Note: For this tutorial I assume you know how to download software
from the Internet. The process is the same for music, movies, pictures. I also
assume you know how to install new software/applications to your computer.
We will use a FREE "password management" program during this tutorial called
Password Agent Lite. Password Agent Lite can be used
to automatically generate and securely store your passwords. You will use it to
create and store the password needed to secure the Cryptainer vault/volume you
create. Password Agent Lite automatically encrypts and protects your list of
passwords when not in use. I've written a brief tutorial on how
to use Password Agent Lite. Please download and
install Password Agent Lite BEFORE you begin this tutorial. You may also want to
review my tutorial "Create Strong Passwords".
* If you have not already done so, please
download and install Cryptainer. The "volume" creation wizard
begins as soon as Cryptainer's installation process completes. Think of a Cryptainer
"volume" as a container/vault in which you can store your important computer
files/information/data. Everything within a Cryptainer volume is protected with
encryption. This tutorial will guide you through creating your first Cryptainer
volume. The tutorial was written on a computer running Windows XP. However, the
steps I outline should provide sufficient guidance to those of you running other
versions of Microsoft's Windows.
Create A Vault/Container
During the first section of this tutorial you will need to choose a name for both
the Cryptainer volume you create and the name (volume label) used to identify
your encrypted volume within "My Computer". For this tutorial I have assigned
"MyStuff" as the name of both the encrypted volume and the volume label/name in
"My Computer". Let's create our first encrypted volume/vault.
Cryptainer should still be running/open after your installation. You should see
the "Specify Cryptainer Volume Details" dialog box (see following image). You can
also reach this dialog box by clicking "Tools" > "Additional Cryptainer Volumes..." >
then the "New Volume" button. Click the "Browse" button and a new dialog
box will open. Using this dialog box we will choose a place to both store
and name your encrypted volume. Once it is created your encrypted volume will
appear as a single file.
