Main features of Disk Cryprite

Disk Cryprite (D-Cryprite, or Dcr) provides transparent real time encryption of entire fixed disk partitions (logical disks) and diskettes, making possible the encryption of all files in the system, including executables, paging (swap) files, etc. Dcr combines encryption with access-protection (ordinary password protection) methods of blocking access to all logical disks and diskettes. Dcr also provides a data concealing (hiding) utility in which encrypted or plain disks can be made to disappear physically!

Dcr can encrypt (single or not) disk C:, but, in general, it is preferable for Dcr and for the user to have several (at least two) logical disks (one for system files, the other for data files): such a configuration is safer and more convenient for user in any case, especially when using MS Windows. Dcr's built-in disk-splitting (partitioning) program (Part12: one into two) can easily divide the (single) hard disk, without the need to backup all the data stored on it, into two (or more) partitions, or, then, restore to one disk from two ("undo" changes).

When you are in the Internet or on a LAN (or wherever else!), you can prevent ANY attacks against your private data (reading, changing, damaging, erasing) during the network session if the disks containing this data are encrypted and closed or hidden.

D-Cryprite can also be useful even if you do not wish to encrypt anything: it can temporarily blockade write access to certain hard disks (on a very low level) to make them inaccessible (protected) during a network session in the Internet or in a LAN, and it can also be used to temporarily hide some of your hard disks or partitions (and thus - absolutely safely protect them, for example - against any viruses).

Installing of Dcr doesn't require that data should first be backed up or removed from the encrypting partition (which can take a lot of time or can be impossible in principle - to backup several Gbytes!).

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The following are some of the features which provide Dcr's unique quality:

  • Transparent, real time encryption, so fast (using the SVC algorithms) that it is absolutely imperceptible to the user! (The delay in disk read-write operations being about 0-20% in 32-bits Windows, or 5-45% in DOS; often Dcr even speeds up disk access operations!);
  • Easy to manage, VERY easy to use (virtually no effort required of the user!) Does not require free space on the disk for creating special crypto-structures (such as virtual disks, for example), and there's no need to backup existing data before the initial encryption of the disk (including any existing data);
  • Initialises (provides primary encryption of) selected partitions very fast - almost at the same speed as the standard "format" or "scandisk surface" procedure, or even much more quickly in special "quick encryption" mode when Dcr initially encrypts only the clusters used by existing files, not the entire disk with maybe a lot of currently unused - free - clusters. Automatically encrypts everything located on / copied to the encrypted disk. Thus it can encrypt the Windows registry, temporary and paging (swap) files, the Windows folder, etc;
  • Irrespective of what is encrypted, Dcr doesn't decrease the speed of the PC! Can encrypt even the system/bootable drive: in that case, Dcr creates a special bootable diskette;
  • Makes and leaves no un-encrypted copies of data, especially when the disks which contain temporary and paging (swap) files are encrypted (which is not necessarily the disk containing the Windows folder);
  • Not dependent on Windows operating system and its possible problems of weak reliability: data encrypted in Windows can be opened / decrypted in Dos and vice versa. Dcr has both Windows and Dos (command line) interfaces;
  • Even if the operating system fails, encrypted data is not lost and is easily recoverable. Includes high protection of data in the event of power failure during initialization;
  • Three level hierarchical password system and strong SuperUser (Administrator) options provide a multitude of control features;
  • SuperUser settings, log-auditing and other functions can be operated from a central server/PC, for an unlimited number of sub-operators;
  • Data- (passwords-) recovery and observation of local government rules are provided by SuperUser;
  • Passwords can have any arbitrary length from 0 to 512 bytes - and this length may be restricted by the SuperUser;
  • Encrypts diskettes, with various control configurations. Dcr can be used exclusively for the encryption of diskettes, if you wish;
  • Uses diskettes to transport encrypted data to other Dcr-enabled PCs;
  • Works (controls and organises) simultaneously with encrypted and non-encrypted diskettes, subject to SuperUser permission;
  • Also provides access blockage, both to encrypted and non-encrypted logical disks and diskettes;
  • Supports different passwords for different disks / diskettes;
  • Provides different ciphertext for different disks / diskettes, even with the same password;
  • Automatic programmable inactivity screen lock;
  • A special command physically hides all encrypted disks on the PC making it very difficult to detect that these disks exist, that something is encrypted in the PC;
  • It is possible to hide any separate (encrypted or plain) disk of PC;
  • Does not conflict with DOS/Windows applications, even low level applications such as Defrag, Scandisk, DiskDoctor, DiskEdit, etc.;
  • Closed encrypted disks are absolutely inaccessible in a LAN or Internet environment, or wherever.
  • In LAN all local copies of Dcr can be controlled from one or several servers (PCs) by Dcradmin program which works under Win-95, 98, NT, 2000.

