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Best Free Drive Encryption Utility
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Introduction
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The two main classes of encryption software: 1. File encryption software: Used to encrypt files, folders, or full drives or partitions, but not drives or partitions that contain an active operating system. 2. Full drive encryption software: Used to encrypt drives (partitions or full disks) that contain active operating systems. This later category is reviewed on this page.
Cautionary Notes: 1. Data security is harder than you may think. There are many pitfalls that even experienced computer users face when it comes to keeping personal data private, particularly when using a mobile computer (e.g., laptop). 2. Operating systems are messy. They leave behind all sorts of echos of the data they access or process -- swap files, temp files, hibernation files, erased files, browser artifacts, etc. That's why you need full disk/drive encryption software to be sure that you are protecting the data on your portable computer. See Encryption is Not Enough for further information on what else you need to do beyond encryption to be sure your private data is not lost or exposed. |
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Discussion
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FREE Compusec is specifically designed to protect desktops and notebooks, using pre-boot authentication and full hard disk encryption. Access control requires you to enter your userID and password before the system will boot up. Free Compusec is free for both personal and business use. FREE Compusec includes other utilities. You can encrypt individual files, CDs, DVDs, USB thumb drives, and other removable media. However, the full-disk encryption must be installed as part of any configuration.
Newbies might find TrueCrypt a bit daunting at first. However, more experienced users who want serious full drive encryption will find it to be a solid program. Randy Jensen wrote an illustrated guide that will give you a good idea of how to encrypt your entire hard drive. |
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Related Products and Links
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BitLocker, built in to Enterprise and Ultimate versions of Windows Vista, allows user to encrypt their Windows disk/partition as well as other disks or partions. While it's a solid solution, it may not be easy to deploy it on your computer. Related articles: Best Free File Encryption Utility Encryption is Not Enough |
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5.3.0.0 
Unrestricted Freeware 
Supports all Windows OS with 32-bit editions (Windows Vista, Windows XP, Window 2003, Window XP Tablet Edition & Windows 2000). Linux version available too
Portable version available
- Article type:
Comments
Safe House Explorer is pretty useless for me as the free version insists on my hard disk to be reformated to NTFS during archive creation using the program's wizard, sorry but I need FAT32. Also the archive has to be fixed in a greater size for use; as it cannot expand when one adds new files, it therefore hogs space on the system, quite a pain in use don't you think. However the main point is one CANNOT use the program if one is prevented from making a test run. I found the archive size will be made restrictive and be no greater than 4 GB NOT 2 TB; take it away to the bin sam, no offence intended but please don't waste users time!
This comment seems to be under the wrong category. SafeHouse Explorer is mentioned under "Best Free Encryption Utility for Personal Use at Work", not featured in this "Free Drive Encryption" category.
That said, I'm sorry you didn't find SafeHouse Explorer suitable for your needs.
FREE CompuSec 5.3 has been released. It now supports Windows 7 and 64bit OS.
TrueCrypt documentation is terrible at their site. It's deep on theory with very little practical illustration. It seems very much like a program for people who require protection against high level criminal, political or goiverment based advesary. It does not seem to be aimed towards the average user who simply wants to safeguard their personal information against a casual or opportunistic thief. Which is probably what 99% of us require.
CompuSec looks better than it is.... I do not like the fact that there is no option to create a rescue disc. If the boot loader becomes corrupt your HDD becomes a paperweight and you have no access to or ability to recover your encrypted data.
I'll take Truecrypt for the recovery disc option where you can decrypt the drive if neccessary......
would like to nominate Safehouse Explorer. It has a free for personal use application.
www.safehousesoftware.com/SafeHouseExplorer.aspx
After it has been installed on a PC the files can, simply, be copied to a USB pen drive to make a password protected, encrypted device.
Very easy to use and completely standalone.
A warning to all out there about TrueCrypt. Installed the program a week ago on my laptop (vista premium 32 bit) PC (windows xp 32 bit) and was just about to install it on my PC Quad Core (vista Ultimate 64 bit). After i rebooted both my laptop and Windows xp machine it did not recognise my password on reboot on both machines. Password incorrect. The password was correct on all occasions as i had used it over the past 7 days. AS u maybe well aware its virtually impossible to get any of the machines to boot without the correct password once the system drives are encypted. Over the pass day or so an update of some sort has caused the problem as both machines have the same software on them. Checked the Truecrypt forums others have had the same problem. Lucky i Imaged both computers before I encypted them.
Thanks for the heads-up. Much appreciated.
Optionally Run Stand-Alone without Installing
SafeHouse Explorer can optionally be run as a stand-alone executable file without needing to be installed, meaning that it can be run directly from USB memory devices or even the Internet; thereby making it possible for you to now access your protected files from public access PCs found in schools and libraries.
Thanks, SafeHouse Explorer is a useful program. It fits better in the Best Free File Encryption Utility and Best Free Encryption Utility for Personal Use categories though. You'll find reviews of SafeHouse Explorer in those categories.
Cheers
I would suggest using only peer reviewed open source encryption software eg, FreeOTFE, TrueCrypt etc. Some might remember the Swiss encryption company scandal wherein it was belatedly discovered that backdoors had been written into their closed source proprietary software.
