My Samsung laptop currently runs Windows 7/64 Home Premium, and I'm interested in installing Windows 10 on top of Windows 7, thereby preserving all my apps and settings. I don't want to do a clean install of Windows 10 (will wait for my next computer for that.)
My computer uses legacy BIOS with MBR partitioning. In addition, I have deleted the 100MB System partition. And the drive uses Truecrypt whole drive encryption.
I use IFL to make and restore smart images (used sectors only, no paging or hibernation files) of the C: partition, and that process works extremely well using Truecrypt for Linux which is also on the IFL CD. I have not upgraded past v2.80 since it works perfectly for me.
In the Windows 10 discussions I've seen here and there, I haven't seen anything to indicate whether Windows 10 will install on top of Windows 7 and not insist on switching to UEFI/GPT or creating a new 100MB System partition (actually, I guess it's 300MB now). I am willing to temporarily decrypt the drive if needed, and re-encrypt it after Windows 10 is installed, but I absolutely want to continue to use Truecrypt whole drive encryption, and that will require BIOS/MBR.
Does anyone here have experience doing the Windows 10 installation under these circumstances, or know from other sources whether it will work?
Also, will future versions of the IFL CD continue to include Truecrypt for Linux? Is there any other way to make and restore a smart image of an encrypted partition?
Thanks for any help.
IFL, Truecrypt and Windows 10
Re: IFL, Truecrypt and Windows 10
Peabody, you shouldn't have any issues upgrading your MBR mode Win7 to Win10. You won't get extra partitions.
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Howard Bates
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 2:52 pm
Re: IFL, Truecrypt and Windows 10
1) When upgrading an existing Windows installation, Windows 10 does not modify the layout (MBR/GPT) of any disk, nor does it modify the boot code or change its location. I know this from personal experience.
2) Once you have done an in-place upgrade and Windows 10 is activated correctly, your _machine_ is registered with the Microsoft activation server. Thereafter, you may install the relevant edition of Windows 10 as many times as you like on that machine. I know this from personal experience.
3) There are reports of Windows 8 wrecking encrypted drives and partitions during installation - apparently it thinks encrypted partitions are corrupt and tries to repair them. I don't know whether or not this is true for Windows 10. I recommend VERY strongly that you decrypt your disk and make full backups before you go anywhere near Windows 10. Do not re-encrypt until everything is stable and you are happy.
4) If you have not already done so, I would recommend VERY strongly that you keep your user data and your Windows installation in separate partitions, for reasons of safety and simplicity. If your Windows partition becomes corrupted, you just recover a backup without having to worry about any data files modified since the backup. You can still encrypt the whole disk if you wish, or you could encrypt just your data partition, which is what I do. I prefer to have my Windows partition unencrypted because I can then back it up with my BIBM+IfD USB stick, or any other method I might choose, without having to worry about TrueCrypt. I backup my data partition every day using a file synchroniser rather than an image tool - this is very much quicker if you have an appreciabale amount of user data.
5) TrueCrypt is no longer under development. You might wish to look at VeraCrypt (http://veracrypt.codeplex.com), which is a continuation and enhancement of TrueCrypt. Using a TrueCrypt-encrypted disk with VeraCrypt is possible but not easy; the safest option is to decrypt your disk and re-encrypt it with VeraCrypt. For the record, I have no connection with Idrix or VeraCrypt, I just use their products.
2) Once you have done an in-place upgrade and Windows 10 is activated correctly, your _machine_ is registered with the Microsoft activation server. Thereafter, you may install the relevant edition of Windows 10 as many times as you like on that machine. I know this from personal experience.
3) There are reports of Windows 8 wrecking encrypted drives and partitions during installation - apparently it thinks encrypted partitions are corrupt and tries to repair them. I don't know whether or not this is true for Windows 10. I recommend VERY strongly that you decrypt your disk and make full backups before you go anywhere near Windows 10. Do not re-encrypt until everything is stable and you are happy.
