How to password-protect an external hard drive

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My wife takes her external hard drive to school as a teacher. There have been times that she has left the hard drive inadvertently on her desk – allowing students to potentially to gain access.
My question is: Is there a procedure or free software that allows any external hard drive/USB flash drive to be password protected or encryped?

Bruno.

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encryption is probably your best bet.
Examples:
T r u e C r y p t
AxCrypt File Encryption for Windows

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encryption is probably your best bet.
Examples:
T r u e C r y p t
AxCrypt File Encryption for Windows

Do both of these need to have the program installed on every computer used to view the encrypted drive ?

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Hi Bruno,

Another good encryption choice is 2BrightSparks Encrypt On Click Freeware. This encryption software allows you to encrypt selected folders. But If you want to encrypt the whole external drive, or a large chunk of it, the ones Clint suggested would be better.

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Thank you Clint.

I have downloaded TrueCrypt and the associated 150 pages of confusing information.
There appears to be a distinct possibility that things can go awfully wrong in determining which part of the program to use.
We have been using U3 USB flash drives for years and that system with its password logon works fine for us.

What we would like is a similar password logon for our external hard drives. I suppose what I am asking you is for you to “hold my hand” and write me out a simple “step type format” on what to do, as the 150 pages are far too complex for my deminishing neurones. I went throught this “mounting” and “dismounting” drama in ’94-’95 when working in a school with multiples servers, and honestly I can do without the complexity.

The external hard drives do NOT contain the OS, only personal data files.

Please see what you can write up for us.

Bruno

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Bruno, http://www.freecom.com/ecProducts.asp

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The Beginner’s Tutorial is a good place to start.

Videos for truecrypt tutorial

Videos for truecrypt tutorial+external usb drive

Edited out prior tutorial; Incomplete.

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Dear Clint

OK, I printed the 15 points written above and found that: (a) there was no Next button after point 13 (moving the mouse), it asked if I would like to Format the device, (b) it would seem that the device must not contain data, as all data will be wiped during the encryption process.

I have no issue with backing up (we have multiple backups), but I would like to be sure of my facts before I continue with “mission critical” procedures.

Therefore it appears that our 80 GB of data must be backed up first before I can encrypt the device – is this assumption correct?

Roderunner: I don’t understand your URL – it appears unrelated to my question.

Bruno.

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Roderunner: I don’t understand your URL – it appears unrelated to my question.

Bruno.

Bruno, maybe this expanded url will explain better. http://www.freecom.com/ecproduct_detail.asp?ID=4157&CatID=8020&sCatID=1146187&ssCatID=1149134

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All of this protection will not prevent any one from accessing the data, if the device is left plugged in, user account logged in and sitting there waiting for someone to access it it.

You will find that the simplest would be to use a “Passworded” screensaver. This way, the password would always be required.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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TrueCrypt will overwrite any existing data on the drive, so have uptodate backups handy.

You realy do need to look through these tutorial yourself and learn how to do this. It is not rocket science.

Some other worthwhile articles and tutorials on TrueCript:

**** Official TrueCrypt Forum

**** Ghacks.net: Securing your Pc with True Crypt

Creating a TrueCrypt Encrypted Disk Image

Ultimate TrueCrypt Guide : Create And Mount Virtual Encrpyted Partitions

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For Gfamily:

Portable Mode
TrueCrypt can run in so-called portable mode, which means that it does not have to be installed on the operating system under which it is run. However, there are two things to keep in mind:

•You need administrator privileges in order to able to run TrueCrypt in portable mode (for the reasons, see the chapter Using TrueCrypt Without Administrator Privileges).

Note: No matter what kind of software you use, as regards personal privacy in most cases, it is not safe to work with sensitive data under systems where you do not have administrator privileges, as the administrator can easily capture and copy your sensitive data, including passwords and keys.

•After examining the registry file, it may be possible to tell that TrueCrypt was run (and that a TrueCrypt volume was mounted) on a Windows system even if it had been run in portable mode.

http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/

TrueCrypt can be used with almost any os on almost any computer, but you must be the admin of the computer or else you will potentially open yourself to an admin that is “not so trustworthy”.

If the user is has trueCrypt and running the external drive off his or her laptop then they are perfectly safe as long as the laptop is not left open and running. In this instance DaveA’s advice on password protecting the screensaver would be valid.

Password protecting the screensaver alone, without encryption, would not stop someone from walking away with the external drive and easily accessing it through another computer.

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Perhaps a simpler solution:

How to Password Protect an External USB Hard Drive
By CharlesDovbish, eHow Contributor
updated: July 27, 2010

External hard drives make it possible to mobilize large files like movies, music or software programs. Although external hard drives can be convenient, there is always a chance they could be lost or stolen. When your external hard drive goes missing, any documents or programs you have on the hard drive could be in serious jeopardy. Securing your external hard drive with a password will protect all of your files and programs from falling into the wrong hands.

•1
Plug your external hard drive into your computer through a USB port.

•2
Click the “Start” menu on the left-hand side of your computer screen and choose the “My Computer” icon from the right-hand side of the menu.