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It is necessary to say a few words about a separate interesting operation - "Wipe temp/unused disk space" (wpTempD.exe). This utility can be executed (clicked) separately (it comes together with D-Cryprite or F-Cryprite package as a separate utility), or from "Dcr> Wipe unused/temp disk space" internal menu.

At the first sight, it looks similar to standard Windows "Disk Cleanup", but in fact it is absolutely different, strong secret utility. It's purpose is - not only to delete something temporary or unused on your disk (to increase disk space), but -

  1. All deleting operations are wiping - i.e. secret, unrecoverable deleting: any usual deleting, even deleting from or bypassing Recycle Bin is usually recoverable by a specialist;

  2. wpTempD does several things which no one tool does:

    1. It deletes+wipes files not only in standard temporary folders, but in any user-defined folders, any user-defined files/masks (for example, "F:\MYTEMP", "E:\WORK\*.doc", etc);
    2. It wipes unused clusters of the disks, in this way it wipes even the contents of Windows swap file! The problem is that some (significant) data can reside in UNUSED (not currently occupied by any files) disk clusters - some files having once existed and then been deleted, or some parts of such files. This data can reside in unused form rather long (maybe months), and you will not know about it, but a specialist can read it! The more complicated for Windows problem is swap/paging file. It is temporary file (not unused clusters!) which can contain megabytes of any data (everything that you read / write during your Windows session), and almost nobody can normally clean it up; and each time Windows is shutting down, the swap file is deleted, and its contents "fall" to unused clusters - your addresses, mails, bank accounts - whatever you can imagine! wpTempD wipes/cleans Windows swap file without the corruption of Windows (but then, during Windows operating, swap file appears once again, thus it is worth doing before the end of your work - before the shutdown of your PC).
    3. The originality of wpTempD is that it wipes the residual/temporary data which exists in the last not complete clusters of normal files! Such residual data can exist for years, and you will never know about it. For example, at the end (after the end) of win.com file there can be written: "my secret bank account is 157905" - some part of a file which existed long ago, before you changed / upgraded your Windows system (for example). The procedure "wipe residual/temporary data in used files" is rather long, but normally you do not need to do it often - maybe only once, or two times per year. However, this procedure is absolutely necessary if you want to ensure your computer being not your enemy which can tell somebody your confidential data.

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System requirements / technical restrictions:

  • D-Cryprite works in Win-95, OSR2, 98, 3.1, Dos (dcr.exe command line interface). (The next versions of Dcr will also support Windows NT, 2000.) The current version is compatible with IDE hard disks (not SCSI - normally, there are used IDE, but you can check this in the documentation to your PC), the size of (each) separate physical hard disk can be up to 2000 Gbytes (including all its logical sub-disks).
  • Note. Concerning software compatibility, D-Cryprite may conflict with some versions of McAffee Anti-Virus products. We also do not recommend to use Dcr simultaneously with DriveSpace.
  • Dcr has not special RAM requirements, even 1Mb of RAM is enough.
  • Installation file D-Crypr_.exe is 1.3Mb (it takes about 7 minutes to download on normal phone/internet line and then about 30 seconds to install Dcr). Disk space requirements: 2.4Mb (the size of installed version). Minimum necessary command line kernel is 250Kb of dcr.exe and 20Kb of ciphering driver.

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