What GPT partition type GUID should I use for a VeraCrypt partition?

I am attempting to set up a VeraCrypt partition so that it will auto-mount in Windows using the Favorites feature. However, the message I get from VeraCrypt (which is the same as what TrueCrypt use to say) is:

The volume you are adding to favorites is a partition not recognized by Windows. VeraCrypt will be unable to mount this favorite volume if the device number changes. Please set the type of the partition to a type recognized by Windows (use the SETID command of the Windows 'diskpart' tool). Then add the partition to favorites again.

That message is somewhat frustrating because it does not state what ID to use for either MBR or GPT partitions. There are certain Microsoft standard partition types that will cause the drive to attempt to automount natively in Windows, which is bad because Windows will ask to format the drive.

So I'm looking for a partition type (in GPT for my case) that will not trigger Windows to ask for formatting, but will still get a volume ID in Windows. It's also necessary that the type doesn't prevent the partition from working the same way in Linux, but I assume that Linux will naturally be less picky about it than Windows is.

Ethan T

Posted 2019-06-19T18:58:19.110

Reputation: 375

Answers

I was faced with the same problem some time ago, the solution I found is to set the type to:

Linux Reserved, GUID 8DA63339-0007-60C0-C436-083AC8230908

So to recap, make sure to dismount the partition first, then in diskpart.exe:

list disk
select disk <disk#>
list partition
select partition <part#>
setid id=8DA63339-0007-60C0-C436-083AC8230908

Hope this helps

Dalva

Posted 2019-06-19T18:58:19.110

Reputation: 123

I had the same problem today. I found Dalva's solution worked for me with slight modifications.

I had to use a different GUID, one that was "recognized by Windows". I chose

Basic data partition:
    ebd0a0a2-b9e5-4433-87c0-68b6b72699c7

Afterwards, I went to Windows "Disk Management" (in Control Center) and removed the drive letter. After that, I could add the disk as favorite in VeraCrypt an mount it.

Stefan Müller

Posted 2019-06-19T18:58:19.110

Reputation: 3

I think this one may be problematic since Windows may ask to format it, or may try to use BitLocker to encrypt it if a group policy requires that. – Ethan T – 2020-01-31T16:48:15.800

On my Windows 10, it does not ask to format it, as long as the drive letter is removed from the (encrypted) partition. The drive letter is not needed anyway, since VeraCrypt will assign a drive letter after decryption and mounting. I don't have any experience with BitLocker. I don't see added value in enabling BitLocker if the partitions are already encrypted with VeraCrypt. – Stefan Müller – 2020-02-03T11:27:53.197

It's not a matter of value add - it would literally break VeraCrypt. The problem is that in some situations, a shared group policy may require that all data partitions be encrypted, and if Windows thinks it understands a partition, it will proceed to force it to be Bitlocker-encrypted. – Ethan T – 2020-02-03T14:53:51.500