4) If you have not already done so, I would recommend VERY strongly that you keep your user data and your Windows installation in separate partitions, for reasons of safety and simplicity. If your Windows partition becomes corrupted, you just recover a backup without having to worry about any data files modified since the backup. You can still encrypt the whole disk if you wish, or you could encrypt just your data partition, which is what I do. I prefer to have my Windows partition unencrypted because I can then back it up with my BIBM+IfD USB stick, or any other method I might choose, without having to worry about TrueCrypt. I backup my data partition every day using a file synchroniser rather than an image tool - this is very much quicker if you have an appreciabale amount of user data.
5) TrueCrypt is no longer under development. You might wish to look at VeraCrypt (http://veracrypt.codeplex.com), which is a continuation and enhancement of TrueCrypt. Using a TrueCrypt-encrypted disk with VeraCrypt is possible but not easy; the safest option is to decrypt your disk and re-encrypt it with VeraCrypt. For the record, I have no connection with Idrix or VeraCrypt, I just use their products.
Re: IFL, Truecrypt and Windows 10
Thanks for the info, Brian and Howard.
Howard, in response to your points:
1. Thanks very much for confirming this. That means this upgrade should be possible - if I ever muster the guts to try it.
3. Yes, I had already concluded that the safest thing to do is decrypt before installing Windows 10. Then everything should look normal to the installer.
4. I do have the operating system and apps on the C partition, and all my data on the D partition. However, I need to have everything encrypted, so I use Truecrypt's whole-drive encryption. However, like you, I use a sync process to back up the D partition to external encrypted drive. But I do use Truecrypt and IFL to make successive full images of C. The process works quite well.
5. My understanding is that Veracrypt fixes some of the shortcomings of Truecrypt found in the audit, but still doesn't add support for UEFI or GPT, which is what we need at this point. I'll take a look at it, but I think I will probably stay with TC at this point since I have a number of TC encrypted volumes in addition to the whole drive encryption, and would need to retain TC anyway.
Well your info is very reassuring. So if I decide to do this, I would decrypt the entire drive, then back it all up, then install Windows 10, and if everything is ok, re-encrypt and back up again.
Howard, in response to your points:
1. Thanks very much for confirming this. That means this upgrade should be possible - if I ever muster the guts to try it.
3. Yes, I had already concluded that the safest thing to do is decrypt before installing Windows 10. Then everything should look normal to the installer.
4. I do have the operating system and apps on the C partition, and all my data on the D partition. However, I need to have everything encrypted, so I use Truecrypt's whole-drive encryption. However, like you, I use a sync process to back up the D partition to external encrypted drive. But I do use Truecrypt and IFL to make successive full images of C. The process works quite well.
5. My understanding is that Veracrypt fixes some of the shortcomings of Truecrypt found in the audit, but still doesn't add support for UEFI or GPT, which is what we need at this point. I'll take a look at it, but I think I will probably stay with TC at this point since I have a number of TC encrypted volumes in addition to the whole drive encryption, and would need to retain TC anyway.
Well your info is very reassuring. So if I decide to do this, I would decrypt the entire drive, then back it all up, then install Windows 10, and if everything is ok, re-encrypt and back up again.
Re: IFL, Truecrypt and Windows 10
Peabody,
I've done around 20 Win10 upgrades. Various methods....
The Windows Update method
Media Creation Toolkit
Win10 ISO on the HD
Win10 ISO written to a DVD or UFD
Changing the Region and Language to US
They all failed for me except for "Win10 ISO written to a DVD or UFD". Run in Windows. Not one failure.
I've done around 20 Win10 upgrades. Various methods....
The Windows Update method
Media Creation Toolkit
Win10 ISO on the HD
Win10 ISO written to a DVD or UFD
Changing the Region and Language to US
They all failed for me except for "Win10 ISO written to a DVD or UFD". Run in Windows. Not one failure.
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TeraByte Support(TP)
- Posts: 305
- Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2011 4:22 pm
Re: IFL, Truecrypt and Windows 10
Starting with IFL 2.97, TrueCrypt has been replaced with VeraCrypt (version 1.0f-2) on the IFL boot disk.
