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Easy Encryption with a USB Flash Drive

Posted on August 20, 2007 | Filed Under Windows Support, Tips and Tricks

Overview
Flash drives have become rather ubiquitous of late and with good reason. They are an incredibly easy way to move and store files and data. However, due to their small size they are also easy to forget and lose. Losing both your device and data can be really frustrating but even more worrisome is the thought of someone else having access to those files and data. Depending on what you store, those worries could range from potential embarrassment to financial loss. If you carry sensitive files related to work it could also cause you employment problems.

A simple solution that will essentially guarantee that your data cannot be viewed or used by others is to encrypt it. A really cool tool for doing this is TrueCrypt. This is a nice Open Source application which helps to ensure that someone has not included a “back door” for either their own or someone else’s use. Essentially it is an added layer of security.

TrueCrypt Setup
Installing and setting up TrueCrypt is really quite simple. Below are the steps for doing this in Windows. The TrueCrypt website includes a nice tutorial so consider giving that a look. If you want a quick and dirty approach, read on. Linux users should check out this tutorial.

1. Download and install the software to a computer.
   • Visit the download page and download the Windows version.
   • Unzip it.
   • Open the unzipped folder and run the setup.exe file.
2. Run TrueCrypt
   • From your start menu or desktop icon if you created one, run the program.
   • From the new windows choose “Create Volume”.
   • You have two options. For simplicity sake, choose “standard volume” and click next
   • On the next screen choose “select file”.
   • Navigate to your flash drive and any folder in which you would like to store the “encrypted volume”. It can be anywhere really. Your choice. I put mine in a folder called “Documents” and named it “Secure”.
   • NOTE: do not choose an existing file in the above step as it will be erased. Make a new file. TrueCrypt calls these “containers” since they will be used to store your encrypted files.
   • For the encryption options just use the defaults.

   For size, pick something large enough to hold what you plan to store in it. You could choose something about equal to the size of your flash drive, but I would suggest leaving some space for things that don’t need to be encrypted. If you have a 2GB or larger flash drive a 1GB container would be good. Make it larger if you want.

   • For your password pick something strong. It should contain both letter and numbers and even special marks (e.g. @#$%^ and so on). Make it 10 or more characters. If you have VERY sensitive data make a very strong, 20 or more mixed character password. If you just want to thwart a casual finder it can be shorter but still aim for something better than “password”.
   • On the next screen, select “Format” to create the container. Choose Fat for the file system unless you know you want NTFS. After a short while it will finish and you are ready to use your encrypted container.
3. Mount Your Encrypted Container to Use It
   • In the next window, select a drive letter for the container which will now function as its own drive. For example, if your flash drive was mounted as drive G: you might select H: for the secure drive.
   • Click “Select File” and browse to the location of the encrypted file (the container) we created earlier. In my case it’s named “Secure”.
   • Click “Mount” and then enter the password you chose.
   • Under My Computer you should now see what looks like a new drive or flash drive. You can open it, drag files to it, and save files there from different applications. Anything put in the container is encrypted.
   • Anytime you plug the drive in you should be asked for your password. Without it, you will be unable to access any files in the encrypted container.

Well, that’s about it. You should now have an encrypted container on your flash drive. Anyone who gets a hold of your flash drive will only see the file (like Secure) on your drive but won’t be able to open or access it. If they figure out it’s a TrueCrypt container they would still need your password. If you are really paranoid, give it a less obvious name like “trash” or “letter from grandma”. Mount it when you want to access or add encrypted files. Use the rest of the drive as you always would. Only files stored in the encrypted container are actually encrypted. Anything saved outside the container would not be encrypted.

Getting Your Money’s Worth — FOSS to the Rescue!

Posted on August 15, 2007 | Filed Under Software Tips, Windows Support

If you have ever bought a Windows PC, and that is just about everyone it seems, you are undoubtedly familiar with the huge letdown that occurs about 10 minutes after firing it up. This is the point where you realize that you can’t actually do much with your expensive new PC since the bundled software consists mainly of ads, trial software and a host of fairly useless applications (ooohhh, Notepad). Of course, many people will pony up some extra cash to get MS Office since it somehow seems required, but you still have an expensive piece of equipment that is little more than a glorified typewriter - the nauseating “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” commercials seems to thrive on this point. Read more

My Windows Software Doesn’t Work in Ubuntu?

Posted on August 2, 2007 | Filed Under Software Tips, Ubuntu/Linux Support

With more and more people trying out Ubuntu every day, I see a lot of questions from users wondering why their windows software won’t work. It may seem obvious to some that Windows software is designed to run on Windows and nothing else. In reality, however, this is not really something we expect average computer users to understand. Much of the world has been very Windows-centric for the past decade or more and many people are conditioned to both buy computers with Windows and to not even consider whether or not their software will run in Windows because for the most part all off it does. Read more

How To Get Multimedia Support in Ubuntu (Feisty Fawn)

Posted on July 13, 2007 | Filed Under Ubuntu/Linux Support

NOTE: I’ve added a few updates for Gutsy

When first installing Ubuntu, many people are dismayed to find that their MP3 files and DVDs won’t play or that Flash web sites won’t display. Due to all the licensing restrictions surrounding a good deal of audio and video playback software, Ubuntu cannot legally include this support and still remain both free of cost and, more importantly, free of restrictions. Many people, however, are willing to give up some of their “freedom” in order to play their music. Therefore, here are the simple steps needed to get most types of multimedia working. Read more

Keeping Windows Clean of Malware

Posted on July 11, 2007 | Filed Under Software Tips, Windows Support

While Windows is certainly the world’s most popular operating system, it is not without its flaws. The most common problems tend to manifest themselves as a general slowing down of things. If your computer is not as snappy as it was when you bought it, it is probably in need of some attention. Computers more than a year old can often benefit from a complete re-installation of the operating system. The more you add and remove programs and the more time you spend surfing the web, the more likely it is that reinstalling is the best options. Trying to remove spyware or misbehaving applications is usually more time consuming than the re-installation (including backup).

