Bitlocker on a New Laptop

Thanx - it doesn't have a TPM chip, but I do know about the workaround (use
a USB drive for the password).

Just partitioned the drive to the appropriate two volumes and am in the
process of reinstalling everything. Agree with you that preventive paranoia
is always good.

Big Dog wrote:

> Thanx - it doesn't have a TPM chip, but I do know about the workaround (use
> a USB drive for the password).
>
> Just partitioned the drive to the appropriate two volumes and am in the
> process of reinstalling everything. Agree with you that preventive paranoia
> is always good.

What happens when the USB thumb drive gets lost, damaged, or
catastrophically fails (which it will if you continue writing to it
which wears it out due to oxide stress which eventually surpasses the
recovery space and error algorithms to mask out the errors)?

You can back up the startup key to another USB drive via:

Control Panel -> Security -> Bitlocker -> Manage Bitlocker keys -> Duplicate
the startup key

Also - when you encrypt a drive, you get a printable recovery password.
This can be used in instead of the USB key.

Cheers!


"VanguardLH" <V.RemoveThis@nguard.LH> wrote in message
news:%23Jd%23vJZBJHA.4368@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> Big Dog wrote:
>
>> Thanx - it doesn't have a TPM chip, but I do know about the workaround
>> (use
>> a USB drive for the password).
>>
>> Just partitioned the drive to the appropriate two volumes and am in the
>> process of reinstalling everything. Agree with you that preventive
>> paranoia
>> is always good.
>
> What happens when the USB thumb drive gets lost, damaged, or
> catastrophically fails (which it will if you continue writing to it
> which wears it out due to oxide stress which eventually surpasses the
> recovery space and error algorithms to mask out the errors)?

Chris wrote:

> "VanguardLH" wrote ...
>>
>> Big Dog wrote:
>>
>>> Thanx - it doesn't have a TPM chip, but I do know about the
>>> workaround (use a USB drive for the password).
>>>
>>> Just partitioned the drive to the appropriate two volumes and am in
>>> the process of reinstalling everything. Agree with you that
>>> preventive paranoia is always good.
>>
>> What happens when the USB thumb drive gets lost, damaged, or
>> catastrophically fails (which it will if you continue writing to it
>> which wears it out due to oxide stress which eventually surpasses
>> the recovery space and error algorithms to mask out the errors)?
>
> You can back up the startup key to another USB drive via:
>
> Control Panel -> Security -> Bitlocker -> Manage Bitlocker keys -> Duplicate
> the startup key
>
> Also - when you encrypt a drive, you get a printable recovery password.
> This can be used in instead of the USB key.

That was what I alluded to - that something ELSE should be use as a
backup to using just a USB thumb drive as an encryption dongle. I just
wanted to prod the "what if" scenario. Even with the printout, it won't
(and shouldn't) be in the bag with a laptop (and neither should the USB
dongle), and there might be no one at home you can call to get it. Even
if you create a backup USB thumb drive, it's likely you won't have it
with you when traveling (and when theft of the computer is highest).
You're screwed until you get back home.

Personally, and if TPM wasn't available, I'd be leery of relying on a
USB thumb drive to maintain my access to the hard disk versus, say,
instead using whole-disk encryption that only requires me to remember a
password.

If the OP goes the USB drive route, he should read:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923123/en-us
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923124/en-us

"VanguardLH" <V.RemoveThis@nguard.LH> schreef in bericht
news:ub3dAXaBJHA.4108@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> Chris wrote:
>
>> "VanguardLH" wrote ...
>>>
>>> Big Dog wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thanx - it doesn't have a TPM chip, but I do know about the
>>>> workaround (use a USB drive for the password).
>>>>
>>>> Just partitioned the drive to the appropriate two volumes and am in
>>>> the process of reinstalling everything. Agree with you that
>>>> preventive paranoia is always good.
>>>
>>> What happens when the USB thumb drive gets lost, damaged, or
>>> catastrophically fails (which it will if you continue writing to it
>>> which wears it out due to oxide stress which eventually surpasses
>>> the recovery space and error algorithms to mask out the errors)?
>>
>> You can back up the startup key to another USB drive via:
>>
>> Control Panel -> Security -> Bitlocker -> Manage Bitlocker keys ->
>> Duplicate
>> the startup key
>>
>> Also - when you encrypt a drive, you get a printable recovery password.
>> This can be used in instead of the USB key.
>
> That was what I alluded to - that something ELSE should be use as a
> backup to using just a USB thumb drive as an encryption dongle. I just
> wanted to prod the "what if" scenario. Even with the printout, it won't
> (and shouldn't) be in the bag with a laptop (and neither should the USB
> dongle), and there might be no one at home you can call to get it. Even
> if you create a backup USB thumb drive, it's likely you won't have it
> with you when traveling (and when theft of the computer is highest).
> You're screwed until you get back home.
>
> Personally, and if TPM wasn't available, I'd be leery of relying on a
> USB thumb drive to maintain my access to the hard disk versus, say,
> instead using whole-disk encryption that only requires me to remember a
> password.
>
> If the OP goes the USB drive route, he should read:
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923123/en-us
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923124/en-us

Ever seen Myth Busters? They showed how simple it is to copy a fingerprint
or to cheat it. Don't rely on it.

On Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:23:47 +0200, "Flight"
<jPUNTvoorbeeld@gmailPUNTcom> wrote:

>Ever seen Myth Busters? They showed how simple it is to copy a fingerprint
>or to cheat it. Don't rely on it.

Yep, you're definitely an idiot.