VeraCrypt is compatible with existing TrueCrypt volumes, and provides a "TrueCrypt Mode" check box in the mounting dialog that you need to check to mount TrueCrypt volumes (as opposed to VeraCrypt volumes). Otherwise, the VeraCrypt interface in Linux is the same as TrueCrypt.
Peabody wrote:
> My Samsung laptop currently runs Windows 7/64 Home Premium, and I'm
> interested in installing Windows 10 on top of Windows 7, thereby preserving
> all my apps and settings. I don't want to do a clean install of Windows 10
> (will wait for my next computer for that.)
>
> My computer uses legacy BIOS with MBR partitioning. In addition, I have
> deleted the 100MB System partition. And the drive uses Truecrypt whole
> drive encryption.
>
> I use IFL to make and restore smart images (used sectors only, no paging or
> hibernation files) of the C: partition, and that process works extremely
> well using Truecrypt for Linux which is also on the IFL CD. I have not
> upgraded past v2.80 since it works perfectly for me.
>
> In the Windows 10 discussions I've seen here and there, I haven't seen
> anything to indicate whether Windows 10 will install on top of Windows 7
> and not insist on switching to UEFI/GPT or creating a new 100MB System
> partition (actually, I guess it's 300MB now). I am willing to temporarily
> decrypt the drive if needed, and re-encrypt it after Windows 10 is
> installed, but I absolutely want to continue to use Truecrypt whole drive
> encryption, and that will require BIOS/MBR.
>
> Does anyone here have experience doing the Windows 10 installation under
> these circumstances, or know from other sources whether it will work?
>
> Also, will future versions of the IFL CD continue to include Truecrypt for
> Linux? Is there any other way to make and restore a smart image of an
> encrypted partition?
>
> Thanks for any help.
VeraCrypt is compatible with existing TrueCrypt volumes, and provides a "TrueCrypt Mode" check box in the mounting dialog that you need to check to mount TrueCrypt volumes (as opposed to VeraCrypt volumes). Otherwise, the VeraCrypt interface in Linux is the same as TrueCrypt.
Peabody wrote:
> My Samsung laptop currently runs Windows 7/64 Home Premium, and I'm
> interested in installing Windows 10 on top of Windows 7, thereby preserving
> all my apps and settings. I don't want to do a clean install of Windows 10
> (will wait for my next computer for that.)
>
> My computer uses legacy BIOS with MBR partitioning. In addition, I have
> deleted the 100MB System partition. And the drive uses Truecrypt whole
> drive encryption.
>
> I use IFL to make and restore smart images (used sectors only, no paging or
> hibernation files) of the C: partition, and that process works extremely
> well using Truecrypt for Linux which is also on the IFL CD. I have not
> upgraded past v2.80 since it works perfectly for me.
>
> In the Windows 10 discussions I've seen here and there, I haven't seen
> anything to indicate whether Windows 10 will install on top of Windows 7
> and not insist on switching to UEFI/GPT or creating a new 100MB System
> partition (actually, I guess it's 300MB now). I am willing to temporarily
> decrypt the drive if needed, and re-encrypt it after Windows 10 is
> installed, but I absolutely want to continue to use Truecrypt whole drive
> encryption, and that will require BIOS/MBR.
>
> Does anyone here have experience doing the Windows 10 installation under
> these circumstances, or know from other sources whether it will work?
>
> Also, will future versions of the IFL CD continue to include Truecrypt for
> Linux? Is there any other way to make and restore a smart image of an
> encrypted partition?
>
> Thanks for any help.
Re: IFL, Truecrypt and Windows 10
Brian K, it's hard to understand why there should be any difference in those methods in terms of what works and what doesn't. But since I have an optical drive, I can certainly use the DVD method. Thanks for that information.
TP, I assumed that at some point you would have to replace Truecrypt with something that hadn't been renounced and abandoned by its authors.
But since v2.80 with Truecrypt works so well for me, I'm going to continue using it for now. But it's nice to know that the VeraCrypt alternative is there when the time comes to make a change.
