1. About BestCrypt software
2. About BestCrypt system installation
3. If you have file-containers created by a previous version of BestCrypt
4. Wiping free disk space - recommendations
5. Known problems
6. If You Want to Comment on the Product
1. About BestCrypt software
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The BestCrypt software supports encrypted logical disks for Windows XP/2000/NT
and Windows ME/95/98 computers, and works with all kinds of media, including
network-accessible disks.
How does BestCrypt work? BestCrypt creates a pre-encrypted file called
a container. This container is created by an encryption algorithm (Twofish,
Blowfish, Rijndael, or GOST28147-89). In addition, BestCrypt creates a logical
disk. The container is linked to a logical disk, and the disk is opened for
access using the unique container password. All data stored in the logical disk
are stored in the container in an encrypted form and transparently accessible
for an authorized person.
2. About BestCrypt system installation
-----------------------------------------
The Setup program copies all necessary files to your hard disk and inserts
needed lines into the Windows Registry database.
To install the BestCrypt system run the SETUP.EXE program. It is
recommended that you exit all Windows programs before running Setup.
The BestCrypt Setup program uses the standard Windows method to install
software and provides necessary explanation of all the installation's
steps. The only default information the user may want to change during
installation is the Program Folder name for BestCrypt software and the
Directory name where to place the BestCrypt files.
All dialog windows of the Setup programs have a similar appearance and
have the following buttons:
Cancel - click this button to abort installation
Next - click this button to proceed with installation
Back - click this button to return to the previous step of installation
After a successful installation Setup will ask you to restart your computer.
This is required because the BestCrypt drivers will need to be loaded
into the computer memory before you begin to use the BestCrypt system.
Note: The BestCrypt Setup program also writes information to the Windows
Registry database, places virtual drivers in the Windows system directory,
and prepares the file for the uninstall procedure. Please do not make any
manipulations to install or uninstall BestCrypt software manually to prevent
the appearance of unused garbage software in the system directory or unused
strings in the Registry database.
3. If you have file-containers created by a previous version of BestCrypt
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Containers of BestCrypt version 7 software are compatible with previous
versions of BestCrypt containers.
But there are few limitations here:
Windows 95 and DOS operating systems do not support NTFS filesystem.
So, if you format a BestCrypt container in Windows XP/2000/NT using the
NTFS filesystem, it will be impossible to mount the container on Windows
ME/98/95/DOS computers.
NOTE: The 'Read-only' attribute of the file-container should be set if you
are going to use the container with BestCrypt 3.x for DOS software, and this
attribute should be reset if you use the container with the BestCrypt v.7
software.
4. Wiping free disk space - recommendation
------------------------------------------
Please take into account that when you move your sensitive files from
conventional disks to BestCrypt logical disks, the operating system
(Windows NT) will not erase your files' contents from the disk - it will
delete only 'references' to them from the system file tables.
To make it impossible to restore deleted files from your disk, you need
to run a wiping utility to erase information from disk sectors that are
currently marked as free, but may contain previously written sensitive
data.
You may run the BestCrypt wiping utility from the BestCrypt Control Panel
or from Windows Explorer. After installing the BestCrypt system you will
find the command "Wipe free space" in Explorer if you call up the context
menu (by pressing the right mouse button) for the drive you would like to
wipe.
In case you have any other questions about BestCrypt, please read the
Help file in the program itself. The file contains a complete description
of all aspects of the software.
5. Known problems
-----------------
1) Security issue for Windows NT/2000/XP operating systems.
The operating systems allow several users work on a single computer
simultaneously. For example, if they connect to the computer with
Terminal Server, or switch between users in Windows XP. If you are
working in such a multi-user environment, it is recommended to use
NTFS filesystem to format your containers, and then set standard
NTFS security settings so that only definite user(s) can access
your virtual drive.
2) Possible conflicts with the BestCrypt Containers Guard Utility.
Containers Guard Utility is an integrated part of the BestCrypt system.
The utility monitors filesystem operations and protects file-containers
from unauthorized deletion or removal. If you try to delete file-
container using, for example, Windows Explorer, the report about file
sharing violation error will appear.
NOTE: In Windows NT/2000/XP only user with administrative privileges has
the right to disable the Guard Utility! This feature allows you to
prevent unexperienced users from disabling the utility and
accidential deleting of the BestCrypt file-containers.
3) Formatting file-containers using NTFS filesystem.
a). BestCrypt versions for Windows NT and for Windows 95/98 have a
compatible format of encrypted file-containers. But Windows 95/98
does not support NTFS filesystem. If you use NTFS formatting when you
create file-container in Windows NT, you should take into account
that NTFS-formatted container can not be read in Windows 95/98. If you
want to access the same container using both Windows 95 and Windows NT
operating systems, you should use FAT filesystem to format the BestCrypt
containers in Windows NT.
b). There are some restrictions in Windows XP/2000/NT for users with ordinary
user's privileges for mount/dismount NTFS filesystem operations. These
operations are used by Windows XP/2000/NT when you format a drive. So, if
you have not Administrator's privileges, you cannot create the
BestCrypt file-container and format it in Windows XP/2000/NT.
4) Wiping utility
Wiping of fixed size swap file requires system resources and calculation
time. The process looks like frozen during last megabytes wiping. Please
wait up to 10 minutes while swap file wiping will successfully finished.
6. If You Want to Comment on the Product
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If you have a product suggestion or comments on how to make BestCrypt better,
e-mail us at this Internet address:
support@jetico.com
Be sure to include your name, the version number of BestCrypt, and your
Internet address with all correspondence.
Please visit our WWW-site to get information about our other products,
Frequently Asked Questions lists, BestCrypt User's Evaluation page and other:
http://www.jetico.com
Note that your comments become a property of Jetico, Inc.
We would like to thank you for the time you have spent with us.
We hope that it has been useful to you.
