Encrypt a USB Flash Drive using TrueCrypt on Windows

TrueCrypt is an open source software for Windows 7/Vista/XP, Mac OS X, and Linux. Using TrueCrypt you can set up and maintain an on-the-fly encrypted volume. This post will show you how to encrypt a USB Flash Drive using TrueCrypt on Windows.

Encrypt USB Flashdrive with Truecrypt in Windows:

TrueCrypt can be installed on your computer or it can be extracted and run as a portable application, but to encrypt flash drives you need to have the installed version.

Encrypt Flash Drive

1. Download Windows version of Truecrypt and Install.
2. Run TrueCrypt and hit Create Volume
3. In the TrueCrypt volume creation wizard, select “Create a volume within partition drive” option and click Next.
4. Select “Standard TrueCrypt volume” for Volume Type and click Next.
5. Now select the Device which you want to encrypt and click Next.
6. Select Yes when prompted if you’re sure you want to encrypt the entire device. Click Next.
7. Choose the encryption algorithm and hash algorithm. Select AES or TwoFish both are strong encryption algorithm. Click Next.
8. Now set the volume password or you can also use keyfiles. Keyfile can be any type of file you want or else you can create a new keyfile too. Click Next.

Note: If you loose the keyfile, all the files you encrypt will be lost for ever so store the keyfile used safely.

9. In the Volume Format option, select FAT filesystem if you want cross-platform support. Click on Next.
10. The drive will now be formatted for use. The time taken will depend upon your drive size.

Mount Encrypted Flash Drive

1. Plug in your flash drive and run TrueCrypt.
2. Select the encrypted volume device.
3. Select a drive letter and click on the “Mount” button to mount the encrypted file.
4. Enter your password or provide the keyfile or both and click Ok.
5. The device will be mounted on your selected drive.

Unmount Encrypted Flash Drive

1. Open TrueCrypt
2. Select the mounted drive and click “Unmount.”

Download: TrueCrypt for Windows