Hi Trade

I followed your instructions up untill and completing post 76, I've got stck on this post:

tradetime wrote: »

Now you simply use it like a drive, you can save files to it, drag and drop, copy to, move to, just like any other drive.
When you have finished putting stuff in it bring up the UI, make sure the container/ whatever drive letter it is in the UI is highlighted again and select "Dismount" and it is encrypted again along with everything in it.

Initially, I cleared my USB as you adviced, I saved the folder to the desktop.

I'm sorry about this, but somehow I've c**ked up, when I insert my USB now I go to the drive allocated, open it up then click Truecrypt the UI opens, I highlight the drive (G) click mount, and a pop up message says: No drive selected - click "Select device or "Select File" to select a volume.

I've come out of it all, double clicked my original folder on the desktop and a message states: The item that this shortcut refers to has been changed or moved, so this shortcut will not work properly.

Looks like I've lost all my personal documents.

Trade, no worries if your busy, you've spent enough time with me, thanks for your assisatnce.