Question VeraCrypt and WD Elements HD

[slmss]

Purchased a WD Elements portable hard drive with backup software but without password security for use in Windows 11. Will running Veracrypt overwrite this backup software?

 

[USAFRet]

Purchased a WD Elements portable hard drive with backup software but without password security for use in Windows 11. Will running Veracrypt overwrite this backup software?

It doesn't have to. Only if you make that volume consume the entire drive.

 

[slmss]

How do I ensure volume doesn't consume the entire drive, please?

 

[USAFRet]

How do I ensure volume doesn't consume the entire drive, please?

That happens in the setup of the VeraCrypt volume.

You can make it whatever size you want.
Full drive, or only some of it.

For instance, on an 8TB drive that is attached to my NAS, there is a 3TB VeraCrypt volume.
The rest of the drive is 100% available, unencrypted.

 

[slmss]

So, on a 2TB drive I would want to create a standard veracrypt volume with 2TB minus 163mb allowed for backup software, correct? This would preserve the backup software and provide a 'volume' for current backup plus expansion over time? Sorry, read the veracrypt manual but still unsure how this process works. Thanks.

 

[USAFRet]

So, on a 2TB drive I would want to create a standard veracrypt volume with 2TB minus 163mb allowed for backup software, correct? This would preserve the backup software and provide a 'volume' for current backup plus expansion over time? Sorry, read the veracrypt manual but still unsure how this process works. Thanks.

Ignore the WD backup thing.

 

[slmss]

So, on a 2TB drive I would want to create a standard veracrypt volume with 2TB minus 163mb allowed for backup software, correct? This would preserve the backup software and provide a 'volume' for current backup plus expansion over time? Sorry, read the veracrypt manual but still unsure how this process works. Thanks.

Ignore the WD backup thing.

Okay. I thank you for your time and patience. I'm self-taught and sometimes miss the context of things. Thanks again and God bless!