Because it is easier to avoid problems than fix them, you should spend some time addressing the various security holes inherent in Windows. This generally means installing anti-virus, anti-spyware and a firewall. These types of software can significantly increase the cost of owning a computer. Fortunately, there are free applications available that are entirely sufficient for nearly all home computer users. Before spending additional money on such applications, be sure to check out our list of free ones.

• Free Malware Applications

How To Install Ubuntu

Posted on July 11, 2007 | Filed Under Ubuntu/Linux Support

Note: for information on obtaining a copy of Ubuntu or getting it professionally installed see the Ubuntu/Linux page.

Installing Ubuntu Yourself?
Once you have your CD, installation is extremely easy. Place the CD in the CD drive and reboot the computer. Mare sure the computer is set to boot the CD first. If you see Windows booting again, you do not have your computer set up right. Refer to your computer’s documentation for entering the BIOS setup. Read more

Can Ubuntu Replace Windows?

Posted on July 10, 2007 | Filed Under Windows Support, Ubuntu/Linux Support

In all fairness, this is not as straight forward as many would think. While Ubuntu (as well as many other Linux distributions) are full-fledged, fully functional operating systems, whether or not it can replace Windows for you is pretty much up to you and your willingness to adapt to a new, although similar, way of doing things.

The short answer is an emphatic “yes”. Ubuntu is a wonderful operating system and can meet the needs of most people. However, switching requires a bit of patience and a willingness to do some reading, learning and adjusting. The biggest “problem” is the need to install it yourself. While it’s possible to buy a computer pre-installed with Ubuntu, most people will end up installing it themselves. Fortunately, the Ubuntu developers have worked hard to make Ubuntu easy for just about anyone to install. The default settings will give you a “dual-boot” set up where you will be able to select at boot time whether you want to boot Windows or Ubuntu. If you are ready, you also have the option of removing Windows and replacing it with Ubuntu. Read more

Excellent, Free Anti-Malware (why pay?)

Posted on July 8, 2007 | Filed Under Software Tips, Windows Support

Anti-Virus
There are several excellent anti-virus programs that are entirely free to use. Most are basic versions of “professional level” software. One, Clam Win, is open source. Any one of these will likely meet the needs of most home users. Break the habit of spending additional money to protect your PC.

• http://www.clamwin.com/ - Clam Anti-Virus for Windows. Free and open source.
• http://free.grisoft.com/ - The free version of AVG Anti-virus. Free for home users.
• http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html - Avast Anti-viru. Free for home users.

ANTI-SPYWARE
You can avoid a lot of spyware simply by using a browser other than MS Internet Explorer. Most spyware is written to exploit holes in IE. By using Firefox or Opera you can stop most spyware in its tracks. Firefox also has a host of extensions to further protect your PC. Adblock Plus kills most annoying web ads and NoScript prevents scripts from running. For great spyware searching and removing, check out Spybot Search and Destroy

FIREWALL
If you have a broadband, always on Internet connection you should also have both a hardware and software firewall. A firewall blocks unrequested incoming connections. Most broadband routers have built in firewalls but all will use Network Address Translation (NAT) which is effective in blocking unrequested connections. A good software firewall can add piece-of-mind and help prevent unautorized connections originating from your own computer. The built-in firewall that comes with Windows is ineffective at blocking unauthorized outgoing connections. An easy solution is to install the free version of Zone Alarm. Once set up, it will block nearly all nefarious attempts at access and allow you to decide whether or not to allow outbound connections (a great way to stop MS from collecting data about your computer).

Fixing GRUB Errors

Posted on July 2, 2007 | Filed Under Ubuntu/Linux Support

One of the most common problems with dual-booting is that grub sometimes gets confused and you end up not being able to boot anything. GRUB error 17 is a common error and usually means that GRUB cannot locate the menu file (/boot/grub/menu.lst). The easiest way to fix this is with a live CD. Read more

My Computer is Slower Than Molasses

Posted on July 2, 2007 | Filed Under Windows Support

This is a common type of problem and can be caused by a number of things. Windows computers in particular are vulnerable to a host of performance depleting issues. These include viruses, spyware, auto loading software, and the ravages of time. If your computer is more than 2 years old, it’s probably time to do a reinstall of Windows. This will restore your system to it’s original state. All important data needs to be backed up as your entire system will be removed and a brand new copy installed.

Local Support
If you are not ready to take take this on yourself, please contact us. We are ready to help. We will perform a complete reinstall of your Windows OS (from your own media) including backing up everything in your “My Documents” folder for $69.99 (add a dual boot with Ubuntu Linux for only $10 more). Due to the time involved in backing up files and reinstalling windows, we regret that this type of work cannot be performed on site. Please feel free to contact us.

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