got a memory stick, want to secure it

[unwashed potato!]

i finally got me a memory stick, the 8gb one from ocuk, to use for school and
i'm a little concerned that i may one day loose it and someone could find all my files etc and i'd be screwed.

so im after some software to really really protect it, so not just password the files but the whole thing making it completely un-usable until the password is entered and no way of getting round it, for instance if someoen finds it they can't just delete everything on the stick and start again with it.

thanks

also i want to put programs like firefox and xampp on it, do i need special version of these or can i simply copy the folder across from pc to stick and they will work?

 

[unwashed potato!]

snip...

thanks for that, the device actually had truecrypt installer on it so i've installed that and added password protection for the whole device, said it will take just over 2 hours but should be worth it.

thanks for the link, i've downloaded a load of stuff to put on when it's done with the encryption. is there anyway to put ms office on it or is the only portable software openoffice?

how do i get all the bookmarks and extensions i currently use on my firefox onto the memory stick?

[edit]

ok it finally has finished encrypting it but i think i have done something wrong. when it finished it displayed a message which i didn't really understand but was about howit can't be given the letter H which it currently has or something like that. anyway i unplugged the stick plugged it back in and tried to access it via my computer but instead of asking for password which i thought it would it says the device is not formatted and would i like to now. why is it doing this? have i done it compltely wrong and need to start again or am i just missing a small thing out to complete the encryption?

thanks

 

[unwashed potato!]

ok well i am really confused. i tried making a volume using TrueCrypt that is 100mb in size and has the password "hello". i then some reason mounted the volume to i drive firugring that what would happen is now i'd have a "folder" which asks for a password when you try to look into it but it doesn't, it lets me put files in it ike normal without a password.

also not sure how this would then be put onto a usb stick? and how it would then be useable on other pcs?

[edit]

ok i think im starting to understand how this works. so bascially i have created a file which is unreable which stores anything i put into it, however i can't put anything into it without mounting it by using truecrypt which requires a password before it can be mounted. this seems secure but a very long winded way of protecting the information. is there no way i can just assign a password to the usb stick so when its plugged in if the user clicks to view the device a pop up screen asks for a password and wont let the user past until it has it?

 

[unwashed potato!]

It can be a little long winded. There is a way of getting trucypt to work without needing softare. I've never tried it but the documentation outlines it.

thanks will look into it. i am starting to come around to the id of it though, seems much more secure then just password protection.

thanks for all the help guys

 

[unwashed potato!]

I think there may be an issue here... I remember seeing you wanted to use it for school, IIRC you cannot use Truecrypt on a 'limited' windows account if the Truecrypt software is not installed on the host i.e. you are running it in traveller mode off the stick.

well atm i am using truecrypt on laptop and pc and neither of them have it installed on the harddrive but are running it off the usb so i just run the .exe and then mount file. is that the problem i can't mount on a limited user account or can i not even run truecrypt at all?