Often, we have to use removable storage media for personal files or valuable information. For these purposes, you can buy a flash drive with a keyboard for a pin-code or a fingerprint scanner. But such pleasure is not cheap, therefore it is easier to resort to the software methods for installing a password on a flash drive, which we will talk about.
How to put a password for a flash drive
To set a password to a portable drive, you can use one of the following utilities:- Rohos Mini Drive;
- USB Flash Security;
- TrueCrypt;
- BitLocker.
Perhaps not all options are suitable for your flash drive, so it is better to try a few of them before throwing attempts to perform the task.
Method 1: ROHOS MINI DRIVE
This utility is free and easy to use. It does not pass the entire drive, but only a certain partition it.
Download ROHOS MINI DRIVE program
To take advantage of this program, do this:
- Run it and click "Enchant USB Disk".
- Rohos will automatically determine the USB flash drive. Click "Disk Settings".
- Here you can set the letter of the protected disk, its size and file system (it is better to choose the same that already is on the flash drive). To confirm all the actions performed, click "OK".
- It remains to enter and confirm the password, after which run the process of creating a disk by pressing the appropriate button. Make it and go to the next step.
- Now part of the memory on your flash drive will be protected by a password. To access this sector, start the rohos mini.exe in the root of the "Rohos mini.exe" flash drive (if the program is installed on this PC) or "ROHOS MINI DRIVE (PORTABLE) .exe" (if there is no this program in this PC).
- After running one of the above programs, enter the password and click OK.
- The hidden disk will appear in the list of hard drives. There can also transfer all the most valuable data. To hide it again, find the program icon in the tray, click on it right-click and click "Turn off R" ("R" - your hidden disk).
- We recommend to immediately create a file to reset the password in case you forget it. To do this, turn on the disk (if disabled) and click Create Backup.
- Among all the options, select the "Password Reset File" item.
- Enter the password, click "Create File" and select the save path. In this case, everything is extremely simple - a standard window appears, where you can manually specify where the file will be stored.
By the way, with Rohos Mini Drive, you can put a password to the folder and some applications. The procedure will be exactly the same as described above, but all actions are performed with a separate folder or label.
See also: Hyde on the ISO image image on the Flash drive
Method 2: USB Flash Security
This utility in several clicks will allow password to protect all files on the flash drive. To download the free version, you must click on the "Download Free Edition" button.
Download USB Flash Security
And in order to take advantage of this software to put passwords on the flash drives, do the following:
- Running the program, you will see that she has already identified the media and brought information about him. Click "Install.
- A warning will appear that all data on the flash drive will be deleted during the procedure. Unfortunately, we have no other way. Therefore, you pre-copy everything you need and click "OK".
- In the appropriate fields, enter and confirm the password. In the "Hint" field, you can specify a prompt in case you forget it. Click OK.
- A warning will appear again. Tick and click the Begin the Installation button.
- Now your flash drive will be displayed as shown in the photo below. Just such an appearance and indicates that it has a certain password.
- Inside it will contain the file "usbenter.exe", which you will need to run.
- In the window that appears, enter the password and click OK.
Now you can reset the files that you have previously transferred to a computer to a USB drive. When you re-insert it, it will again be under password, and it does not matter if this program is installed on this computer or not.
See also: What if the files on the flash drive are not visible
Method 3: TrueCrypt
The program is very functional, possibly in it the greatest number of functions among all samples presented in our review. If you wish, you can pass the not only flash drive, but also a whole hard disk. But before performing any actions, download it to your computer.
Download TrueCrypt for free
The use of the program is as follows:
- Run the program and click the "Create Tom" button.
- Check the "Encipat Unisendable Section / Disk" and click "Next".
- In our case, it will be enough to create a "usual volume". Click "Next".
- Choose your USB flash drive and click Next.
- If you select "Create and format an encrypted volume", then all data on the carrier will be deleted, but the volume will be created faster. And if you select "Encrypt the section on site", the data will be saved, but the procedure will take longer. Deciding with the choice, click "Next".
- In the "encryption settings" it is better to leave everything by default and just click "Next". Do it.
- Make sure that the specified media volume is valid and click "Next".
- Enter and confirm the password you invented. Click "Next". We also recommend specifying a key file that can help recover data if the password is forgotten.
- Specify your preferred file system and click "Place".
- Confirm the action by clicking the "Yes" button in the next window.
- When the procedure is over, click "Exit".
- Your flash drive will have such a look as shown in the photo below. This also means that the procedure has been successful.
- You do not need to touch it. An exception is cases when encryption is no longer required. To access the created, click "Automotion" in the main program window.
- Enter the password and click OK.
- In the list of hard drives, you can now find a new disk that will be available if you insert a USB flash drive and run the same automatic. When the procedure is completed, click the "Unmount" button and you can extract the media.
This method may seem difficult, but experts confidently say that there is nothing more reliable.
See also: How to save files if the flash drive does not open and asks to format
Method 4: BitLocker
Using the standard BitLocker, you can do without programs from third-party manufacturers. This tool is in Windows Vista, Windows 7 (and in Ultimate and Enterprise versions), Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 8, 8.1 and Windows 10.
To use BitLocker, do the following:
- Right-click on the flash drive icon and select "Enable BitLocker" in the drop-down menu.
- Tick and double-click the password. Click "Next".
- Now you are invited to save to a file on a computer or print the recovery key. It will be needed if you decide to change the password. Deciding with the choice (put a mark near the desired item), click "Next".
- Click "Start Encryption" and wait for the end of the process.
- Now, when you insert a USB flash drive, a window will appear with a password input field - as shown in the photo below.
What to do if the password is forgotten from the flash drive
- If encrypted through the Rohos Mini Drive, the file will help to reset the password.
- If via USB Flash Security - orient to the hint.
- TrueCrypt - Use the key file.
- In the case of BitLocker, you can use the recovery key that you are printed or saved in a text file.
Unfortunately, if neither the password, nor the key you have, then it is impossible to restore the data from the encrypted flash drive. Otherwise, what's the point of using these programs? The only thing that remains in this case is to format the flash drive for further use. In this you will help our instructions.
Lesson: How to perform low-level formatting flash drive
Each of the above methods involves various approaches to the password installation, but in any case, unwanted faces will not be able to view the contents of your flash drive. The main thing is not to forget the password yourself! If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments below. We will try to help.