Installing Windows on a Secondary Physical Drive for Bare Metal OS Testing
In this article, we will discuss how to install Windows on a secondary physical drive using Veracrypt for bare metal OS testing. This process will allow you to dual-boot your computer and test different operating systems without affecting your primary Windows installation.
What is Veracrypt?
Veracrypt is an open-source disk encryption software that supports multiple encryption algorithms, including AES, TwoFish, Serpent, and Camellia. It can create a virtual encrypted disk within a file or encrypt a whole partition or drive. Veracrypt is a successor to TrueCrypt and is widely used for data security and privacy.
Why Use Veracrypt for Installing Windows on a Secondary Physical Drive?
Veracrypt can create a hidden encrypted operating system within the secondary physical drive. This feature allows you to test different operating systems without revealing the existence of the hidden OS to unauthorized users. Additionally, Veracrypt provides plausible deniability, which means that if someone forces you to reveal the password, you can deny the existence of the hidden OS.
Prerequisites
Before we begin, make sure you have the following:
- A secondary physical drive with enough space to install Windows
- A Windows installation media (USB or DVD)
- Veracrypt installed on your primary Windows drive
Steps to Install Windows on a Secondary Physical Drive Using Veracrypt
- Connect the secondary physical drive to your computer.
- Launch Veracrypt and select "Create Volume" from the main menu.
- Select "Encrypt a non-system partition/drive" and click "Next".
- Select "Standard Veracrypt volume" and click "Next".
- Select the secondary physical drive from the list and click "Next".
- Choose the encryption algorithm and hash algorithm and click "Next".
- Set the volume size and click "Next".
- Enter the password and click "Next".
- Select "Format" and click "Next". Veracrypt will format the secondary physical drive and create an encrypted volume.
- Once the formatting is complete, restart your computer and boot from the Windows installation media.
- Select the language and click "Next".
- Click "Install now" and accept the license agreement.
- Select the custom installation option and click "Next".
- Select the secondary physical drive and click "Next". Windows will install on the secondary physical drive.
- Once the installation is complete, restart your computer and boot from the primary Windows drive.
- Launch Veracrypt and select "Mount Volume" from the main menu.
- Select the secondary physical drive and enter the password.
- The encrypted volume will appear as a drive letter in My Computer. You can now install the operating system of your choice within the encrypted volume.
In this article, we have discussed how to install Windows on a secondary physical drive using Veracrypt for bare metal OS testing. By following the steps outlined above, you can create a hidden encrypted operating system within the secondary physical drive and test different operating systems without affecting your primary Windows installation. Veracrypt provides plausible deniability and data security, making it an ideal choice for dual-booting your computer.