Scramdisk In Traveller Mode
Getting into Traveller mode with Scramdisk is simplicity itself.


Run the install file, and at the first screen look for the box that chooses either a full install, or Traveller; which will unload scramdisk3.exe, sd.vxd, and scramdisk.ini to a floppy. Check the Traveller box and continue with the install. You can rename 'Scramdisk3.exe' to whatever you want. You don't need scramdisk.ini, unless you want to play with *.skf files. DriveCrypt has virtually the same installation procedure for its Traveler mode, also.



From there on, all Scramdisk functions relating to container creation and management are accessible from the floppy, or anywhere else you choose to move the two main files to; with the exception of formating and creating encrypted partitions.

In Traveller mode, scramdisk3.exe and sd.vxd (Scramdisks virtual device driver) have to be in the same location. This makes it easy to hide the fact that you even HAVE this program; since it can be located on removable media or even hidden inside some other file, such as an *.mp3 file, by zipping them up and using Edxors Direct / Flip and File / Insert functions to append the program to another file! The "flipping" part is important, because that's what scrambles the zip-files structure and headers; and hides the file from grep-searches and file-filter scans.
     
Step-By-Step...Creation Of Containers

A. The Scramdisk Utility Window
B. The Buttons
C. Creating An Encrypted Container
D. Mounting The New Container
E. Additional Real-World Tips
 


     If you have any unanswered questions, please email ScD3 at irl@irish4ever.com

    The Scramdisk Utility Window...drag'n drop brings up the password box

    


    The Buttons

Mount Container

Container Creation Wizard

New Passwords...Scan Partitions

Clear All Passwords

Dismount All Containers

Brutal Dismount of All Containers

    The First "Create Container" Dialog Box

Open Scramdisk and click the wizard button to bring up the first dialog box.



Choose to make a stand-alone container, or to hide a container inside a *.wav file... these are your only options...they never got around to actually implementing the 24-bit *.bmp thing...heh...or spanning.

Make your choice and click "Next"


    The Second "Create Container" Dialog Box

Here is where you specify the size, name, and location of your new container. You can name it anything, with any extension; or no extension if you want.
The container's size can be anywhere from 260 kb to 2000Mb...but as a practical matter, it shouldn't be any bigger than your available backup media...

Floppys = 1.4kb, ZipDisks = 95Mb
or CD's = 640-649Mb, etc.

Use the "Alldisk space" button to encrypt an entire floppy or ZipDisk.

I've never used the "Quick Create" button; and, I only make Fat volumes...which can be read across all versions of Windows; in case a backup has to be read on another machine; but this is a matter of preference.


    The Third Box....Entering Your Chosen Password

Enter the string of numbers and letters that will be your containers password. In this instance, the password is 'agent 3.14 at Pi is de-wanked'.

Using every space in all four lines makes the most secure password for Scramdisk, but you can get away with smaller ones as long as they are random as possible, and at least 15 characters long. The example here is not particularly good; but it would be easy to remember.

Scramdisk will ask you to repeat it on the next four lines to confirm your choice...the "Show" button will allow you to see what you're typing.

    The Fourth Box...Generating Random Numbers


 Here is where you'll need to manaically wiggle your mouse and click the "Pick" button whenever it blinks in order to generate lots of random numbers from the positions of the cursor on the desktop.

These numbers are used in the actual encryption process, and assure that no two containers will ever have the same structure; even if they have a common password.

Click the "Next" button when it's done to go to the next step.

    The Fifth Box...Choosing The Cypher

Use what ever you want...but the consensus is that Blowfish (fast) or 3-DES (slower) are the best of the lot.

They are supposed to be the least likely of the cyphers available to Scramdisk 301 to have been cracked; but the strength of any of these cyphers is dependant upon the length (...better) and randomness (...just as important) of whatever sequence of characters and spaces you choose for a password.

    The Sixth Box...Confirmation Of Choices


 Here is where you can see the size, destination and other particulars of your new Scramdisk container.

If anything doesn't look right, backtrack or start over.

If everything looks OK, click the "Create It!" button!

    Finished...Your container has been created...and is ready for use!