•3
Find your external hard drive’s icon in the “My Computer” window. Double click on the icon.

•4
Right click on a blank area in the external hard drive’s window. Choose the “New Folder” option from the gray menu that pops up. Label your new folder with a name appropriate to your external hard drive.

•5
Highlight all of your hard drive’s windows and programs and drag them into the new folder you created.

•6
Right click on the folder and choose the option that reads “Properties.” Scroll over to the “Sharing” option. Click the little box labeled “Make This Folder Private.”

•7
Click on the “Ok” tab to apply the changes. Double click on the folder and enter your Windows Login password when prompted to gain access to the folder and all of the files inside.

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Clint,

I think you know this but it bears pointing out that the method you describe in your post #13 does not encrypt (Unless you are using bitlocker) the drive. Anybody that plugs that drive into a windows computer on which they have administrator rights can browse the drive……

TrueCrypt and like programs are still the only secure way to protect it. Yes, they are a bit of a pain but you always have to do a risk assessment and balance security and usability…

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Clint,

I think you know this but it bears pointing out that the method you describe in your post #13 does not encrypt (Unless you are using bitlocker) the drive. Anybody that plugs that drive into a windows computer on which they have administrator rights can browse the drive……

TrueCrypt and like programs are still the only secure way to protect it. Yes, they are a bit of a pain but you always have to do a risk assessment and balance security and usability…

Yes, that’s true…
But the OP may not be up to installing & using TrueCrypt.
He needs to go over and read through the tutorials himself carefully, after all it’s his/her computer and equipment.

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I have been searching for a way to password protect an external hard drive for several weeks, and after a long search I found with out a doubt the best program out there. Encrypting is great if you have seven available hours to decrypt your files, however most people dont. Winmend folder is absolutely awesome. You simply download it, double click the desk top icon, type in your password, and it will give you the option to hide or unhide any folder on your external drive or computer. If you take your external hard drive and plug it into another computer THE FILE STILL REMAINS HIDDEN and it cannot be seen. When you want it to appear you simply double click the icon, type in your password, and click unhide. This program is sweet. It will remain hidden on ANY computer its plugged into, until you type in your password and click unhide. So easy to use, just google winmend folder hidden, download, and thats it. see ya

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External hard drives make it possible to mobilize large files like movies, music or software programs. Although external hard drives can be convenient, there is always a chance they could be lost or stolen. When your external hard drive goes missing, any documents or programs you have on the hard drive could be in serious jeopardy. Securing your external hard drive with a password will protect all of your files and programs from falling into the wrong hands.

•1
Plug your external hard drive into your computer through a USB port.

•2
Click the “Start” menu on the left-hand side of your computer screen and choose the “My Computer” icon from the right-hand side of the menu.

•3
Find your external hard drive’s icon in the “My Computer” window. Double click on the icon.

•4
Right click on a blank area in the external hard drive’s window. Choose the “New Folder” option from the gray menu that pops up. Label your new folder with a name appropriate to your external hard drive.

•5
Highlight all of your hard drive’s windows and programs and drag them into the new folder you created.

•6
Right click on the folder and choose the option that reads “Properties.” Scroll over to the “Sharing” option. Click the little box labeled “Make This Folder Private.”

•7
Click on the “Ok” tab to apply the changes. Double click on the folder and enter your Windows Login password when prompted to gain access to the folder and all of the files inside.

i tried doing this but i could not click the “make this folder private” box. how can open up this option

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This is not strictly within the terms of the thread, but I might offer a quick reminder that modern drives, including or especially on laptops, are gigantic. This gives the ordinary user a very large amount of free space for pure storage.

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Thank you gentleman, I will pass on this issue until some smart cookie invents an easy (as in U3) password protection system. I read Clint’s words of warning loud ‘n clear.
I will give my wife a piece of string to attach ex HDD to wristband.

Bruno.

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Hi Bruno,

I use TrueCrypt on some things, but at work I have a program that I’ve used for a couple of years, and based on what you say you need, it fits the bill. It’s a program made specifically for external drives – it’s called Lockngo. It’s drop-dead simple. However, you said “free” and unfortunately sometimes “free” means great security – but also great complexity. Lockngo is either $19 or $39 depending on your needs, but it was money well spent for me. I paid for simplicity and it couldn’t get any easier.
Here’s the link to Lockngo

Good luck!

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Buy one of the drives with BUILT-IN security, portable hard drive provides government-grade protection against unauthorized access. The add-on later software solutions discissed above, I don’t really know, but I’m pretty sure they are less secure and easier to crack.

Here’s one of our favorites: Maxtor BlackArmor 320GB 2.5″ External USB Hard Drive. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230526578274

Google: Maxtor BlackArmor

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Thank you Mike & John. I will certainly look at Mike’s suggestion as our data is important to us and in a class room situation you want to be able to lock/unlock the ex HDD quickly without having to stuff around.

Bruno.

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Remember that some students use Linux and with that they can access what Windows will not allow.

I suggest encryption is the only way to go.

