Can I expand the size of my hidden OS and not use the decoy OS at all?

Discussion in 'encryption problems' started by DesuMaiden, Sep 15, 2013.

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  1. DesuMaiden

    DesuMaiden Registered Member

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    Can I use Partition Magic to expand the size of my hidden OS without ? I never use my decoy os (which takes up about 300 gb of unused HDD space) and my hidden OS only uses up 300gb of the total 750 gb of available HDD for my laptop. So can I use Partition Magic to expand the size of my hidden OS's partition to let's say 700 gb to maximize the HDD space I can use? By the way, Partition Magic is a free partitioning software...in other words, you can expand or shrink the size of your system partitions with it.

    My hidden OS uses the D drive. The decoy OS uses the C drive. The C drive is about 300 gb. The D drive is 380 gb. I want to partition the D drive (where the hidden OS is located) so that it uses 700 gb and not have to use the C drive ever again. That's because the decoy OS is useless and I only use the hidden OS.

    I probably should have just encrypted the entire HDD and used Partition Magic to expand the C partition to 700gb (to maximize the HDD space I could use). Being restricted to a hidden OS is very inconvenient because you cannot copy and paste anything from the hidden OS onto a removable storage device (like a USB stick) UNLESS the removable storage device is using Truecrypt hidden volumes. And none of my friends at work use truecrypt hidden volumes, so whenever I need to transfer work files to them, I cannot simply copy and paste the files from my hidden OS to their USB, unless their USB is using Truecrypt hidden volumes lol. I only wished I just used full-disk encryption (FDE) instead of having a useless decoy OS that restricts the amount of HDD I can use.
     
  2. PaulyDefran

    PaulyDefran Registered Member

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    A. You should use your decoy...you're supposed to in a Hidden OS scenario.

    B. I HIGHLY doubt you should attempt this without copious backups. Since I don't *know* for sure (check TC forum)...I will guess and say you can't do this. The TC docs discuss why the partitions are the way they are.

    Since it sounds like you don't really need the Hidden OS...I think you can image the Hidden OS to a network share (HOS prevents copying to local non-hidden devices, but can copy to network shares). Then grab that image and restore to a wiped drive. The only niggle may be the Windows Boot Loader, but bootrec.exe /fixmbr would take care of that.

    It may even be easier to explore the un-encryption options of TC, but I've never had to un-do anything with TC, so I don't know.

    YOU BETTER BACK EVERYTHING UP BEFORE MESSING WITH ANY OF THIS OR YOU WILL BE SAD :D

    PD
     
  3. DesuMaiden

    DesuMaiden Registered Member

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    I don't have time right now to remove my hidden OS. This process sounds a bit too complicated. Could someone help me out sometime? I need step-by-step instructions on how to remove the TC hidden OS because I'm no techie (in fact, I'm quite technologically illiterate). These instructions would be very useful for anyone else who might encounter the problem I'm encountering.
     
  4. mirimir

    mirimir Registered Member

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    What PaulyDefran said!

    Unless you use your decoy OS every day, there's no point in having a hidden OS. If you boot into the decoy OS in customs, for example, it's going to seem very strange that it hasn't been used for a week or more. Especially if you were using the laptop during the flight. No?

    All of your routine stuff, especially anything that you're sharing with coworkers, should be on the decoy OS. Only private stuff should be on the hidden OS.
     
  5. DesuMaiden

    DesuMaiden Registered Member

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    Yes, I would like to start using my decoy OS, but it can't connect to the Internet. That's why I haven't started using it YET.

    I talked to a tech guy a few weeks ago. He told me my decoy OS's pirated Windows 7 did not work because it was missing the following components under the "Other devices" tree:

    1-Ethernet Controller
    2-Network Controller
    3-PCI Simple Communications Controller
    4-SM Bus Controller
    5-Universal Serial Bus (USB) Controller

    Can I download these components separately to install onto my decoy OS? I need these components in order to connect it to the internet. A decoy OS without an internet connection is useless because an operating system with no-internet connection is useless.

