VeraCrypt

ApplicationIDRIX

Also called vera crypt, truecrypt fork

IDRIXSecurity

A disk encryption fork of TrueCrypt. The window is VeraCrypt.exe. It is not BitLocker.

What you need to know

VeraCrypt.exe is the TrueCrypt fork. BitLocker is the Windows feature.

VeraCrypt mounts encrypted containers and can encrypt a system disk. BitLocker is built into many Windows Pro PCs. TrueCrypt is the ended parent. They are not the same unlock story.

What is it?: TrueCrypt fork for encrypted volumes
Same as BitLocker?: No. Different product and unlock
TrueCrypt still OK?: TrueCrypt ended. VeraCrypt is the fork

Feex says

If you wanted BitLocker, I would open Windows Settings, not VeraCrypt.exe. If you have a TrueCrypt container, VeraCrypt is the maintained fork. I would not encrypt C: with both.

What is VeraCrypt?

VeraCrypt is a TrueCrypt fork for encrypted containers and system disks. VeraCrypt.exe is the Windows UI. BitLocker is Microsoft's in-box feature.

If you have never used it

If you want a TrueCrypt-style container or system encrypt, this is VeraCrypt, not BitLocker. Download it from veracrypt.fr/en/Downloads.html. VeraCrypt.exe creates volumes you mount as a drive letter. BitLocker is the Windows feature on Pro editions. They can both exist. Do not encrypt the same volume twice without a plan.

What is it used for?

Encrypted file containers

A container file mounts as a letter. BitLocker usually encrypts a whole volume Windows already has.

System encryption

VeraCrypt can encrypt the OS disk. That is a different pre-boot path than BitLocker TPM unlock.

Hidden volumes

A VeraCrypt layout TrueCrypt users know. BitLocker has no this hidden-volume model.

Who is it for?

People moving off TrueCrypt
Users who want a container file, not BitLocker on C:
Anyone on Windows Home who does not have BitLocker

Current status

Actively maintained. This article is VeraCrypt for Windows, not BitLocker.

How old is it?

VeraCrypt forked TrueCrypt in 2013 after TrueCrypt ended. Current Windows builds are VeraCrypt. A 2012 TrueCrypt 7.1a installer is the abandoned parent, not this app.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

VeraCrypt Windows

TrueCrypt 7.1a (legacy parent)

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	Windows 10 or Windows 11, per current VeraCrypt downloads
RAM	Light UI. Encryption cost follows disk I/O

Resource profile

CPU demand: On every encrypted read and write
Disk demand: The container or the encrypted volume

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
VeraCrypt.exe	VeraCrypt UI. Not BitLocker
veracrypt-x64.exe	Helper on some installs

Startup components

Mounted volumes can remount at logon if you saved a favorite. System encryption starts before Windows.

File locations

Common VeraCrypt locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\VeraCrypt\

File formats

VeraCrypt containerTrueCrypt container (legacy)

Common problems

BitLocker plus VeraCrypt on the same C:

Two full-disk products is how people lose a boot. Pick one system-encryption owner.

Lost header or password

There is no Microsoft account reset for a VeraCrypt volume. Backups of the header matter.

Getting unstuck

Download only from veracrypt.fr

A "TrueCrypt 2026" host is not IDRIX. BitLocker has no this installer.

Mount the container in VeraCrypt.exe, not by double-clicking in Explorer

Explorer does not know the volume until VeraCrypt mounts it.

If Windows already shows BitLocker on, do not add VeraCrypt system encrypt

Ask which product owns C: before you reboot into a second pre-boot password.

Alternatives

BitLocker if you want the Windows feature on a supported edition. This is not an antivirus and not a VPN.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	www.veracrypt.fr/en/Downloads.html Official installer or vendor page
Help	www.veracrypt.fr/en/Documentation.html Vendor support
Official site	www.veracrypt.fr/en/Home.html Start here, not a random exe host

Related hardware

Encryption uses CPU on disk I/O. An SSD still helps. A TPM story is BitLocker's, not VeraCrypt's default model.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

VeraCrypt official site · Vendor product page
VeraCrypt help · Vendor support
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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