Verify Veracrypt - Secure backup of spare C boot drives on alternative USB device rather than the original computer
Verify Veracrypt - Secure backup of spare C boot drives on alternative USB device rather than the original computer
I have two spare boot drives for the same computer. I need to fully encrypt them using a USB Caddie, but since it’s a “system encryption,” it demands a test stage with “boot.” You enter a password, and it goes through before completing the full encryption. Will this method work via the Caddie, or must each drive be the only C drive while the computer is running? That way, I’d have to plug each one in as a C drive with just one C drive and no Caddie at all? I want to stay on top of the latest fast C drive while encrypting the other two spare drives through the Caddie.
The alternative would be cloning the current encrypted C drive to the spare drives in the Caddie, but would a “bit by bit copy” retain the special Verycrypt boot leader from the C drive on those drives? Anyone familiar with Veracrypt and the real solution would appreciate your advice.
You cannot use a standard "C drive," place it inside a USB case, and expect it to start properly.
The reason for this is because whatever drive it boots from is identified as the "C" drive.
I know you're not sure about using USB ports to boot from, but for a spare C drive, it's different. You mentioned testing the setup by restarting the computer, entering a password, and then encrypting it—this part seems possible in the Caddy. I think this step might be handled there, even if it wasn't explicitly asked. I've swapped C drives with different Windows versions and clones, and sometimes they fail, so it's something you should consider.
No, you don't start from "USB" anything. It could be a motherboard USB port or an external one. Are these devices meant to act as a backup of the standard OS drive, used when the main one fails? If yes, there are more efficient methods available. And why is encryption being applied?