VeraCrypt creates secure containers. It can even encrypt
whole drives, but run a backup firstYour SSD may support encryption for added security –
check the specifications on the manufacturer’s website68 10 - 23 July 2019
SECURITY
Secure anSSD driveQ
I recently had my computer’s hard
drive upgradedto a solid-state drive
(SSD) and the increase in speed is
remarkable. It’s like owning a
completely a new computer!
I previously used a file shredderto
securely overwrite files when deleting
them. Will this still work on an SSD?
T Hicks, via emailstore for valuable files and data using
encryption software such as VeraCrypt
(www.veracrypt.fr).
Most PCs run Windows Home without
encryption, so if someone has access to
your PC, they can read your files.
Passwords aren’t stored as plain text on
the hard drive and will be encrypted,
even if the drive isn’t – however, you
should still change the passwords on all
your sites and services as a precaution.
A
SSDs don’t last as long as hard
drives and they spread the wear
across the whole drive by avoiding
writing the samepart over and over.
New information is written to a new part
of the drive, which is a problem if you
try overwriting a file to erase it. Don’t
use file shredderson SSDs, encrypt
them instead. In fact, the drive might
have encryption built in, so check the
specifications.This fortnightRolandhas beenfreeingup space on his cloudstorageservices, whichare perilouslycloseto beingfullAsk the Expert
Q
After an apparently random
period of time, my PC freezes and
nothing works – not even the mouse
or keyboard. I can’t even press
Ctrl+Alt+Del, and I have to hold the
power button down to turn off. I can
then restart it, but eventually it
freezes again. Any suggestions for
solving this would be appreciated.
William Doyle, via emailA
Drivers can sometimes cause
problems like this and it may be a
bug or an incompatibility. Updating an
old driver to a newer version might fix
it but, equally, the solution may be to
roll back a new driver to its previous
version. To make matters even more
complicated, there are often no clues
as to which driver is causing the
problem and you just have to work
through the most likely suspects. Our
advice is to start with the video driver.
Open the Device Manager by typing
it into the search box, then click it
when it appears. Expand ‘DisplayManager. Look at the items listed on
the Startup tab and disable anything
that isn’t essential. Right-click the
icons at the right side of the taskbar,
including those in the pop-up area,
and close anything that’s not
essential. If you’re using security
software, try disabling it or
uninstalling it and using Windows
Defenderif you have Windows 10.Prevent your PCfromfreezing
GENERAL PC
Some drivers can be rolled back to their
previous versions using Device Manageradaptors’, then right-click the adaptor
and select ‘Update driver’. If no newer
versions are found, right-click it and
select Properties. Select the Driver tab
and, if the Roll Back Driver button is
enabled, use it. This reinstalls the
previous driver from a backup Windows
has automatically made, but not all
drivers can be rolled back.
Repeat this with other common
devices, such as Bluetooth, Human
Interface Devices, ‘Mice and other
pointing devices’, Keyboards and
‘Network adapters’. Tools such as
DriverMax (www.drivermax.com) and
Driver Booster Free (bit.ly/drbo479) can
find and update many more drivers.
Software doesn’t usually make the
whole computer freeze but it’s certainly
possible. If it happens when you’re using
a particular program, try updating or
uninstalling it. Random freezing when
different programs are being used could
be down to something running in the
background.
Right-click the taskbar and select Task