TrueCrypt - FAT32/NTFS

[brotherS]

Hi,

I bought another external HD and formatted it NTFS (at least I'm very sure I did) within TrueCrypt. Strangely though, in TrueCrypt's "Select Device" window, it's now shown as FAT32 (all other HDs/partitions are shown as NTFS). Even more strange: when I right-click the mounted HD in the Windows Explorer and check its properties, Windows says it's NTFS.

Huh?

[brotherS]

Anyone?

Wild guesses welcome too 

[f0dder]

It sounds... strange. But no idea, really. Can you post some screenshots of compmgmt.msc/disk management, and the right-click properties etc?

[brotherS]

It sounds... strange. But no idea, really. Can you post some screenshots of compmgmt.msc/disk management, and the right-click properties etc?

-f0dder (December 21, 2007, 04:01 AM)

Could do, but not much to see there... and compmgmt.msc/disk management shows nothing because it's an external HD.

[e712]

The drive is formatted FAT32, the truecrypt drive is NTFS. 

TrueCrypt does not change the underlying file system.  Even TrueCrypt cannot see a partition or drive until it is mounted, it only sees the underlying file system, in your case, FAT32.

The drive you purchased was preformatted FAT32.  TrueCrypt wrote data on the FAT32 drive.  When mounted this is a NTFS drive.  When not mounted only information about the underlying file system, FAT32,  is available.

[brotherS]

The drive is formatted FAT32, the truecrypt drive is NTFS. 

TrueCrypt does not change the underlying file system.  Even TrueCrypt cannot see a partition or drive until it is mounted, it only sees the underlying file system, in your case, FAT32.

The drive you purchased was preformatted FAT32.  TrueCrypt wrote data on the FAT32 drive.  When mounted this is a NTFS drive.  When not mounted only information about the underlying file system, FAT32,  is available.

-e712 (December 21, 2007, 10:53 PM)

Ah, I see! So I would have to format the drive and start from scratch to have full NTFS support for big files on the TrueCrypt-formatted partition?

[f0dder]

Hm.

Are you using "filesystem in a file" with TrueCrypt, or do you use direct partition encryption?

Whatever the case, as long as the TrueCrypt volume is formatted NTFS, it should have support for big files. But if you're using "filesystem in a file" and the container is on a FAT32 formatted drive, well... . Anyway, no need to format, use "convert x: /FS:NTFS".

[brotherS]

Are you using "filesystem in a file" with TrueCrypt, or do you use direct partition encryption?

-f0dder (December 22, 2007, 06:53 AM)

The latter.

Whatever the case, as long as the TrueCrypt volume is formatted NTFS, it should have support for big files. But if you're using "filesystem in a file" and the container is on a FAT32 formatted drive, well... . Anyway, no need to format, use "convert x: /FS:NTFS".

-f0dder (December 22, 2007, 06:53 AM)

I just tried that (after a backup ) and got the message that it already is NTFS.

So I'll just live with the fact that TrueCrypt reports it as FAT32 before I mount it (as NTFS), should be OK. :-)

Thanks!