How can I password-protect my external hard drive?

Is there any software for protecting my external hard disk from someone else using it?
I stay in a hostel and I really don't want someone else to view my personal files. Is there any way of encrypting it so that only I can use my hard disk?

 

I believe you should worry about hardware theft first.


Hard drive encryption tool: TrueCrypt - Free Open-Source On-The-Fly Disk Encryption Software for Windows 7/Vista/XP, Mac OS X and Linux (full open source, been peer-reviewed for god knows how many times)

This kind of solution won't protect you from cold boot attacks, hardware key loggers and some other techniques. But for normal people it's already an overkill.

 

If you have Win 7 Ultimate BitLocker is built into your OS

 

I'm smiling after reading your first line. I trust my batch mates, but dont want them to upload virus and other into my hard disk. I want it to be personal.
Thanks for the Link, Mr.Koala!

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I am using Home Premium, hence will be going with TrueCrypt. Thanks anyways!

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The software is amazing! Suited best to my needs! Thank You.
+rep

 

I took your advice and the software was flawless. But I can no longer use it to copy files from someone else's computer. I'm guessing he should have truecrypt installed. Is there any way around it?

 

Did you TrueCrypt a removable disk or a hard disk?

If you encrypted a full removable disk, there's no way around it. If you only encrypt a container/folder the rest of the file system would be untouched.

If you encrypted your local hard drive, copying files from removable medias or network should not run into any issue.

 

You can put truecrypt on the drive and run it from there, but you will need administrator privileges in order to use the flash drive on a computer without truecrypt installed on it.