Hi, I have a laptop running Windows 7 64bit with 2 hd's and I would like to encrypt my data hd. I'm not sure which encryption sofware is better. TrueCrypt or PGP. I'm not even thinking of bitlocker. I travel 4 or 5 times a year and always wipe my OS drive and re-image it to the "out of the box" state before I leave so how would that affect my ability to access my encrypted drive. I've also redirected my data folders (Documents, My Music, etc.) to a "Documents" folder I created on my Data Drive. As you are probably fully aware by now I'm not very familiar with encryption. Thank you for your help,
Both TrueCrypt and PGP are good (and both open-source). Most people are probably more familiar with Truecrypt since it is free and thus I would recommend it. It's easy to setup and use.
What is your "data drive"? Is your laptop disk split into two partitions or are you talking about an external drive? The most important part of encryption is to first define what sort of "threat" your are trying to defend against. If you are just concerned about sensitive data falling into the wrong hands then a simple file based truecrypt container would be sufficient. If you need to use installed programs in a totally secure environment and must hide them from people that will examine your laptop with a fine tooth comb (such as hostile customs guards) you would need to use a hidden OS. The former is very easy to set up and use, the latter is complex and tedious. Just remember the prime directive of encryption: BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP!
They're not two different "protocols." They serve the exact same purpose with TrueCrypt having PD as an added feature.
