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[GUIDE] (Beginner) Encrypt and secure portions of your drive and browser.

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Hi,

This is a simple setup and method to encrypting certain parts of your drive and browser. The encryption will act as an emulated drive and will need to be mounted on every boot, if not, the data is not accessible (and will require a password to mount). Note, for this demo I'll be using and on the Windows 7 OS so if you don't have both then go get them. Once installed, let us begin.


  1. Open Truecrypt, go to Volumes and then create new volume.
  2. Choose "create an encrypted file container".
  3. Choose "Standard Truecrypt volume".
  4. Click "Select File" and basically name your file anything you want. This is the most important file on our system, keep it safe and don't forget its location. For this example, name it "RZ_TC" and click save. Then click next.
  5. Here we are greeted with numerous encryption methods. The better the encryption the slower the access to the data. For now, keep the defaults (AES) and click next.
  6. Now we get to assign how much data we want to encrypt. My secondary drive that I'm storing on is not large thus I have assigned only a 10gb portion. You may choose however you may think its suitable. Set the number, then click next.
  7. This is your master password. Set it long, set it hard and never forget it.
  8. Standard filesystem setup, keep it default, click format.
  9. Your volume should now be created. Click ok and let us work our magic. Be sure to exit out once file has been made and back to the initial main screen.

Now that our encrypted file has been made, we will need to mount it! First thing we do now is decide on a drive letter that we will use and one that we will plan to strictly use for this method so in the interest in fairness and total randomization, let us choose... "P".


  • Select the drive P: from the main screen, right click on it choose "select file and mount". Find the original file we created at the beginning of the tutorial and insert the password then click ok.

Success! If we go to our drives we should see the newly accessible P drive with the assigned amount of drive space we decided originally. In this drive you can now store whatever you like safely. If the drive is no longer of use, simply unmount the drive through truecrypt but since we will be using this drive to store our main data from our Chrome browser, let us keep it mounted.

The final part is now making sure we can secure our Chrome data, although we are surfing fun who knows who may want to access our internet history, cookies and other data if they decided to take our drive so let us secure that.


  1. Be sure to allow yourself access to hidden files and make sure to close Chrome for this part of the tutorial and to copy what is written below into a notepad so we can secure our data.
  2. Go to C:\Users\$USERNAME$\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome and replace $username$ with your login username.
  3. Copy the folder "User Data" from the Chrome folder into your secure P:/ partition.
  4. Delete the original "User Data" folder from the C:\
  5. Open up an elevated command prompt (launch as administrator) and type the following (Whilst updating your username)

Code:
mklink /J "C:\Users\$USERNAME$\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data" "P:\User Data"

Done! All your data should still be accessible (Cookies/Bookmarks) and other goodies. Remember, every time you reboot your computer, you will need to mount your encrypted file and to enter your password, if you don't you will not be able to access Chrome nor your encrypted data, so never forget the password!

Good luck and be safe.
MentaL

#Update

You can also use the same principle to secure FTP data also. Here I am linking my CuteFTP information to the secure partition.

Code:
mklink /J "C:\Users\MentaL\AppData\Roaming\GlobalSCAPE" "E:\GlobalSCAPE"
 
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scratch this, I have read and it can encrypt entire hd.

thanks.

Yep but I'm not covering that.

2

scratch this, I have read and it can encrypt entire hd.

thanks.

Note, by encrypting an entire drive you will need to keep a master recovery disk. The encryption method also will be important. The greater the encryption the slower the OS is going to be.
 
The one and only!
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Re: (Beginner) Encrypt and secure portions of your drive and browser.

Code:
C:\Windows\system32>mklink /J "C:\Users\Oliver\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\UserData" "P:\User Data"
Cannot create a file when that file already exists.

Any ideas? I followed the guide exactly
 
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Re: (Beginner) Encrypt and secure portions of your drive and browser.

Code:
C:\Windows\system32>mklink /J "C:\Users\Oliver\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\UserData" "P:\User Data"
Cannot create a file when that file already exists.

Any ideas? I followed the guide exactly

Try deleting the folder on P:/ (making sure the original on C is in place) and then try, let me know if that works.
 
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Re: (Beginner) Encrypt and secure portions of your drive and browser.

Try deleting the folder on P:/ (making sure the original on C is in place) and then try, let me know if that works.
It said Junction created, but cookies and everything are still available without mounting the drive
 
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Re: (Beginner) Encrypt and secure portions of your drive and browser.

then the link is not correct, inbox me your team viewer information and i'll try if you like? Hurry though because I only have a few minutes.

Update, sorry - I made an error on the guide. First manually move the folder "UserData" to the P:\ Folder then delete the original on C (put it into the recycle bin) then create the link. It should work 100%.

It said Junction created, but cookies and everything are still available without mounting the drive

Updated guide but your error was that you didn't add the space in the original "User Data" part.
 
WowIwasSuperCringeB4
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Re: (Beginner) Encrypt and secure portions of your drive and browser.

Although I knew about the first part and used it myself, I never knew I could switch the location of the User Data.
This is quite useful actually.

Thank you very much for this, MentaL.
 
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Re: (Beginner) Encrypt and secure portions of your drive and browser.

This is a handy and nifty little tutorial you've written Dan! I will be sure to try this out when I have some spare time and encrypt some files, but what I wanted to know is when you do the Mount Drive on boot, how do you exactly do this? I do also think it would've been better if there was something where you had to enter in a password before you could access the drive (when you try to open it) but this way is good enough, too! Thanks a lot!
 
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Re: (Beginner) Encrypt and secure portions of your drive and browser.

This is a handy and nifty little tutorial you've written Dan! I will be sure to try this out when I have some spare time and encrypt some files, but what I wanted to know is when you do the Mount Drive on boot, how do you exactly do this? I do also think it would've been better if there was something where you had to enter in a password before you could access the drive (when you try to open it) but this way is good enough, too! Thanks a lot!

Mount the same way as it mentions in the tutorial by selecting the file and mounting manually then entering your PW.

#### Updated guide

You can also use the same principle to secure FTP data also. Here I am linking my CuteFTP information to the secure partition.

Code:
mklink /J "C:\Users\MentaL\AppData\Roaming\GlobalSCAPE" "E:\GlobalSCAPE"
 
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Re: (Beginner) Encrypt and secure portions of your drive and browser.

Filled up the 10GB, is it possible to extend the encrypted drive??
 
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Re: (Beginner) Encrypt and secure portions of your drive and browser.

It's nice to see others using TrueCrypt, I haven't really seen anyone use it aside from myself recently.
Fairly detailed and easy to follow guide this is, too.
Unfortunately, i've never been a fan of Chrome. Ohwell.
 
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Re: (Beginner) Encrypt and secure portions of your drive and browser.

It's nice to see others using TrueCrypt, I haven't really seen anyone use it aside from myself recently.
Fairly detailed and easy to follow guide this is, too.
Unfortunately, i've never been a fan of Chrome. Ohwell.

My method works with any browser as long as you set a link from the HDD to the encrypted volume.
 
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Re: (Beginner) Encrypt and secure portions of your drive and browser.

Oh, yes. That's a given, i was merely commenting on your browser choice. :)
Although, if i was to do this to my firefox, considering it's already installed. I'd still have rogue files
floating around somewhere...

My method works with any browser as long as you set a link from the HDD to the encrypted volume.
 
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Re: (Beginner) Encrypt and secure portions of your drive and browser.

Would be cool if someone could do an advanced anti forensics and anonimity guide. :)
 
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