The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    M11x R2 + TrueCrypt = POST fail

    Discussion in 'Alienware M11x' started by pcPhr34k, Jan 20, 2011.

  1. pcPhr34k

    pcPhr34k Newbie

    Reputations:
    10
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Has anyone here tried to perform a full hard disk encryption with TrueCrypt on their Alienware M11x R2? Every time I perform a full disk encryption, the laptop will not POST. If I remove the hard drive, the laptop POSTs without issue (minus the warnings on lack of bootable media.)

    I can remove the hard drive, connect it to another computer, format it, replace the drive and it will POST just fine. But once the hard drive is fully encrypted (a two hour+ operation) it refuses to POST.

    I am still running A03 version of the BIOS and update to A04 tonight.

    Thanks guys!
     
    pcPhr34k, Jan 20, 2011
    #1
  2. slickie88

    slickie88 Master of Puppets

    Reputations:
    973
    Messages:
    2,566
    Likes Received:
    7
    Trophy Points:
    56
    SurfXombie has been running TrueCrypt for some time now. I looked into getting it going on mine, but haven't bothered to yet.
     
    slickie88, Jan 20, 2011
    #2
  3. pcPhr34k

    pcPhr34k Newbie

    Reputations:
    10
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    OP here...

    So i resolved the issue. Problem is, I don't know what fixed it.

    Three changes were made:
    1.) Updated to the A04 BIOS released yesterday. I did this first.
    2.)Dell/Alienware sent me a replacement hard drive. I called about this issue and they determined the HDD was bad (it was not, but w/e.) The drive is a Seagate, my original is a Hitachi.
    3.) For my test on the replacement hard drive/new bios, I gave Windows 7 only 25GB of the 320GB drive. This was to speed up the encryption process (30min vs 2+ hours.) Then I expanded the Windows partition through Disk Manager.

    TL;DR: I fixed it, but played fast and loose with troubleshooting...

    Now I am happy. The laptop rocks and now meets my security needs (yes, read that as paranoid :p )
     
    pcPhr34k, Jan 20, 2011
    #3
  4. CapnBoost

    CapnBoost Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    51
    Messages:
    162
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    I only encrypt my VMs
     
    CapnBoost, Jan 20, 2011
    #4
  5. roxxor

    roxxor Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    172
    Messages:
    587
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    I can understand encrypting VMs or hidden partitions with another OS (as then the unencrypted OS serves as a "decoy" OS), but I don't get the point of encrypting the whole drive. Can someone explain to me how that would provide more security than a BIOS password?
     
    roxxor, Jan 21, 2011
    #5
  6. NismoCOB

    NismoCOB Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    23
    Messages:
    43
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    I've got my whole drive encrypted with truecrypt.
    I dont want my data visible to anyone if my laptop gets stolen. Bios password doesen't save you from someone removing your disk and attach it it somewhere else.
     
    NismoCOB, Jan 21, 2011
    #6
  7. roxxor

    roxxor Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    172
    Messages:
    587
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Of course, that makes sense. :eek:

    According to my reading, on a mounted encrypted volume, when you read/write files they're decrypted/encrypted on the fly. How does this affect system performance?
     
    roxxor, Jan 21, 2011
    #7
  8. NismoCOB

    NismoCOB Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    23
    Messages:
    43
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    On the R2 not much as the i7 supports truecrypt hardware based.
    And if you own a ssd, you wont notice any decrease in performance.
    Games are running fast as ever.
     
    NismoCOB, Jan 21, 2011
    #8
  9. kent1146

    kent1146 Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    2,354
    Messages:
    4,449
    Likes Received:
    476
    Trophy Points:
    151
    You can pull a hard drive out of a laptop with a BIOS password, plug it into another machine (or an external USB enclosure), and access all of the data.

    If you had data on that drive that was so valuable that you had to protect it, a BIOS password alone wouldn't be enough security.
     
    kent1146, Jan 21, 2011
    #9
  10. roxxor

    roxxor Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    172
    Messages:
    587
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Yes, I got that the first time it was explained. ;)

    I was thinking more along the lines of how can you protect the data while being extorted.
     
    roxxor, Jan 21, 2011
    #10
  11. kent1146

    kent1146 Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    2,354
    Messages:
    4,449
    Likes Received:
    476
    Trophy Points:
    151
    Ah, my bad.

