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I was wondering how to encrypt my external HDD so that my data would be safe AND accessible from any OS platform (Windows and Linux). So I went through many posts and forums and found out the best thing was to use true crypt. I went along with this post and encrypt my USB drive. When inserted that, Windows didn't recognize it. Then I followed another post that said to install truecrypt.

The thing is :

  1. How can i use traveler disk setup in Ubuntu (Option not found)?
  2. Install truecrypt in USB so that i can *mount my USB or HDD on any other OS?
  3. If there is no solution for the upper two, then is there any other software which I can use to encrypt an USB device so that it can be accessed from any OS?
Community
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twister_void
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  • Have truecrypt portable on the disk, store a large encrypted file, rather than full disk encryption. Its not what you are looking for, but thats the best I can think of. – Mahesh Aug 24 '12 at 13:58
  • @Mahesh Thanks But i want to secure my complete HDD . – twister_void Aug 25 '12 at 03:53

2 Answers2

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Its not possible The Linux version of TC requires a properly compiled kernel module be inserted into the running Linux kernel, as opposed to Windows which generally only requires administrative rights and the proper application/driver binary.

This is primarily due to fundamental architecture differences between the Linux kernel design and Windows internals.

complience
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Windows itself can't recognize a TC partition - you need TC installed in Windows, and then the TC software/GUI will recognize it. The downside to encrypting the entire device is that TC must already be installed on the OS in order to use the TC device. Because of that, I format the device as FAT32 so that both Win and Linux can easily read it, then put a TC container/file on the device, along with copies of both the Windows and Linux executables for TC stored on the device (not in the encrypted container). You can then launch the appropriate TC executable that is on the device from any OS, and use the GUI to open the encrypted container. When you connect it to your own computer that already has TC installed, just ignore the TC executable on the device (cuz your TC GUI should have already launched.)

Tom
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  • I already used this for container type encryption . but i want solution for whole drive . – twister_void Aug 25 '12 at 04:21
  • The whole drive solution works if TC is already installed on the systems that you connect it to. If TC is not installed, say, on a friend's computer that you've never used before, you could still download the executable from that machine, then launch that executable, then access the encrypted drive. – Tom Aug 25 '12 at 18:11
  • That i Know Suppose on other system i want to use encrypted drive and that system is not having internet then what i am not able to use that that's why TC provided one traveler mode concept that i want to use in Ubuntu. – twister_void Aug 26 '12 at 16:53
  • A Traveler Disk is the same thing as what I already described (an unencrypted drive with the executable and an encrypted container on it.) Quote from http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/: Note that TrueCrypt 'traveler disk' is not a TrueCrypt volume but an unencrypted volume . In other words, a Traveler Disk DOES NOT encrypt the entire drive. – Tom Aug 26 '12 at 18:25