TP, I assumed that at some point you would have to replace Truecrypt with something that hadn't been renounced and abandoned by its authors.
But since v2.80 with Truecrypt works so well for me, I'm going to continue using it for now. But it's nice to know that the VeraCrypt alternative is there when the time comes to make a change.Re: IFL, Truecrypt and Windows 10
I thought TrueCrypt FDE was pretty much out even for Windows 8.
Unless you need some of TC's special features like plausible deniability, I highly recommend moving to BitLocker. I wrote in some detail about my experience with this in the two messages starting here:
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/ucf/vi ... 8937#p8937
The first message is "BitLocker and Imaging with Terabyte Products", and the second is "Moving from TrueCrypt to BitLocker". I posted those messages back in Nov 2014 some six months after making the change, and nine months later, I'd write the same stuff. The major downside for the OP is that Image for Linux is out, and I talked about that along with alternative procedures (i.e. IFW and tbwinre) some in those messages. I used to use IFL, too, but I've adapted, and I don't miss it or TrueCrypt one bit.
Unless you need some of TC's special features like plausible deniability, I highly recommend moving to BitLocker. I wrote in some detail about my experience with this in the two messages starting here:
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/ucf/vi ... 8937#p8937
The first message is "BitLocker and Imaging with Terabyte Products", and the second is "Moving from TrueCrypt to BitLocker". I posted those messages back in Nov 2014 some six months after making the change, and nine months later, I'd write the same stuff. The major downside for the OP is that Image for Linux is out, and I talked about that along with alternative procedures (i.e. IFW and tbwinre) some in those messages. I used to use IFL, too, but I've adapted, and I don't miss it or TrueCrypt one bit.
Re: IFL, Truecrypt and Windows 10
Yes, I think Truecrypt doesn't work with Windows 8 installs using UEFI/GPT, which is almost all of them. But I'm still on Windows 7 with MBR, so it still works fine for me.
I appreciate the suggestion on Bitlocker, but I don't have that on my Win 7 Home Premium, and suspect I won't have it on whatever Windows 10 version I would end up with on the free upgrade. So to use Bitlocker, I would have to pay Microsoft to upgrade to Pro or Enterprise, which I don't want to do, particularly since I don't need those versions for anything else. Oh, and I've deleted the 100MB system partition which BL needs, so that would be another complication.
So I'm going to stick with Truecrypt, or something that works like it, as long as I can. I just love how well it works hand in hand with IFL. But the big problems are going to be things like UEFI, GPT, Secureboot, and TPMs that over time may make third party solutions like TC unworkable.
What I would really like to get for my next computer is a hard drive or SSD which is self-encrypting. But such devices have not made much headway in the market, and I'm not sure why. They seem like such an obviously good idea.
I appreciate the suggestion on Bitlocker, but I don't have that on my Win 7 Home Premium, and suspect I won't have it on whatever Windows 10 version I would end up with on the free upgrade. So to use Bitlocker, I would have to pay Microsoft to upgrade to Pro or Enterprise, which I don't want to do, particularly since I don't need those versions for anything else. Oh, and I've deleted the 100MB system partition which BL needs, so that would be another complication.
So I'm going to stick with Truecrypt, or something that works like it, as long as I can. I just love how well it works hand in hand with IFL. But the big problems are going to be things like UEFI, GPT, Secureboot, and TPMs that over time may make third party solutions like TC unworkable.
What I would really like to get for my next computer is a hard drive or SSD which is self-encrypting. But such devices have not made much headway in the market, and I'm not sure why. They seem like such an obviously good idea.
Re: IFL, Truecrypt and Windows 10
I thought self-encrypting SSDs were becoming the norm? I know my Crucial M500s have the feature, but I don't use it. That is, I don't use the features necessary to take advantage of it, nor do I fully understand how to do it. I believe UEFI BIOS is involved, and that seemed way too immature a technology to get into a couple of years ago when I built my current machine, which BTW does support UEFI; I, however, run it in legacy mode.