Flash Drive Encryption

To create a flash drive with encryption:

1. Download the TrueCrypt program and save it to your desktop.

   Note: the version number referenced in this guide – 6.0 – may differ from the current downloaded version.

2. Double-click the TrueCryptSetup6.0.exe file on your desktop to begin the install. You need to run it as an administrator. Accept the License by selecting the agree option and clicking the Accept button.
3. Leave the install option selected and click Next » Install » Ok » Yes. This will restart your computer, which is required to proceed with the rest of setup. This will also place a TrueCrypt shortcut on your desktop that launches the TrueCrypt program.
4. With administrator rights, double-click the TrueCryptSetup6.0.exe file on your desktop again. Accept the license again just as in the previous step. This time select "Extract" instead of install and click Next » Extract » Ok » Finish. This will place a "TrueCrypt" folder on your desktop.
5. Drag the TrueCryptSetup6.0.exe file and drop it into this TrueCrypt folder.
6. Now insert the flash drive you will be encrypting. Open the flash drive by going to My Computer and then double-clicking the removable disk drive that corresponds to the flash drive you inserted.
7. Drag the "TrueCrypt" folder from your desktop and drop it into the flash drive folder. You may now delete the "TrueCrypt" folder from your desktop.
8. Double-click the TrueCrypt shortcut on your desktop to launch TrueCrypt.
9. Click the "Create Volume" button » Next* » Next**. Leave the settings selected as default (*Create a file container, **Standard TrueCrypt volume).
10. Click "Select File" and browse to the Removable Disk folder that corresponds with the flash drive on which you want to place the encrypted files. Enter a name for the area you want to encrypt, such as "Work Files" and click save. Then click next.
11. Click Next, you do not need to worry about changing the encryption algorithms.
12. Think about what type of files you will be encrypting and your flash drive’s capacity. An encryption size of 50 MB is plenty of space for most users, but you may set it to any size you wish. When you are ready, click next.
13. Now enter the password that you wish to assign this encrypted area and click next. This will be the password required to access any files you encrypt on the flash drive and is not able to be recovered if forgotten. Please use a password that is valid under the KU Password Policy
14. TrueCrypt may prompt you that they recommend a 20 character password. As long as your password meets KU Password Policy, you may ignore this warning by clicking yes.
15. Click the "Format" button on the next screen. This will create the encrypted area on your flash drive. Click ok and exit when it has finished.
16. Please refer to the directions below to open and save encrypted files on your flash drive.

To save and open encrypted files on a flash drive:

1. Insert the flash drive into the computer. Open My Computer and double-click the removable disk drive that corresponds with your flash drive.
2. If your flash drive was created per the instruction on this page, there should be a "TrueCrypt" folder. Open this folder. If you do not have a "TrueCrypt" folder or a TrueCrypt.exe icon, you will need to download and extract the TrueCrypt program to your flash drive.
3. Double-click the TrueCrypt.exe icon in this folder to launch TrueCrypt. If you get an error message saying that you need to have administrator rights, you will need to contact SSTS and have them install TrueCrypt using the setup file in this folder. Once the program is installed you can use the program without needing administrator rights. If you do not get the message and are able to launch TrueCrypt (meaning you have administrator rights) then proceed to the next step.
4. Click the "Select File" button in TrueCrypt. Browse to and open the encrypted area on the flash drive.
5. Select a drive letter above, and click the Mount button. Input the password that was assinged to this encrypted file. Click OK. This will mount the encrypted area to a Drive letter.
6. You can now access your data by double-clicking on the drive letter you mounted in My Computer.
7. You can open, edit, and save data in the newly mounted drive entitled Local Disk. Make sure that you save anything you want encrypted in this "Local Disk" folder. Do not save in the original removable disk folder. Saving in the removable disk folder will not hide, encrypt, or protect your files.
8. When you are finished, click the "Dismount All" button, close and exit TrueCrypt, and remove your flash drive.

Please call our office if you have any trouble and one of our technicians will walk you through the process over the phone, (785) 864-4258.