File Share Encryption

Trying to test Symantec Desktop Encryption for a project and running into an issue.  We are wanting to encrypt a portion of an external drive to load data onto and send to a vendor.  I have a 3TB external drive that I've partitioned to 500GB and formatted with NTFS.  I installed the Symantec Desktop Encryption software and have followed the instructions for creating PGP virtual disk volumes in the quickstart guide.  I am able to get through the process just to the end where it is finishing encyrpting the virtual disk volume when the trouble starts.  A DOS window opens up, then closes without me being able to view what is in the box.  After the box goes away, the process ends with no errors, BUT, when I try to open the new virtual encrypted disk, I get a Windows popup telling me I  have to format the disk before I can use it.  If I try to go ahead and format (which I'm sure isn't what needs done) I get a Windows box saying it can't complete the format.  If I click cancel to not format, I still can't open the virtual encrypted disk.  Any ideas as to what is going on?

Bill

Bill,

The window should have done something like this:

If this part did not complete, it didn't get properly formatted.  It is possible that it did complete and just went quickly, but from how it is behaving now, I would guess it did not.

In Symantec Encryption Desktop, does the disk show up under 'PGP Disk'?  If so, when you click on it, do you get the option to mount it in the top right of the application?

Try to make a new virtual disk.  Choose NTFS as the format and Expandable under Capacity.  See what results you get.  If you attempt to create a fixed size disk, it might have had an issue formatting that much space.

I tried another external disk, this time a 1TB unit and it worked like it was supposed to.  I did see that DOS box similar to what you posted and I was able to open the virtual encrypted drive and copy files in and out of it just fine.  SED must not like the 3TB drives I was trying to use.  I had even taken one of them and re-partitioned it to a smaller size but didn't work.  Oh well, it's working now and I can continue testing.  Thanks!