How to Convert TrueCrypt to VeraCrypt and Replace Deprecated Hash & Encryption Algorithms

[Enigma2Illusion]

See documentation below for remediation procedures.

Conversion Guide for VeraCrypt 1.26 and Later

---

NOTE: The following is documentation I wrote until the official documentation from the developer was created.

Version 1.26 and newer versions have removed support for:

• TrueCrypt Mode
• HMAC-RIPEMD-160 Hash Algorithm. The value found in the Volume Properties PKCS-5 PRF.
• GOST89 Encryption Algorithm

.
If you are getting an error when mounting volumes using 1.26 or newer version on a volume that successfully mounted on 1.25.9 or older versions, check to see if your VeraCrypt volumes are using any of the deprecated items shown above by mounting them using 1.25.9 version.

Using 1.25.9 VeraCrypt version GUI, click on the mounted volume to highlight the volume.
Then click on the button "Volume Properties" to see if the volume employs one or more of the deprecated items shown in the above list.

---

There are two scenarios:

1. You are using 1.25.9 or older version.
2. You have upgraded to the 1.26 or a newer version.

You are using 1.25.9 or older version

Use or upgrade to the 1.25.9 version to perform the remediation procedures based on your volume's properties of:

• Convert TrueCrypt Volumes to VeraCrypt Volumes
• Change from Deprecated HMAC-RIPEMD-160 Hash Algorithm
• Recreate VeraCrypt Volume if Using GOST89 Encryption Algorithm

---

You have upgraded to the 1.26 or a newer version

When using 1.26 or a newer version for the remediation procedures based on your volume's properties of:

• Convert TrueCrypt Volumes to VeraCrypt Volumes
• Change from Deprecated HMAC-RIPEMD-160 Hash Algorithm

.
Linux or Mac platforms will require you to temporarily downgrade to 1.25.9 version.

For Windows systems still supported, you can use the conversion tool VCPassChanger in the download Contribution folder.

• Recreate VeraCrypt Volume if Using GOST89 Encryption Algorithm

.
Windows, Linux and MAC platform remediation procedures will require downgrading to 1.25.9 version.

---

Convert TrueCrypt Volumes to VeraCrypt Volumes

You can convert TrueCrypt file containers and partitions to VeraCrypt if the volumes were created using TrueCrypt versions 6.x and 7.x version.

For file containers, the conversion process will not change the .tc to .hc as the file extension. You will need to manually change the .tc to .hc as the file extension if you want the VeraCrypt 1.26 or newer version to automatically populate Select File in the GUI when you click on the file container file.

https://www.veracrypt.fr/en/TrueCrypt%20Support.html

https://www.veracrypt.fr/en/Converting%20TrueCrypt%20volumes%20and%20partitions.html

From the Release Notes at the top of the page:

Note to users who created volumes with 1.17 version of VeraCrypt or earlier:

To avoid hinting whether your volumes contain a hidden volume or not, or if you depend on plausible deniability when using hidden volumes/OS, then you must recreate both the outer and hidden volumes including system encryption and hidden OS, discarding existing volumes created prior to 1.18a version of VeraCrypt.

---

Change from Deprecated HMAC-RIPEMD-160 Hash Algorithm

Use the "Set Header Key Deviation Algorithm" by pressing the button called Volume Tools to change the HMAC-RIPEMD-160 hash algorithm to a supported hash algorithm in 1.26. See documentation.

---

Recreate VeraCrypt Volume if Using GOST89 Encryption Algorithm

If you are using GOST89 encryption algorithm, you will need to copy your data elsewhere and recreate the VeraCrypt volume using a supported encryption algorithm. See documentation.

[pHneutre]

Hello,
I changed the password of my old .tc file with a 1.24 VeraCrypt on an Ubuntu. As far as I understand, this operation made it a VeraCrypt file even though its extension is still tc. Now I can open the file with that VeraCrypt version (with the new password and the TrueCrypt mode unchecked), but definitely not with a 1.26 VeraCrypt on a Windows. Any idea?
(I tried to manually change the extension to hc, nothing changed.)

[Enigma2Illusion]

Per the instructions:

Version 1.26 has removed support for TrueCrypt Mode, the RIPEMD-160 hash algorithm and the GOST89 encryption algorithm.

Is your volume using RIPEMD-160 hash algorithm and/or GOST89 encryption algorithm?

If yes, see the first post's instructions.

[tigrisek]

And what to do in case of a system partition? For some reason it's not possible to use the "Set Header Key Deviation Algorithm" option on a system partition (see issue #308) and in the "Change Password" window the field to change the algorithm is grayed as well, so how to migrate to newer VeraCrypt in such scenario?

[Enigma2Illusion]

You will have to decrypt the system drive and re-encrypted using another hash algorithm other than HMAC-RIPEMD-160.