TrueCrypt: Mounting and Dismounting Hard Drives - Opening and Dismounting

If you open your mounted volume, you should see all the same files and folders you copied over at the beginning of this tutorial. Keep in mind that the outer volume has limited available space, so use it sparingly. From time to time, you should mount it to open and modify the files so the timestamps are more current, reinforcing the notion that a hidden volume does not exist.

When you are finished working with the outer volume, dismount it from the TrueCrypt main window by selecting your mounted volume from the list, then clicking the “Dismount” button. If you have multiple volumes mounted, you can dismount all of them at once by clicking the “Dismount Al” button. Even though you were required to mount the outer volume a specific way, no special steps are required to dismount it.

Summary

In this tutorial, you learned how to encrypt your hard drive so your data remains safe should you ever be required to produce private or sensitive information. Encrypting an entire hard drive provides the benefit of maximizing your available storage space among larger storage mediums. With today's relatively low cost of hard drives, it is very affordable to encrypt 2 TB of hard drive space. You also have the ability to encrypt external hard drives like the Western Digital My Passport series of portable hard drives.

While you may seldom mount the outer volume, it is important to update the timestamps on your files so the volume appears to be actively used. If you are ever required to provide the password to your encrypted hard drive, provide the password for the decoy volume. And remember, standard volumes are only protected by a single password, so make sure you select a super-strong password.

In my next and final articles in the TrueCrypt series, I will show you how to encrypt your Windows 7 operating system. Just as you did in this tutorial, encrypting an entire operating system also encrypts the entire hard drive. To provide an extra layer of security, TrueCrypt also has the ability to create a hidden operating system on the same hard drive, both of which are protected by distinct passwords. If you are ever required to provide a password to boot your computer, you can provide the password to the decoy operating system, knowing your private data is safe and secure.