FREE CompuSec is an outstanding product for the average user, especially for laptop owners.
http://www.ce-infosys.com/english/downloads/free_compusec/
Actually I found it problematic when upgrading my virus scanner. When I upgraded versions the scanner ground my computer to an unusable crawl - when it worked at all. Decrypting and removing Compusec fixed that. I love truecrypt. Never will look back
That's weird, I didn't supply a link!?
The magic of moderation!
Hmm.. maybe such "moderation" would be better served by updating some of these articles; and making their recommendations less skewed towards the advanced, rather than the average user? ;-)
We are very conscious of the update problem, and have just recruited a whole slew of new Editors in an effort to improve the situation. You could help by applying to be one.
I'm afraid we'll always disagree about the categorization of "average" and "advanced". We aim to help ALL users. Our Forum provides speedy individual help to any user.
I found this companion article helpful (also linked above):
Encryption is Not Enough, http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/encryption-not-enough.htm
It's extremely clearly written.
Truecrypt 6.2 has been released.
http://www.truecrypt.org/news
I use FreeOTFE to create a 1.5 GB volume. When I transfer around 1 GB files to the volume, it takes me more than 3 hours! I take the default options to create volume. If anyone konws there are some options to transfer files quickly, I would love to know.
Must be something wrong with your setup - it does it in a fraction of the time on all of the systems I use it on.
I've used TrueCrypt to create 4 GB volumes and transferred 700 MB to them at one time without experiencing long transfer times.
Cheers
With TrueCrypt you can encrypt your Windows partition and still have the option of booting to a Linux partition.
Good to know Anon. That probably means that along with GRUB or LILO, other boot managers can multi-boot multiple operating systems under TrueCrypt, even though the Windows boot-system can't. Some boot managers might even handle more than one Windows partition, in addition to Linux. :-)
Cheers
Truecrypt 6.1a is out and starting with version 6 TC gives you the ability to create a hidden system volume with it's own operating system (the ability to create a hidden volume in non-system volumes was present even before version 6, but the ability to create a hidden system volume enhances the utility of TC even more.
According to the TrueCrypt website, 64 bit OS's are supported.
TrueCrypt can currently encrypt the following operating systems:
Windows Vista
Windows Vista x64 (64-bit) Edition
Windows XP
Windows XP x64 (64-bit) Edition
Windows Server 2008
Windows Server 2008 x64 (64-bit)
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003 x64 (64-bit)
Thanks for the update Anon.
While I agree TrueCrypt is a great bit of kit to have on your PC/USB, I found another one recently which is so simply and easy to use, as well as small in size, that I really am impressed by it no end! It comes from "Jetico", who's stable includes the following..
..all of which have been around for some time, and come in various different versions. But the program I want to bring to your attention here is called "BestCrypt Traveller"..which is a small freeware version of it's big brother. It comes in a single small .exe file, that will allow you to store it on a USB or your PC/LapTop and, once there, it can be used to set up and use a virtual drive, complete with drive letter, which is password protected and holds any number of files, folders..or both, as long as their total combined size is not greater than the size of the drive you originally created.
The program, when in use, sits in your system tray in the form of a little icon that, when clicked on, offers a pop-up menu from which you creat/mount/dismount the drive in question. When not in use, the drive and the files/folders it containes, like all virtual drives, still resides on your system or USB, but is invisible to both you and other parties until it is mounted..at which time it appears in the lists of drives on your system.
Overall..for design, ease of use and usefulness, I give it "10 out of 10"
hi,
i use both truecrypt and freeOTFE by sarah dean . i think freeOTFE has more options to work with , and is more flexible than truecrypt.
i wish someone expert evaluate these good programs.
www.sdean12.org
www.freeOTFE.org
www.truecrypt.org
regards . adam
It's an elegant little program but it should not be named "Traveller" because you can only mount the encrypted container if you have administrator privilege on the host computer. The only truly portable encryption program that I have found is Remora USB Guard, but it encrypts and decrypts on a file-by-file basis (even if you choose to encrypt a whole folder) and is too painfully slow to use as protection for a whole USB flash drive.
If anyone knows of a utility like BC Traveller or Portable Vault that doesn't require administrator privilege on the host, I would love to know about it.
You can use TrueCypt in combination with TCExplorer.
http://www.codeproject.com/KB/files/TCExplorer.aspx
It will allow you to mount truecrypt volums (fat formated) without administrator privileges.
A worthy alternative to TrueCrypt is Free Compusec, a product from German security specialist CE Infosys.
Free Compusec is a complete security suite including drive encryption,file encryption, secure VOIP and more. It is the full product and is completeley free (even for business use!). Only support and global deployment and administration software (for companies) is not free.
http://www.ce-infosys.com/english/downloads/free_compusec/index.html
I would agree that Compusec is is quite worthy of mention... while I have been a TrueCrypt user for a while I wanted something that would encrypt my system drive as well. It does mean that I can't multiboot from my laptop drive but if [or possibly when] it gets ripped off I will have little concern for the "unwanted recovery" of any data that is on it.
I think the latest version of TC can encrypt the Windows system partition: http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/?s=system-encryption
My main objection to CompuSec is its statement that you can't use other boot loaders or partitioning software with it. Otherwise, its ability to encrypt the entire system disk is indeed attractive (especially for a laptop).
- bill
This objection is only valid for system drive encryption. The same goes for all the other programs (including Truecrypt), as the encryption/decryption program must start before the OS, i.e. in the bootloader part of the hard drive. That's why you cannot have both system drive encryption and third-party bootlader. They would use same place on the hard drive...
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