How to Remove Encryption

Please note that TrueCrypt can in-place decrypt only system partitions and system drives (select System > Permanently Decrypt System Partition/Drive). If you need to remove encryption (e.g., if you no longer need encryption) from a non-system volume, please follow these steps:

  1. Mount the TrueCrypt volume.
  2. Move all files from the TrueCrypt volume to any location outside the TrueCrypt volume (note that the files will be decrypted on the fly).
  3. Dismount the TrueCrypt volume.
  4. If the TrueCrypt volume is file-hosted, delete it (the container) just like you delete any other file.

    If the volume is partition-hosted (applies also to USB flash drives), in addition to the steps 1–3, do the following:

    1. Right-click the Computer (or My Computer) icon on your desktop or in the Start Menu, and select Manage. The Computer Management window should appear.
    2. In the Computer Management window, from the list on the left, select Disk Management (within the Storage sub-tree).
    3. Right-click the partition you want to decrypt and select Change Drive Letter and Paths.
    4. The Change Drive Letter and Paths window should appear. If no drive letter is displayed, click Add. Otherwise, click Cancel.

      If you clicked Add, then in the Add Drive Letter or Path dialog, select a drive letter you want to assign to the partition and click OK.
    5. In the Computer Management window, right-click the partition you want to decrypt again and select Format. The Format window should appear.
    6. In the Format window, click OK. After the partition is formatted, it will no longer be required to mount it with TrueCrypt to be able to save or load files.
  5. If the volume is device-hosted (i.e., there are no partitions on the device, and the device is entirely encrypted), in addition to the steps 1–3, do the following:
    1. Right-click the Computer (or My Computer) icon on your desktop or in the Start Menu, and select Manage. The Computer Management window should appear.
    2. In the Computer Management window, from the list on the left, select Disk Management (within the Storage sub-tree).
    3. The Initialize Disk window should appear. Use it to initialize the disk.
    4. In the Computer Management window, right-click the area representing the storage space of the encrypted device and select New Partition or New Simple Volume.
    5. WARNING: Before you continue, make sure you have selected the correct device, as all files stored on it will be lost. The New Partition Wizard or New Simple Volume Wizard should now appear; follow its instructions to create a new partition on the device. After the partition is created, it will no longer be required to mount the device with TrueCrypt to be able to save or load files.