truecrypt - first time installing

Discussion in 'privacy technology' started by form, Mar 15, 2009.

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  1. form

    form Registered Member

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    Which encryption method would you recommend? The hard drive is 200 gb but, after dban I think I should create a smaller partition with Windows. Is this the correct method? Or is it possible to install Truecrypt before installing windows?

    Which encryption method would you recommend for the partition if it's 20 gb?

    Is there anything else I should know for installing this for the first time? I'm not very familiar with encryption methods.





    Thanks
     
  2. Warlockz

    Warlockz Registered Member

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    You have alot of options you can consider, its all about customizing it to fit your needs!

    Yes you need windows to exicute and use Truecrypt, I would create a 20Gig partition, mabee you should make it 50Gig? and use the "Create a volume within a non system partition/device" method.

    As for all Encryption methods, its really up to the user, I like AES-Twofish for my Encryption Algorithm, and Whirlpool for my Hash Algorithm, these were chosen after reading up on them.

    Remember to backup your Header, never know when you might need it!

    Then all you need to do is use strong passwords + a key or multiple keys, then just try to avoid keyloggers and trojans, as they are ways for an attacker to obtain access to your pass/keys, or just sit back and watch everything your doing!

    If you have more questions about TrueCrypt, you may have your questions answered faster at the truecrypt forum...

    http://forums.truecrypt.org/

    EDIT;

    One more thing, Always Backup your backup, I learnd this the hard way when I lost 150Gig,s of stuff when a HD crashed and wouldnt spin anymore, a few extra HDs are way cheaper than spending $600 -1500+ sending it to a lab so they can take it apart and recover your data!
     
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2009
  3. scrty001

    scrty001 Registered Member

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    I guess I should probably consult the truecrypt forum although what do you think about encrypting the entire partition that windows is on?
     
  4. dantz

    dantz Registered Member

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    TrueCrypt is not one of those casual programs that you can safely pick up and start using without reading the manual or understanding how encryption works. New users should start out by carefully following the tutorial and learning how to create and use container files. Once you've worked with container files for awhile you can decide if you need to go any further.

    You need to learn how to avoid the many pitfalls before you set up device encryption (e.g. encrypting an entire hard drive) or system encryption (e.g. encrypting an entire Windows partition). I strongly recommend that you carefully read the user manual, as well as spend some serious time browsing the TrueCrypt forums. You'll be amazed at what can go wrong, and if/when things do go wrong, be warned that you can permanently lose access to either your data or your entire system. I should mention here that regularly backing up both your data and your encryption headers is extremely important. If you use system encryption, you should image your system as often as necessary so you will have the ability to recover from a disaster. If you're not willing to keep your data backed up (or in the case of system encryption, keep a recent image of your system), then you should not be using encryption at all.

    We see a lot of new members on the TrueCrypt forums who's first post is something along the lines of "Please, somebody help me, I just lost all my data!" Occasionally we can help them, but frequently it's either impossible to solve their problems or the solution is too far above their skill level. Many, many gigabytes of important and irreplaceable data have been permanently lost by new users who rushed into encryption without knowing what they were doing or understanding the risks, encrypted all of their data and then screwed up and lost the whole thing. This is why I suggest you start small and always keep fresh backups, and manually back up the headers as well. And in case you're wondering, it's quite easy to create encrypted backups. But until you've mastered the basics and know what to look out for, don't jump into device encryption or system encryption. TrueCrypt can be used safely, but even the most experienced users (at least, the smart ones) keep current backups of their data, their headers and their OS, and they're careful to avoid certain known actions that might corrupt their headers and/or lock them out of their systems.
     
  5. Warlockz

    Warlockz Registered Member

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    Thanks for pointing that out, I totaly agree with you 100%

    One should always learn about the threats and methods of their encryption app before they start using it, or wile their using it!

    If he does decide to go this route, Use a container instead of full partition encryption, I would still advise to create the container on its own partition!
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2009
  6. Coolio10

    Coolio10 Registered Member

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    I just created a hidden operating system yesterday and it was my first time using truecrypt. Its good it tells everything your doing, but some terms need to be looked up.
     
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