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Big Hidden volume NTFS or EXFAT on a partition/device ?

Technical Topics
infodan36
2020-03-04
2020-03-05

  • infodan36

    infodan36 - 2020-03-04

    Hi

    A very important choice I have to make between NTFS or EXFAT
    for setting a Hidden volume on my brand new SD card device which is a 512 GB,

    I need to have 98% of it, hidden....
    so I need to make my choice for the right allocation table between NTFS or EXFAT,
    I need crossplatform compatibility with Linux and Windows as well
    (I would rather have NTFS if possible)

    Can the hidden volume be bigger than 50% of the total size of the device ?
    Indeed this is unclear to me since
    the NTFS file system always stores internal data exactly in the middle of the volume.

    Does it really matter or not,
    if it is bigger than 50% of the total size of the volume,
    Will it work though ??

    THANKS A LOT

     

  • Adrian Kentleton

    Adrian Kentleton - 2020-03-05

    You need to format the outer volume FAT or exFAT to prevent its file table being created in the middle of the outer volume, thereby restricting the space for the hidden volume to half the total size of the outer volume, since it would need to be created after the outer volume's file table.

    The hidden volume can then be almost the size of the outer volume, and can be formatted NTFS, since where its file table is located is irrelevant.

     

    Last edit: Adrian Kentleton 2020-03-05

  • infodan36

    infodan36 - 2020-03-05

    Thank you very much Adrian,

    you are much more knowledgeable than me ;)

     

  • Philip Smith

    Philip Smith - 2020-03-05

    infodan36 - Do you realize if you have a hidden portion 98% of the total size it is going to look awful suspicious to LE or customs etc.

     

  • infodan36

    infodan36 - 2020-03-05

    Philip Smith,

    that's why there is the plausible deny ability....:)

     

  • infodan36

    infodan36 - 2020-03-05

    I have noticed something different (wheter you are on Linux or on Windows)

    When choosing to create a Hidden Volume Partition/Device,
    => On Linux, the whole process of encrypting requires only ONCE to choose the file system,
    (the Outer Volume is not asked...., the Hidden volume ONLY is asked to provide the file system...)

    So I was wondering what the file system was by default for the Outer Volume....

    When I mount the Outer Volume, and by checking with the DISKS app on Linux,
    it clearly shows FAT (whatever and no matter the choice of file system for the Hidden volume, the Outer volume remains always FAT....)

    So according to the above,

    Should I be ok with my 98% NTFS Hidden Volume Partition, knowing the Outer Volume (the Shell) has been given the FAT table by default ??

    => On a Live Windows PE, it seems to me :
    you can choose None File System and then after you can format with whatever file system you want (aside from Exfat which is not shown),
    ....probably at least for the Outer volume.....,
    I will do more resarch for the Hidden Volume

     

  • Adrian Kentleton

    Adrian Kentleton - 2020-03-05

    exFAT support is not built-in to Linux; you have to add it. See this website: https://itsfoss.com/mount-exfat/.

     

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