VeraCrypt 1.25.9

There are times when you may want to encrypt your hard disk, and VeraCrypt will help you achieve strong on-the-fly encryption. The open source software automatically encrypts data before saving it to an encrypted volume and decrypts it as soon as it is loaded from the volume, which means it does not require any user intervention.

The program encrypts the entire file system, including folder and file names, file content, meta data and free space. It uses encryption keys or keyfiles without which the data on an encrypted volume cannot be read. You must provide the correct keyfile or password to access the volume.

Once you have gained access to the disk, you can transfer data between the disk and other storage media, and the program will automatically encrypt or decrypt data in RAM. It will decrypt information read from the disk and encrypt data before storing it on the disk.

However, this does not mean the entire file to be either encrypted or decrypted must be loaded in RAM for the process to take place. For example, if you want to play a large media file stored on the encrypted volume, a portion will be loaded on RAM, decrypted and played as another portion is loaded and decrypted.

VeraCrypt can encrypt and decrypt all file types on-the-fly. The encrypted volume is dismounted when you turn off the computer or the power supply is interrupted. You must mount it and provide the relevant keyfile or password to access its contents.

The program has a volume creation wizard that will help you create your VeraCrypt volume in a few simple steps. You can create the volume in a drive, partition or file, which is referred to as a container. The last option is recommended for inexperienced users, and it is selected by default. A wizard also helps you to mount or dismount your encrypted volume.