Version Information

 
See the chapter How to Back Up Securely. 
 
 
What will happen if I format a TrueCrypt partition? 
 
See the question “Is it possible to change the file system of an encrypted volume?” in this FAQ. 
 
 
Is it possible to change the file system of an encrypted volume? 
 
Yes, when mounted, TrueCrypt volumes can be formatted as FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, or 
any other file system. TrueCrypt volumes behave as standard disk devices so you can right-click 
the device icon (for example in the ‘Computer’ or ‘My Computer’ list) and select ‘Format’. The 
actual volume contents will be lost. However, the whole volume will remain encrypted. If you format 
a TrueCrypt-encrypted partition when the TrueCrypt volume that the partition hosts is not mounted, 
then the volume will be destroyed, and the partition will not be encrypted anymore (it will be 
empty). 
 
Is it possible to mount a TrueCrypt container that is stored on a CD or DVD? 
 
Yes. However, if you need to mount a TrueCrypt volume that is stored on a read-only medium 
(such as a CD or DVD) under Windows 2000, the file system within the TrueCrypt volume must be 
FAT (Windows 2000 cannot mount an NTFS file system on read-only media).
 
 
Is it possible to change the password for a hidden volume? 
 
Yes, the password change dialog works both for standard and hidden volumes. Just type the 
password for the hidden volume in the ‘Current Password’ field of the ‘Volume Password Change’ 
dialog.
 
Remark: TrueCrypt first attempts to decrypt the standard volume header and if it fails, it attempts to decrypt 
the area within the volume where the hidden volume header may be stored (if there is a hidden volume 
within). In case it is successful, the password change applies to the hidden volume. (Both attempts use the 
password typed in the ‘Current Password’ field.)