5 replies to this topic

[Zoso]

hello everyone,

how can I encrypt a ram booting image? is it possible to install whole disk encryption on a small hdd then image it and then boot that image with Grub4Dos?

what would be the best encryption and imaging programs for this?

thanks

[dickfitzwell]

See my thread: http://reboot.pro/14...post__p__127029

I had a similar idea, though I was trying to accomplish it initially from an already working image file on the hard drive. I was thinking that once I got it to work, carrying it around on my USB drive and/or mapping it to memory would be easy.

I could never get it to work though. Tried it with TrueCrypt and DiskCryptor. Both yielded the same BSOD 7B after installing the bootloader and trying to boot XP, I think the bootloader somehow/somewhere wiped out g4d drive mapping.

Ultimately, I think it would be great to have an encrypted XP installation to carry around on a USB/hard drive. It if was ever lost/stolen, no need to worry about the info as its encrypted.

[Sha0]

Or you could leave the OS unencrypted and put all user data somewhere encrypted. For example, two partitions within the HDD image. The first partition contains the unencrypted OS, and the second partition is encrypted. Once the RAM disk OS is booting (or just slightly before), you can pull your USB disk out. Once the RAM disk OS has booted, you can decrypt the second partition using a password or key file or however your product works. Put your sensitives in there and save on decryption overhead for the vanilla OS. Is that an option?

[Zoso]

seems like it should work if you image the encrypted drive then the image has everything it needs.. I guess not but I will try when I learn more about making images and booting them in ram.


what does work right now is discryptor WDE with usboot/xpsp2 on usb with grub4dos and firadisk .ima on the same partition but Id rather just have a ram booting image encrypted where it just asks for password after its loaded.

I'll experiment more with it later.

thanks

Edited by Zoso, 27 April 2011 - 11:12 PM.

[paraglider]

That still leaves the problem of license and serial numbers in the registry and other places on your unencrypted boot drive.

[Sha0]

That still leaves the problem of license and serial numbers in the registry and other places on your unencrypted boot drive.

Right. If you are trying to protect against someone copying your software, serial numbers, license keys, then I guess that's no good. If you're trying to protect some documents or files that you open with your software, then maybe it's all right.

I can't think of a good reason for why this disk encryption software shouldn't work for a RAM disk. Sorry I can't help at this time.