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Thank you Alan for that reminder. In this particular instance most students hardly know about Windows, leave alone Linux and their derivatives. Indeed I am still looking for a simple-to-apply encryption method that my wife can use – similar to opening Windows when logging on.

Bruno.

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I have a couple of 4GB SanDisk Cruser Flash drives with the U3 protection, it works great! But there is a U3 removal tool published on the net, I’m not sure how it affects any stored files, but the U3 protection can be removed.

Clint’s suggestion of TrueCrypt is the very best in protection (far superior to BitLocker), but as stated, it’s not 100% portable. Many people, including myself, isn’t going to create
an administrator account on our computers to allow one to open a TrueCrypt drive. That would be putting the computer owner at risk.

Transcend flash drives has their own encryption program that can be used. So do other brands.

If one is looking to keep it simple, there’s still plenty of SanDisk U3 drives available at Amazon. There is a wide selection of sizes & prices to meet any budget.

http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Cruzer-Micro-Flash-SDCZ6-4096-E11/dp/B000EWHEM6

Cat

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13/02/27 I have a Maxtor external hard drive that came with a wonderful password protector. The first thing that happened when I wanted to access any of my files was that a window opened asking for my password. If I forgot the password access to my files was not possible.
Unfortunately after ten years or so it finally bit the dust. Fortunately I had saved my files to two other external HD’s a ‘My Book’ and also a ‘Fantom’ .
Neither of which came with password protection so I began looking for software to do the job for me. Something that I could maybe download directly to the external drives that would allow me to install my password of choice.
I can’t find any such software anywhere.
I discovered that the makers of Fantom drives are completely and utterly inept as they were unable to help me in this matter.
I have now downloaded Axantum only to discover that all it’s able to do is encrypt single files. It can’t even encrypt a whole folder. So here again , it’s not what I’m looking for.
Does anyone know of a site where I can find software that will perform in the same way my Maxtor did?
Seagate is no help in this matter either.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

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Imastunned, welcome to The Lounge.

Yes. As mentioned earlier in the thread, TrueCrypt can do what you want.

You do not need to install TrueCrypt, but can run it in a portable mode. Copy the TrueCrypt files to a Truecrypt Traveler disk and use them to access an encrypted TrueCrypt volume. The external hard drive can be secured and subsequently accessed from any PC by the person(s) who hold the TrueCrypt password. Read through the documentation carefully and you should be good to go.

Link to TrueCrypt Portable

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Lots of common programs, such as WinZip, have an ‘encrypt’ option. Look through some of your installed programs and see if you have any with the capability.

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Plenty of good suggestions here, however what if one needs to use that external drive to backup in PreOS Mode? Acronis True Image calls it something else, but it works the same. By pressing a key at startup (F11 for Acronis & Todo Workstation simply adds another boot entry), one can backup/restore their computer totally outside of the Windows enviornment, which is faster & preferred. No Windows processes to interfere with the backup/restore whatsoever.

How does one temporarily bypass the encryption to get the job done? Other then unencrypt the drive & re-encrypt it? This option won’t work with TrueCrypt, as once unencrypted, it has to be formatted prior to re-encryption. However, BitLocker can do it & leave the data intact, but how does one access the external during the PreOS process? This is a legitmate concern, fortunately many paid backup apps offers it’s own encryption system.

However, this is of little good to those who uses free backup apps. For those who are using the freebies, it’s probably best NOT to encrypt those drives. The ones with your precious data, family pics, songs & movies, those are the ones to encrypt. For those who are running 7 Ultimate/8 Pro, BitLocker is included & your data is not harmed (as always, back these drives up prior to implementing an encryption system). It’s best for these computers to have a TPM (accessed through the BIOS), however it can be done w/o it. It’s just less prone to bugs if the physical chip is there.

As mentioned by myself & others above, TrueCrypt is available & free. Just remember, the drive HAS to be formatted first with the TrueCrypt setup. And when you’re creating your security, be sure to follow the instructions closely. There comes a time when it’s suggested to move the mouse around those keys for a couple of minutes (to make it even more crack proof). Don’t skip this vital step. For most, TrueCrypt is probably as good as it comes, free or paid. The app could easily be licensed & sold for $50 per user if the author wanted to, it’s that good. It’s saved many accused criminals from being convicted in court. What is very securely & properly encrypted, no one can access. The exception to this is tyrant countries who waterboards (& uses other practices of torture) suspects to extort info. Even still, TrueCrypt offers a second “hidden” encrypted enclousure inside of a “dummy” one that usually useless info is on. Consider this when planning your hidden drive. If you are forced to give a password, make the crook think nothing’s there, mabye some random photos or made up credit/debit card credentials.

Be sure to read the documentation very closely. For beginners, here’s the place to start. Make small, simple encrypted containers or drives (such as a Flash drive) at first. Then practice mounting/unmounting (securing) it. These drives should not be simply yanked from the computer as many does their Flash drives (which shouldn’t be done anyway).

http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/

Before long, with practice, most anyone can use TrueCrypt with ease.

Cat

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