Unique situation: Win7 MBR unable to encrypt using TrueCrypt

rarex · 23 Sep 2013

SOLUTION FOUND: You have to delete the 100MB Partition and it will work perfectly. Link on how to do this: System Reserved Partition - Delete

edit: Summary of problem-- I get stuck on the part where TC asks you to restart in order to test the bootloader (the "pretest"). My computer restarts, bootloader comes up, I put my password in and it doesn't move past "Booting..."

Hi. My laptop originally came with Win8 UEFI on it. I hated it. So I wiped the whole thing and installed Win7 from "scratch". Changed my "BIOS" to Legacy and disabled Secure Boot.

Here is my problem: I'm trying to encrypt my whole system using Truecrypt. In theory it should work, because my disk is MBR: https://i.imgur.com/j4r4BRm.png (I also checked via cmd.exe if my disk was MBR, and it was)

Picture of my dxdiag: https://i.imgur.com/5H2VOEc.png

However, TC gets stuck at "Booting..." and I have to unplug & remove the battery in order to boot the laptop. Whenever I boot it back up, TC tells me that the test failed. I don't understand what the problem is. I know I'm stuck in a pretty unique situation but yea...

What can I do in order to fix this and get TrueCrypt working on my laptop?

Golden · 23 Sep 2013

Bizarre indeed. The only thing I can recommend is to try and encrypt only the Windows 7 system partition and not the 100MB System Reserved partition.

rarex · 23 Sep 2013

I will try that.

Been messing around a lil bit using the TC Rescue Disk. I get this error "Error: No bootable partition found" after putting my password in. I press enter after that and it goes into "Booting..." which never ends.

I will try what you suggested and edit back with results. Thank you for replying btw, really appreciate it

Golden · 23 Sep 2013

Hopefully you made a system image prior to encrypting?

rarex · 23 Sep 2013

I tried encrypting only the Win7 partition but it didn't work. TC still got stuck in "Booting...". I also tried using the repair tools in the Win7 install/rescue disc. It didn't find any problems.

Something interesting to note. TrueCrypt is somehow able to find my partition to boot because whenever I take my battery out, boot up, and get to the TC bootscreen... I press ESC, and it finds what to do... So if it can find it by me pressing ESC, how come it can't find it when I put my password in?..

Next thing I might try is unlock my bios (InsydeH2O). Although this task seems like a complete pain and probably an all nighter.. Uhhh!!...

Btw, to answer your question: no, I haven't/didn't

What else could I try?

Golden · 23 Sep 2013

Its not possible to perform an on-the-fly encryption of the system partition that quickly.....it takes a few hours. How exactly are you encrypting this partition?

You shouldn't have to unlock anything in your BIOS at all.....Truecrypt works independently of the BIOS - its simply a boot authentication wrapper around the system partition.

rarex · 23 Sep 2013

I get stuck on the part where TC asks you to restart in order to test the bootloader. I agree, my computer restarts, bootloader comes up, I put my password in and it doesn't move past "Booting..."

I usually wait 2-5 minutes and call it quits after that (disconnect battery cable & take my laptops battery out, then put it back in and start up the laptop). Am I being inpatient (honest question)? Because in almost every single TrueCrypt setup vid on Youtube, this "Booting..." part of the TC "encryption process" only takes a couple of seconds.. and then it actually boots. But this isn't the case for me.

My encryption "settings" are as follows: Normal -> Encrypt whole drive (I tried just the Windows partition, but didnt work) -> No (for Host protected area) -> Single boot -> AES -> Create rescue disk

Thanks btw

Golden · 23 Sep 2013

Ahhh....perhaps its just testing the recovery media, prior to encryption? Have you tried different CD's/DVD's? What version are you using? 7.1a?

rarex · 23 Sep 2013

Yes, I'm using version 7.1a. I tried booting from the TC rescue disk -- sample problem. Tried restoring the boot loader, headers, etc. Still same problem :S

Golden · 23 Sep 2013

Mmmm......I'll have to experiment on my system.

You only have Windows 7 installed right? No other OS?