Best free file Encryption and Hiding software for portable HD??

S

sskk

Weaksauce
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Sep 9, 2008
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I need one bad now, I want it to be able to encrypt and hide all the files and folders I want. I will use it on my very big portable hard drive, so speed is kind a issue too.


Also since it's a portable HDD I will need to work on other computers, but I guess I can install the program on my friend's computer if needed.

Thanks in advance.

Edit: since I will be hiding a huge portion of a huge HDD, I want it show my hidden folder space as free space, or people would wonder where did that 300GB gone to.
 
TrueCrypt is free and works very well. It may not do everything you want, but it will do most.

There are probably better ways to hide your pron... :D
 
I don't know that you can make used space show as free space without interfering with your filesystems. Think about this. If it says you have 300GB free, but you only really have 50GB free, and you try to write 60GB to it, where will it go?
 
mryerse said:
I don't know that you can make used space show as free space without interfering with your filesystems. Think about this. If it says you have 300GB free, but you only really have 50GB free, and you try to write 60GB to it, where will it go?
Click to expand...


Well, I wish it would show an error make people think there is some problem with HDD.

BTW, if you can, please suggest some good software that hides, even if it shows it as used disk space. I tried TrueCrypt, great software, but it does not hide at all...
 
Right click > Properties > Select "hidden"

Make sure "Do not show hidden files and folders" is selected in folder view options.

Basic, yeah, but that's what you want, right?
 
drdeutsch said:
Right click > Properties > Select "hidden"

Make sure "Do not show hidden files and folders" is selected in folder view options.

Basic, yeah, but that's what you want, right?
Click to expand...

... I am not that dumb, :( , I mean at least some software where unless you use that software combined with the right password, you will not even able to see that folder wither in windows explorer, safe mode, other file explorer, command line etc.

I found many of them, but found almost all have one problem or another with portable drives...
 
Another option would be to create partitions on the drive, and not assign drive letters to all of them so they don't show up in My Computer. That way only tools like disk management would show the true size of the disk. I don't think this is something you can do with windows by default on USB drives without a 3rd party utility. I'm not really sure though...
 
mryerse said:
Another option would be to create partitions on the drive, and not assign drive letters to all of them so they don't show up in My Computer. That way only tools like disk management would show the true size of the disk. I don't think this is something you can do with windows by default on USB drives without a 3rd party utility. I'm not really sure though...
Click to expand...

Thank for the reply, I am trying to find something like this, it would be better if it can just hide file/folder, but I found none working well with portable so far...
 
sskk said:
Thank for the reply, I am trying to find something like this, it would be better if it can just hide file/folder, but I found none working well with portable so far...
Click to expand...

truecrypt does LOTs of magical things. read up on the FAQ on it.
you can create hidden partitions within a partition, all kinds of stuff.

what I do is create my truecrypt volumes with filenames that look like random gibberish and stick them in the windows folder.

askdj98sdfusndf.tmp

Who the hell is going to think anything of that?
 
Monkey God said:
truecrypt does LOTs of magical things. read up on the FAQ on it.
you can create hidden partitions within a partition, all kinds of stuff.

what I do is create my truecrypt volumes with filenames that look like random gibberish and stick them in the windows folder.

askdj98sdfusndf.tmp

Who the hell is going to think anything of that?
Click to expand...

That's what I am doing, but the moment they see the size of that file...
 
sskk said:
That's what I am doing, but the moment they see the size of that file...
Click to expand...

are you hiding stuff from the CIA or what?

Who is going to take your harddrive and looking for hidden files with innocuous names? Even then, what are they going to with it, without the password?
 
sskk said:
I need one bad now, I want it to be able to encrypt and hide all the files and folders I want. I will use it on my very big portable hard drive, so speed is kind a issue too.
Click to expand...
Use Alternate Data Streams.

Read this.

Then read this.

Then watch this.

Keep in mind this will only "hide" your data from normal people. Those with a good understanding of computers, or pretty much any forensic investigator will find this.
 
Monkey God said:
are you hiding stuff from the CIA or what?

Who is going to take your harddrive and looking for hidden files with innocuous names? Even then, what are they going to with it, without the password?
Click to expand...


CIA? No. Younger Cousins? Hell yeah! :mad:
 
Madnes5 said:
Use Alternate Data Streams.

Read this.

Then read this.

Then watch this.

Keep in mind this will only "hide" your data from normal people. Those with a good understanding of computers, or pretty much any forensic investigator will find this.
Click to expand...

Great staff, thanks a lot.
 
Interesting reads about ADS. Wonder why I never read about them before... Seems to me the best solution would be to write your own program that uses existing cryptographic libraries and implement it in a custom way that no-one can predict as they can with widely available products.
 
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