I've been using Paragon Encrypted Disk 2.0 for some time, it serves its purpose very well. I can create an encrypted drive usable in windows, store all my work on it, and close it down. I find it to not only be useful for storing stuff in 1 large container file, but also the fact that if anyone ever stole my computer, they would not be able to access any of my private work (programming stuff, company documents, etc).

One problem I have though, is that Paragon Encrypted Disk is very poor for storing binary exe or data files. It works flawlessy for anything text related, but as a programmer, I write these programs and then compile them into an exe. That exe then gets stored on the encrypted drive along with all my other work. The problem being once I close the container, after opening it again, the exe that was stored doesn't work - its corrupted.

Its not too much of a problem, I just recompile the project quickly, and I have a working exe again (which may need to be packaged into an installer and sent to a client). Does anyone know if there are any other encrypted disk managers that work fine with things like data and exe files. As I say, its pefect for storing things like text files, various company documents and such. What I would really like to do is store a vmware machine in an encrypted container also, but I know it will end up corrupted in no time.

Any suggestions?

We'll have to look for something else to use. I think I have some links for encryption and file access progs in the Links forum, but I'll have to look thru there. Basically what you want is to be able to protect your .exe files from unauthorized viewing/use if the system was compromised or stolen, right?

Yup, but I really liked having it all under 1 container file. When I'm done using it, I just close the container, the encrypted drive is gone from windows, and if I want to back it up, I just burn the container to a disk. I never make the containers larger than 700mb so I can always burn them and either take them home or store them somewhere safe.

If anyone were to ever break into the office and steal anything, even the backed up disks, they would be useless because it requires a key file to open the encrypted disk, which is on a small usb HDD (one of those keyring things) and always with me. I want to get hold of one of those newer thumb drives next, the ones that read your finger print in order to use them - very cool. www.thumbdrive.com

Btw, this encrypted disk software I am using seems to be ok with VMWare data files. I've just tested a win98 VMWare system stored inside the encrypted disk, and after using it for a while, closing the container, messing about with it - the whole thing still works perfectly. So I can have a whole OS in an 192bit encrypted container. Excellent!

Tried this one?

Boy, that would include .exe files. There ya go. Good work DarkStar.

Thanks.

Haven't had PGP 8.0 long enough to know whether it would do what he wanted or not.

(It was definitely the less-expensive buy if it would, though - the pricing through Jan 15th is $39.00 for Windows or Mac. And that includes PGPdisk.

tried to .zip or .rar before encrypting?

Haven't with PGP 8.0, if that's what you're asking, Surfer.

compressing the .exe files then encrypting.

DarkStar that sounds perfect. I'll give that software a try out, it looks promosing.

Thanks

Btw Surfer, I think you're right. If I make the exe into a .zip, it seems to store it and continue to work. But hey, thats extra work and I'm a lazy... *cut*