Question Can a portable HD be password protected ?

[oakmead]

Is it possible to add just a password to a portable HD ?

So the HD can only be accessed and saved to etc, by way of entering a password on whichever computer it’s connected to ?

I don’t want to set up a password which limit it use on other computers.

Seems weird that most, if not all computers users set up a password on their device but portable HDs doesn’t appear to have such a facility ?

I found the following:
https://www.ehow.co.uk/how_6770638_password_protect-portable-hard-drive.html

Is this the only option ?

 

[kerberos_20]

bitlocker is another option

 

[oakmead]

Thanks, but isn’t Bitlocker a full disk encryption, which can take many hours to encrypt a drive, maybe should of enabled it when portable drive was new & empty ?

Would the ehow link in the first post be a quick, easy & suitable solution ?

 

[Grobe]

Another good tool is Veracrypt. There is a portable version on the download page where you can put in the root folder of the removable hdd (do not put it into the encrypted partition/file).

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

Best thing to do with the least amount of hassle (and no password to remember either) is to simply put your external drives in a hidden place known only to you, even in a lockable cupboard or draw if possible. Nobody can access a drive that they can't get hold of.

 

[Grobe]

Nobody can access a drive that they can't get hold of.

That completely dependent of who the OP are and if in a life situation where is not in control over the home enviroment (i.e. teenager loving living home).

 

[USAFRet]

Would the ehow link in the first post be a quick, easy & suitable solution ?

Without testing, I wouldn't count on that working across platforms.
Plug that drive into a Linux system, and that password thing may not work.

 

[kerberos_20]

Without testing, I wouldn't count on that working across platforms.
Plug that drive into a Linux system, and that password thing may not work.

even in windows you can take ownership within seconds

 

[kerberos_20]

some drives does have internal security features
here password protected drive xD

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071DGR6W5

 

[oakmead]

Best thing to do with the least amount of hassle (and no password to remember either) is to simply put your external drives in a hidden place known only to you, even in a lockable cupboard or draw if possible. Nobody can access a drive that they can't get hold of.

Looking to prevent unauthorised access if HD is lost or stolen, after all, it’s a portable HD.

 

[USAFRet]

Looking to prevent unauthorised access if HD is lost or stolen, after all, it’s a portable HD.

Full disk encryption.

 

[kerberos_20]

Looking to prevent unauthorised access if HD is lost or stolen, after all, it’s a portable HD.

drive encryption is the only correct way

 

[oakmead]

Without testing, I wouldn't count on that working across platforms.
Plug that drive into a Linux system, and that password thing may not work.

I don’t use Linux, but do you mean, if the portable HD folder is password protected like it’s described within the ehow link, could it be accessed when plugged into a Linux system, regardless of whether it’s password protected?

 

[USAFRet]

I don’t use Linux, but do you mean, if the portable HD folder is password protected like it’s described within the ehow link, could it be accessed when plugged into a Linux system, regardless of whether it’s password protected?

Correct.

 

[oakmead]

Maybe my best option is bitlocker then ?

just a little fearful of disk encryption, as few years ago, I once had to have data recovered from encrypted drive.

 

[USAFRet]

Maybe my best option is bitlocker then ?

just a little fearful of disk encryption, as few years ago, I once had to have data recovered from encrypted drive.

Or VeraCrypt.

But...'data recovery' should never really be a trouble.
Your data should always be backed up somewhere else as well. Anything happens to this drive,and your second copy is still safe over there.
And with a portable thing you're carrying around all the time...very possible it will get dropped a time or two.

 

[fzabkar]

Western Digital external drives (eg Passport, My Book) can be password protected. I don't trust WD's protection, though. Their earlier products were too easily hacked.

 

[oakmead]

Apparently it was an issue with compressing the drive and encrypting it, it wasn’t me recovering the data but it was supposedly very difficult to recover due to encryption, compression or both and all recent data was lost.

Although the portable drive is portable, it isn’t necessarily carried around everywhere and I’d rather it have some kind of protection for peace of mind.

However, how secure is the internal drive, yeah I have the device password protected when switched on but what if the Drive is removed and installed into a different computer, would the current login password be required to access the drive ?