My key was private, at least that is what it popped up as when I click PGP KEYS, then select Private Keys. So after I mount the disk, to keep it inaccessible I have to unmount it, AND clear passphrase caches.Is that right?
Your key showing in Private Keys means that you have both the private and public components to your key. Encryption is to the public portion (public key), which can then be decrypted by the private portion (private key).
Yes, if your private key's passphrase remains cached, anyone with access to your computer can mount the virtual disk. If you are just using that key for the virtual disk, and you don't want to bother with purging your passphrase, you can go to the General tab of PGP Options, and set the caching of your passphrase to be just for a short amount of time, such as one minute.
So while my computor is on it is encrypted, but accessible to other unless I do the above? But when I shut down the computer and restart it it is not accessible via PGP desktop or the PGP New Disk1.pgp on the subfile folder until a passphrase is entered. Right?
This is correct.
I think I am confused about the location of the PGP New Disk1.pgp.
Here is how I set it up. C:users/David/My Documents/Clinical Practice/PGP New Disk1.pgp
This placed a virtual disk on drive G:/ that I can mount or dismount. Then I copied the /Clinical Practice folder to the G:/
Should I have located the PGP New Disk1.pgp higher up like in the document folder so it did not copy to the G:/ with the Clinicial Practice folder?
You can place the virtual disk file where ever you wish. Any folder you copy to the mounted virtual disk will be copied to the virtual disk along with any subfolders it contains. If you want to use your virtual disk to encrypt your Clinical Practice folder, make sure the virtual disk file itself is not in one of that folder or its subfolders, and then copy or move the Clinical Practice folder to the mounted virtual disk. Of course, if you copy the folder, it is only the copy that will be encrypted.
When I back it up. Do you think it will back up in this encrypted virtual disk format to a cloud server without all the technical problems noted in the documents you previously referenced in the thread, as long as I have not encrytped the whole disk?
If your virtual disk is not mounted, the virtual disk file will be included in any backup just in its encrypted state. If it is mounted and you back up the virtual disk itself, the files will not be encrypted.
If not, how do I create a back up on a thumb drive? Do I copy folders on the G:/ drive to a thumb drive as is. Are they encrypted? Do I need to create a virtual disk on the thumb drive?
You can securely back up a Virtual disk by just copying this unmounted "container" file to where ever you wish. If you want an unencrypted backup, you can mount the virtual disk file, and then copy what ever folders or files you want to what ever location you wish.