encrypting and deleting pagefile

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  1. Posts : 187
    Windows 7
       #1

    encrypting and deleting pagefile


    I'm very new to W 7 so please forgive me if the answer is obvious. I'm using W 7 Home Premium 64 bit.

    This is a home laptop but I do have some personal financial info on it (which I encrypt using TrueCrypt) and therefore am concerned about the pagefile should the laptop be stolen. I therefore would like to know how to:

    1) encrypt the page file. Would that slow things a great deal?

    2) delete the page file on shutdown.

    3) Other security problems I should know about concerning the pagefile.

    Thanks,

    Jeff
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 587
    Windows 7 x64
       #2

    Anderson2 said:
    I'm very new to W 7 so please forgive me if the answer is obvious. I'm using W 7 Home Premium 64 bit.

    This is a home laptop but I do have some personal financial info on it (which I encrypt using TrueCrypt) and therefore am concerned about the pagefile should the laptop be stolen. I therefore would like to know how to:

    1) encrypt the page file. Would that slow things a great deal?

    2) delete the page file on shutdown.

    3) Other security problems I should know about concerning the pagefile.

    Thanks,

    Jeff
    .
    I dont' know about encryption, but you can set an option to have the pagefile deleted on shutdown. It may slow the shutdown process though.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 187
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Thanks. How do I have the pagefile deleted on shutdown? (I thought that happened automatically).
    Jeff
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 1,443
    Win 7 Ultimate SP1 x64
       #4

    - Type "regedit" at the start menu.
    - Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session
    Manager\
    - Right click on Memory Management and select New DWORD (32-bit) Value.
    - Name the DWORD value “ClearPageFileAtShutdown”
    - Double-click on the DWORD value and type “1″

    After that restart your PC to apply the changes.
    Hope this helps.:)

    *Note - this will increase your shutdown time.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 187
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Thank you. ClearPageFileAtShutdown already existed in my system. I changed it from 0 to 1. Will try it out.
    Thanks.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 1,443
    Win 7 Ultimate SP1 x64
       #6

    Anderson2 said:
    Thank you. ClearPageFileAtShutdown already existed in my system. I changed it from 0 to 1. Will try it out.
    Thanks.
    You're welcome....:)
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 1,426
    7 Pro
       #7

    If you machine is encrypted with true crypt then why are you worrying about the page file? Even if you simply chose "partition encryption" your pagefile will fall under the encryption anyway. You set a password on the drive. Nobody without that password could get to your page file if your laptop was stolen.
      My Computer


  8. jav
    Posts : 713
    Windows 7 Ultimate x86 SP1
       #8

    http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/?s=paging-file said:
    Paging File
    Note: The issue described below does not affect you if the system partition or system drive is encrypted (for more information, see the chapter System Encryption) and if all paging files are located on one or more of the partitions within the key scope of system encryption, for example, on the partition where Windows is installed (for more information, see the subsection 'Solution' below).
    Also called 'swap file'; Windows uses this file (usually stored on a hard drive) to hold parts of programs and data files that do not fit in memory. This means that sensitive data, which you believe are only stored in RAM, can actually be written unencrypted to a hard drive by Windows without you knowing.

    TrueCrypt always attempts to lock the memory areas in which cached passwords, encryption keys, and other sensitive data are stored, in order to prevent such data from being leaked to paging files. However, note that Windows may reject or fail to lock memory for various (documented and undocumented) reasons. Furthermore, TrueCrypt cannot prevent the contents of sensitive files that are opened in RAM from being saved unencrypted to a paging file (note that when you open a file stored on a TrueCrypt volume, for example, in a text editor, then the content of the file is stored unencrypted in RAM).
    more info and how to prevent it: TrueCrypt - Free Open-Source Disk Encryption - Documentation - Paging File

    Hope it will help you
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 1
    W7
       #9

    encrypting pagefile


    This link takes you to an Infoworld discussion about encrypting your pagefile; Infoworld

    Here is how to do it in Vista; Vista: Encrypt the Pagefile I would imagine it is done the same way in W7.

    Windows club has a 'Tweak" program that will make the setting change for you at WindowsClub. PC World recommends this program.

    Depending on your system, you may not notice the impact of encrypting the pagefile to its performance. It would not be necessary to delete it during each shutdown if it is encrypted, and that in itself is a huge performance gain.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 187
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #10

    brady said:
    If you machine is encrypted with true crypt then why are you worrying about the page file? Even if you simply chose "partition encryption" your pagefile will fall under the encryption anyway. You set a password on the drive. Nobody without that password could get to your page file if your laptop was stolen.
    The machine is not encrypted with True Crypt. Only a couple of file containers are encrypted. The rest of the partition is not encrypted.
    Last edited by Anderson2; 01 Feb 2010 at 08:10. Reason: spelling
      My Computer


 
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