[SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

Tweedlewise · 2025-09-25 19:21:38

Good day!
I have saved ~93 Gb off of my brother's old PC (Win10?) onto a USB SSD.
As he lives in another state, I would like to encrypt the drive before mailing it.
I'm not sure how to do that. He will need to be able to decrypt it on a Win11 machine.
Is this possible?
I'm thinking of using a password that is familiar to him.

Regards,
Tweedlewise

rolfie · 2025-09-25 19:49:43

Veracrypt

Tweedlewise · 2025-09-29 02:08:27

Thank you Rolfie!

Tweedlewise · 2025-09-29 22:13:38

I have downloaded and opened veracrypt.
But as I understand,, I cannot encrypt the contents existing USB drive?
Veracrypt claims it will format the drive, meaning that I will lose all the data on it.

I suppose I could move the data to a hard drive, encrypt the USB, then move the data back?

PedroReina · 2025-09-30 07:11:34

Another possibility: compress all the content in a zip file protected with password and copy that file to the USB. I did not test it myself.

stargate-sg1-cheyenne-mtn · 2025-09-30 09:37:22

adding a link mostly for future thread visitors:

https://www.howtogeek.com/6169/use-truecrypt-to-secure-your-data/

yes the link says "truecrypt" but the how-to says "veracrypt" ... who knows why? ymmv.

rolfie · 2025-09-30 16:30:16

Another possibility: compress all the content in a zip file protected with password and copy that file to the USB. I did not test it myself.

To my experience, this only works between Linux and Linux, not from Linux to Windows. There is some incompatibility.

rolfie · 2025-09-30 16:31:02

I suppose I could move the data to a hard drive, encrypt the USB, then move the data back?

Thats the way to go.

Tweedlewise · 2025-10-02 22:35:44

Oh great, I tried to submit a post, but the website logged me out while I was typing it, and now it is gone.,,

Any way, I moved the data off the USB into a folder I made on /home of my PC.

I then ran Veracrypt, it created a Volume on the USB drive /dev/sde1 (128 GB)
With formatting it took over an hour.
Now I'm having difficulty moving the sub-directory from /home (86.4 Gb) into the volume I created.

While click on "Select File" I then choose the sub-directory from /home
When I click on "Open File" it then opens the sub-directory and lists its contents,
Butt All Files doesn't select all (as far as I can tell the button doesn't even work..)
It just wants me to open a file in THAT sub-directory

I don't understand how to make the /home sub-directory a .hc as the Beginner's Guide seems to suggest.

chris2be8 · 2025-10-03 16:12:59

Sometimes the command line is better.

Assuming the directory you want to copy is source and the USb drive is mounted on /media/dest

Open a command line window and try cp -rp source /media/dest (this assumes the window will open in /home).

Tweedlewise · 2025-10-09 21:43:34

As a "closer" It ended simply,
I opened the file for the encrypted drive in Thunar and in another tab my ./home
clicked and drug the file from /home to the veracrypt drive and it began copying.
It was easy, but not quick, it took hours for the copy to complete.

Altoid · 2025-10-09 21:58:05

Hello:

Tweedlewise wrote:

... the file from /home to the veracrypt drive ...
... easy, but not quick, it took hours ...

Just curious ...

It is not clear to me what device was used.
ie: a USB SSD of no specified capacity (as you wrote in your OP) or a 128Gb USB stick.
Could you let us know which?

And as a bonus, brand and model of the device you used?

Best,

A.

Last edited by Altoid (2025-10-09 21:58:47)

Tweedlewise · 2025-10-10 16:04:24

Altoid,
I used a Monster (tm) Overdrive Advanced 128 Gb device that I purchased at Sam's Club maybe a decade ago for around $30. At the time it was the lowest priced USB solid state device at that capacity available. It used the wide USB cable that Samsung used on a Galaxy phone back then. It has a normal USB Micro connector with a smaller connector right next to it (I think it was to supply additional charging current.) It is not the conventional thumb drive form factor.

Here is one on eBay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224991438513?_ … R5qNzO25Zg

Sorry about the bloated link!

Altoid · 2025-10-10 17:37:28

Hello:

Tweedlewise wrote:

... Monster (tm) Overdrive Advanced 128 Gb ...

Thanks for the data.
I was wondering about the apparent slow write speed.
But then I realised you did not mention how many hours. 8^°

Glad you sorted it out.

Best,

A.

Last edited by Altoid (2025-10-10 17:41:17)

Tweedlewise · 2025-10-10 21:11:06

Altoid,
I guess I didn't get it "sorted out" I formatted the drive with NTFS while setting up veracrypt.
But when I connected it to a Win10 laptop, it wasn't recognized.
And just now I reconnected it to my devuan machine and it is not recognized (mounting) either!
Sigh, maybe i have a 128 Gb SD micro around here I can use...

Altoid · 2025-10-10 23:27:01

Hello:

Tweedlewise wrote:

... have a 128 Gb SD micro around here I can use...

Sorry to see it did not work out.

Q: is the data you need to send your brother really the type of stuff that needs your using a veracrypt solution?

You may want to consider doing something simpler, more straightforward.
eg:
.tar.gz compression which MS stuff can handle for the directory where all the files are located and then 7zip to encrypt and PW protect.
A strong PW and AES-256 should suffice. 8^°

That ^^^ or something similarly simple.

Best,

A.

stargate-sg1-cheyenne-mtn · 2025-10-11 20:08:07

perhaps this might assist.

https://www.acme.com/software/securepage/

regardless, have fun!

fsmithred · 2025-10-12 09:57:39

zip it into a single file and then encrypt it with gpg. There is gpg for windows.

pcalvert · 2025-10-12 23:16:25

Tweedlewise wrote:

I formatted the drive with NTFS while setting up veracrypt.

Unless you like having problems to solve, I recommend never using Linux to create an NTFS filesystem. If you need to create a filesystem that Windows can read, I recommend using VFAT or exFAT (I'd probably choose exFAT). And if you really need (or want) to use NTFS, use VFAT and then reformat the partition to NTFS using Windows.

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#1 2025-09-25 19:21:38

[SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#2 2025-09-25 19:49:43

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#3 2025-09-29 02:08:27

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#4 2025-09-29 22:13:38

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#5 2025-09-30 07:11:34

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#6 2025-09-30 09:37:22

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#7 2025-09-30 16:30:16

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#8 2025-09-30 16:31:02

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#9 2025-10-02 22:35:44

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#10 2025-10-03 16:12:59

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#11 2025-10-09 21:43:34

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#12 2025-10-09 21:58:05

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#13 2025-10-10 16:04:24

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#14 2025-10-10 17:37:28

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#15 2025-10-10 21:11:06

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#16 2025-10-10 23:27:01

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#17 2025-10-11 20:08:07

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#18 2025-10-12 09:57:39

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

#19 2025-10-12 23:16:25

Re: [SOLVED] Encrypt USB?

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