Backing up / making duplicate copies of an encrypted drive.

JustAnotherSaver

Encryption is pretty new to me. I've just used VeraCrypt to encrypt a (2TB) portable hard drive as well as encrypt a (500GB) file on an internal drive.

I have backed up my PC in the past. Set it to do a full disk image and job done. Same with just backing up chosen files.

How do you go about backing up an encrypted drive though? Say I want to make a duplicate of the portable drive. Do i just set up my backup software to backup/clone as normal and the new one will be encrypted also? Or do I need to de-crypt, backup & then encrypt the new drive?

Hope the question makes sense. Not sure I'm asking it the right way but hopefully we'll get there in the end.

WaywardDriver

Backup software should work as normal with encrypted folder.
But seem to remember Veracrypt doesn't by default update folder's modification date so modified encrypted folder isn't backed up. You need to change an option under Veracrypt - Settings - Preferences.

outtatune

WaywardDriver said:

Backup software should work as normal with encrypted folder.
But seem to remember Veracrypt doesn't by default update folder's modification date so modified encrypted folder isn't backed up. You need to change an option under Veracrypt - Settings - Preferences.

Assuming it's a regular encrypted volume it'll be a single file rather than a folder.

So you can back up the entire encrypted volume by just making a copy of that file. It'll work in exactly the same way as copying any other file, except it's a ginormous 2TB file that you'll have to copy in full every time.

(I can't remember if it dynamically allocates space so it may be a ginormous up to 2TB file)

If you want smarter backup of just changed files in the encrypted volume, consider creating a second Veracrypt volume for your backup, mount both, backup from one to the other, then unmount both.

JustAnotherSaver

Thanks. What if you encrypt the entire drive and not just a file on the drive? Do you need to decrypt it  and copy files as normal although then the copied files wont be encrypted. Or do you just clone the drive perhaps? What'd be the best way with that scenario where the whole drive is encrypted?

cx6

once you have entered the key(s) and both drives are decrypted, acccesible and drive letters are showing then just copy from eg d: to e: as usual.

a

I'm an expert at asking stupid questions:
What software do you use to backup?
How will you perform a restore with no windows or internet?
Have you checked the files on your backup, like creating a dummy file on your pc, backing up the pc, then restoring that file?
I would assume you backup to an external drive, is that external drive a permanent connection?