G@MER 01

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Oct 3, 2012
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Hi I decided to encrypt my external hard drive with truecrypt. I chose encrypt a non-system partition/drive. In volume creation mode I chose encrypt partition in place . After the encryption proses completed I mounted my drive then windows asked me to format the drive. My problem is that I completely forgot to back up my external and I have alot of data on it is there any way to recover the data using software if I format the drive. Please this is very urgent!!!
 
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As I stated earlier, it's doubtful. Encryption is meant to protect data. If you forget the password or the drive gets hosed, it's usually toast and will need reformatted.

In the future, if the data is important enough to encrypyt then it's most certainly important enough to back up.

ex_bubblehead

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You just learned a valuable lesson the hard way:

1. Always keep a backup copy of all important files.

A second lesson is contained in the quote under my avatar. It sounds like you didn't fully understand how the whole disk encryption works.
 

G@MER 01

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Oct 3, 2012
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but why is it asking me to format the drive in the info box under encrypt partition in place it says: The entire drive and all data will be encrypted in place.
 

G@MER 01

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Oct 3, 2012
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if i format and decrypt the drive can i recover the dat and what can i use to recover it with. is there a recovery software that recovers whole files and not just individual data
 

Hawkeye22

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For protection. home users have bank accounts and stuff on their drives. A lot of companies give laptops to their sales people or other personell. They encrypt the drives so in case the laptop is stolen, they can't get hold of private company data.

What most home users forget, is that you still need backups. No sense having the password to a faulty drive.
 

Ijack

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There might be small areas of a home computer worth encrypting, but I don't bother. I've seen so many cases of people losing all of their data by failed encryption. And once someone compromises your computer it usually means they've got your password - encryptions no use then. But each to their own.
 

Hawkeye22

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Most times it's not failed encryption, it's people forgetting their passwords or their drive fails and they want to know how to get the encrypted data off of it.

1. Always keep your password in a safe place (not on the computer with the encrypted drive).
2. backups can save you from a ton of potential problems.

Anyhow, it has it's uses. I don't encrypt my home drives. Our work drives (mostly laptops) I'll encrypt. It's essential.
 

Hawkeye22

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As I stated earlier, it's doubtful. Encryption is meant to protect data. If you forget the password or the drive gets hosed, it's usually toast and will need reformatted.

In the future, if the data is important enough to encrypyt then it's most certainly important enough to back up.
 
Solution