    The Password Box

Open the Scramdisk utility window and drag the icon for your new container from Windows Explorer or My Computer anywhere into the window; and the 'password dialog box' will appear; or the DOS "Redscreen" feature will appear if you've enabled it in the 'Options' menu.



mount   Alternatively, you can use the 'Mount' button to navigate to your containers location; when you select the container the password box will open.		    The "Enter New Passwords" button....If you're going to be opening a few different containers with different passwords at one session, you can click the "Enter Passwords" button and type each unique password into Scramdisks protected-memory cache, click "OK", do it again until you have them all in; and then drag the volumes into the utility window later; when you're ready for them.

The Scramdisk utility window will also indicate if the volume has mounted successfully. If not...the password box will re-appear until you get it right.

You can treat this mounted container file as if it were a real drive...which it essentially is; until it's dis-mounted. All file operations are handled normally through Windows Explorer, My Computer, or any file manager you choose to use.

    Helpful Suggestions

  1. Keep your machine de-fragged, and regularly de-frag your container files as well. This simple maintenance process will help you to avoid many file-corruption problems. You should always defrag your machine directly after wiping its free-space with Sami Tolvanen's "Eraser" program.

  2. When creating and using very small containers in Win95/98/ME (260Kb-6Mb), you will have to reboot the computer before copying, moving, or e-mailing the container. Windows doesn't read the actual container when copying or moving information...it reads the vcache...which has to be refreshed with a reboot. This problem arose when large RAM sizes became common. Reboot after any change to the contents of a small container; just to be safe. If your machine has over 256Mb of RAM, you may need to do this with even larger containers than I have mentioned. This issue does not affect NT/W2K/XP systems. You can adjust the value for "vcache" in your "System.ini" file and turn off "write behind cacheing" in your "System Properties" dialog box to limit this phenomena to only very small sized containers.

  3. Do not deposit loads of files willy-nilly into your container. The first thing that goes in them are folders; keep all your files and programs within one of these folders. Windows will only allow a limited number of entrys in the root of any drive...but you can fill the folders up to the capacity of the container.

  4. It's wise to leave 20 percent of any given container empty; to allow for free-space needed for the de-fragging procedures temp files.

  5. Never write down your password in any other program (text editors...etc.,) on your machine (other than the Scramdisk utility window)...and if you write it down on paper or something, destroy it as soon as you are confident that your password has been safely memorised. The possibility of a text editor writing to a *.tmp file that gets written to unallocated clusters on your drive is a real hazard in Windows systems. Such data is easily retreived with forensic applications such as Encase, F.R.E.D., or even a common hex-editor.

  6. Scramdisk container files have no obvious file-headers, so you can name them anything; with any extension you want. The only vulnerable part of the container is the first (approximately) 10Kb of the file-code which initiates decryption of the container when the password is entered. This portion of the code will always accept the correct password; the vulnerability comes into play if you happen to be the victim of someone who has used a keystroke logger or some form of packet-sniffer to steal your passwords at any time you typed it into the pw dialog box. To avoid the possibilty of unauthorised access to your personal information, use SCD.exe, from the Scramdisk Toolkit to remove, and safely replace when needed, that critical 10Kb of code before storing your volumes on backup media; such as CD's and DVD's. A SCD'd volume on a CD cannot be mounted. It will have to be copied over to your chosen drive or partition, and the 'read-only' attribute reset to 'read' in the properties dialog for the file; and then use SCD.exe to merge the keyblock back; to restore it to a mountable form.

  7. There's a help-file (sort of) built into the Scramdisk utility manager...choose 'About/Most frequently asked Questions' on the toolbar to read it after you open the program.

  8. You can dismount an individual container (if you have more than one mounted) by right-clicking on it in the SD utility window and choosing 'dismount' from the right-context menu.

  9. Some hefty *.pdf files which go into more detail about the full install features of Scramdisk and DriveCrypt can be had at the DriveCrypt website and Sam Simpsons Scramdisk page.
   Good Luck!

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Fóireann spallaí do bhallaí cómh maith le clocha móra.
(Walls require spalls as well as large stones.)




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