    Or perhaps I should spend some money to buy a legit copy of Windows 7 rather than a pirated copy that doesn't even work? I think that isn't a bad idea. If money can solve these frustrations for me, I would more than willingly pay for the solution.
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2013
  6. mirimir

    mirimir Registered Member

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    You have it backwards, I think. The legitimate copy of Windows, which is linked to you, should be your decoy OS. A copy of Windows that's not linked to you should be your hidden OS. But I don't recommend a pirated copy. The chances are pretty good that it would be compromised in some way. Your best bet is buying a cheap used machine that came with full (not reseller locked) install disks.
     
  7. DesuMaiden

    DesuMaiden Registered Member

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    So true. I think the best option for me is to keep using the hidden OS, until I find a way to remove it by following the instructions Paul Defran suggested. I'll first have to BACK UP all of the contents of the hidden OS (I have an external 1TB for this). Or the other option is THIS. Don't use the decoy OS and only use the hidden OS (so I'll have a useless decoy os, which will never ever be used at all).
     
  8. DesuMaiden

    DesuMaiden Registered Member

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    Hey. I just got a brilliant idea. I am going to do this.

    ->Decrypt the Decoy OS.
    ->Remove the pirated Windows 7 OS.
    ->Download a free distro of Linux (does anyone have any good suggestions on which free Linux Distros are good?)
    ->Install the free Linux Distro on the decoy OS's partition (which is approx 300 gb in size).
    ->Back up all of my files from the Windows 7 Decoy OS onto an external 1TB hard-drive.
    ->Then copy and paste of all of the Windows 7 files onto the Linux Decoy OS (is there any way of converting files from Windows 7 into a format that can be used on Linux?)
    ->Now that all of my Hidden OS's important files are on my Linux Decoy OS, I can expand the Linux Decoy OS to 600 gb.

    Alternatively I could buy a cheap Windows 7 and copy and paste all of my Hidden OS's files onto the Decoy OS. And then expand the Decoy OS to 600gb.

    I cannot expand the hidden OS without damaging the Decoy OS, making both Hidden and Decoy OS unusable.

    This is what I must do.

    ->I must install a workable Linux (but preferrably Windows) OS onto the Decoy partition.
    -> Back up all of my important files from my hidden OS onto my external 1TB harddrive.
    -> Paste all of the backed-up hidden OS files onto the Decoy OS.
    ->And then expand the Decoy partition to whatever size I desire.

    Does this procedure sound good? I think the hidden OS is totally useless, so I might as well install a functioning Decoy OS (a decoy that can connect to the Internet. My current Decoy Windows 7 OS is pirated. So it cannot connect to the Internet).

    Once I transfer all of my important files onto the now-working Decoy OS, I can finally EXPAND my Decoy OS, so that the hidden OS becomes completely useless. That way my Decoy OS will act as the ONLY system partition on my computer. Then, I'll encrypt my Decoy OS. And since the Hidden OS is now gone and unusable, the encrypted Decoy OS will act as the only encrypted partition on my computer. So now I have full-disk encryption of a SINGLE system partition that uses up most of my 750gb hard-drive. Rather than being stuck on a useless hidden operating system and having 1/2 of my computer's HDD space unusable (the decoy OS being totally useless).

    Are there any other suggestions Wilders' can suggest for me? I want to end up with a SINGLE encrypted system partition that uses most of my hard-drive, so I end up having full-disk encryption rather than a useless hidden operating system.
     
  9. DesuMaiden

    DesuMaiden Registered Member

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    This is why expanding the Hidden OS will damage the entire harddrive.

    The decoy OS and hidden OS are suppose to be the same size. In my case, the Hidden and Decoy OS are both 300 gb (for a total of 600gb of my HDD's 750 gb of space). The Decoy OS is on the C drive. The Hidden OS, when it is mounted, is located on the C drive. The hidden and decoy OS MUST occupy the same amount of space. When the hidden OS isn't mounted, it is hidden inside the D drive which should be at least 105% the size of the decoy OS's partition. If the hidden OS was expanded it will no longer match the size of the decoy OS. So file corruption will occur. Resulting in a hidden OS that is no longer accessible and everything on it would be inaccessible.

    Paul Defran is correct. Back up all of the content of the Hidden OS before Iexpand any system partitions!
     
  10. DesuMaiden

    DesuMaiden Registered Member

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    Thanks for the information. I found it immensely helpful :)
     
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