    I read posts in-order, and hit the "reply" button far too quickly - before I read through the entire discussion thread.
     
    kent1146, Jan 21, 2011
    #11
  12. pcPhr34k

    pcPhr34k Newbie

    Reputations:
    10
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Aaaaaaaagreed.

    I have ran TrueCrypt on everything I own and so far I don't even notice it (after booting anyways.)
     
    pcPhr34k, Jan 24, 2011
    #12
  13. surfxombie

    surfxombie Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    61
    Messages:
    304
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Sorry but I don't have any answers to the problem. I encrypted only the system partition as I wanted to retain the factory reset partition.

    Some of the other questions in the thread and points:

    Having your disk encrypted protects the data on it, while having a bios password protects the bios and your HD can still be read in another PC.

    The i5/i7 CPUs support hardware AES support which really makes disk encryption run with minimal overhead... like 20x faster than software.

    I have upgraded to Win7 Ultimate so could switch to Bitlocker, however, I have had zero problems with TC.

    I also run it on my HP311 netbook, that's an Atom N270, and hardly notice it except for recovery from hibernation.
     
    surfxombie, Jan 24, 2011
    #13
  14. CapnBoost

    CapnBoost Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    51
    Messages:
    162
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    You can't. If an attacker has access to your hardware and your hardware is powered on simply consider your data compromised.

    http://citp.princeton.edu/pub/coldboot.pdf

    Your data is more secure a few minutes after your computer is powered off.
     
    CapnBoost, Jan 24, 2011
    #14
  15. DigitalNinja

    DigitalNinja Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    164
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Sorry for asking such a noob question, but what process would I have to go through to get truecrpt working on my m11x? I like to fool around with stuff and have always been fasinated by disk encrpytion but I don't know much about it...
     
    DigitalNinja, Jan 24, 2011
    #15
  16. slickie88

    slickie88 Master of Puppets

    Reputations:
    973
    Messages:
    2,566
    Likes Received:
    7
    Trophy Points:
    56
    slickie88, Jan 24, 2011
    #16
  17. pcPhr34k

    pcPhr34k Newbie

    Reputations:
    10
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    One thing that I cannot stress enough: BACKUP YOUR DATA BEFORE DOING THIS! You never know what will happen.

    Bonus points if you encrypt your backups. :D
     
    pcPhr34k, Jan 26, 2011
    #17
  18. minnus

    minnus Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    22
    Messages:
    243
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    31
    I wish I had noticed this thread first. I am having the same issue. I applied whole disk encryption using TrueCrypt on my 60GB Vertex 2. Now the laptop refuses to POST.

    I already have A04.

    I have the same symptoms in that if I remove the SSD, it POSTs fine :(
     
    minnus, Feb 28, 2011
    #18
  19. The_Real_b13

    The_Real_b13 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    1
    Messages:
    86
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    The_Real_b13, Feb 28, 2011
    #19
  20. minnus

    minnus Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    22
    Messages:
    243
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    31
    In the off-chance that someone has the same issue, and does not wish to reformat ~ I inserted a non-encrypted drive into the laptop, turned it on, enter the boot menu, replaced the hard drive with the encrypted hard drive while the laptop was still on, and continued to boot. I then promptly decrypted the drive. To further re-enforce what the OP said, the solution was to only do a partial encryption, or ~ create a small OS partition, encrypt, and then expand the partition. The newly added space will not be encrypted, but I believe that everything onward will be? I will have to verify at some point.

    Excuse the cluster, I am in a hurry, but felt the need to post this, lol.
     
    minnus, Mar 1, 2011
    #20
  21. trias10

    trias10 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    26
    Messages:
    160
    Likes Received:
    11
    Trophy Points:
    31
    I just bought a brand new M11x R2 and encrypted the drive last night. This morning it won't post. This is immensely odd. I own 2 other laptops (one an Alienware) and encrypted them both with no issue in the past.

    Could it be possible that this problem is caused by encrypting the host-protected regions of the drive when doing a full system encrypt?
     
    trias10, Apr 20, 2011
    #21
  22. trias10

    trias10 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    26
    Messages:
    160
    Likes Received:
    11
    Trophy Points:
    31
    SOLVED IT!

    I pulled out the encrypted HD, powered on, entered BIOS menu. I switched the HD type from AHCI to ATA.

    Turned off, placed the encrypted HD back in the laptop, booted up fine, no issue.

    So, in summary, apparently, AHCI + Truecrypt do not work together at all in the m11x R2.
     
    trias10, Apr 20, 2011
    #22