1. Download and install Truecrypt - Go to truecrypt.org and download the latest version and follow the instructions to install it. when at the Truecrypt web site it might be a good idea to read their installation manual and learn how Truecrypt works.

2. Insert your Flash Drive and run Truecrypt - Insert your USB flash drive and run the Truecrypt program.

3. Create your volume - Click the button that says “create volume” and check the box that says “Create a standard Truecrypt” and click “next.”

4. Select your file - Create a folder and call it whatever you want and then create any name for the file and click “open” followed by “next.”

5. Choose your encryption - You can do some research on the Truecrypt site to see what to use but the selected Encrypted algorithm “AES” and Hash algorithm “RIPEMD-160” will be fine.

6. Select the size of the volume - Don’t choose the same amount of space as your flash drive because you need room for the TrueCrypt software and you may want to keep files on it that you don’t want to encrypt. For a 256 MB flash drive, I chose 100 MB.

7. Create a Password - Try to create a really good strong password with words and numbers in as random order as long as you will be able to remember. It should not be like any other password you have.

8. Format the volume - First, choose NTFS or FAT for the file system, I would choose NTFS. To get the best random encryption, you want to waive your mouse across the screen for at least 30 seconds to get the best random set of bits of data. After 30 seconds, click “format” and depending on how big the file is will be how long it takes to to format. Once the format has completed, close the volume window.

9. Mount the file - Select any free drive letter that you want, I will select T in this example. Click “select file” and select the encrypted file you formatted on your flash drive. Then go to tools and select “traveler disk set up.”

10. Create Traveler disk files - This is where you will put the files you will need to open and close youencrypted volume in any Windows operating system below Vista, Vista is much easier. At the top where it says “create traveler disk files” browse to the drive or in my case the folder in the drive. Under AutoRun configuration, select “Auto-mount Truecrypt volume” which allows you to have the choice of opening your encrypted files with your password or just browse your non encrypted files. Under Mount Settings, browse for the encrypted file you created and make sure “first available” is selected for Mount volume as drive letter. This will ensureyou don’t have a conflict with a drive already in use on another computer. Finally, click “create.”

11. Select Dismount all - Go back to the original Truecrypt window which should appear automatically after you created the drive in step 10. That is it, you are finished.

12. Use your flash drive - When you insert your USB key in a Vista machine or an XP machine depending on the user rights it will ask you to browse files or mount the TrueCrypt volume. If this is the case, you enter your password and you will have access to your files. When you are finished, go to my computer (you may notice not only the flash drive but also another drive not original to the computer which is the encrypted volume) point to your flash drive, right click and select “dismount all.”

If the autorun does not work open your flash drive and select the folder with the name Truecrypt and select the file Truecrypt. This will open up the Truecrypt software and just as in step 9, select a drive, find and mount your encrypted file. It will prompt you to enter your password and the drive you selected will be accessible when you go to my computer. When finished working with your files, make sure you save them and close the program and then open the Truecrypt program located on you flash drive and select dismount all. Your files are not encrypted.