Documentation Main Program Window Mounting Volumes

# Mounting VeraCrypt Volumes

If you have not done so yet, please read the sections ‘Mount‘ and ‘Auto-Mount Devices‘ in the chapter Main Program Window.

### Cache Password in Driver Memory

This option can be set in the password entry dialog so that it will apply only to that particular mount attempt. It can also be set as default in the Preferences. For more information, please see the section Settings -> Preferences, subsection Cache passwords in driver memory.

### Mount Options

Mount options affect the parameters of the volume being mounted. The Mount Options dialog can be opened by clicking on the Mount Options button in the password entry dialog. When a correct password is cached, volumes are automatically mounted after you click Mount. If you need to change mount options for a volume being mounted using a cached password, hold down the Control (Ctrl) key while clicking Mount or a favorite volume in the Favorites menu, or select Mount with Options from the Volumes menu.
Default mount options can be configured in the main program preferences (Settings -> Preferences).

#### Filesystem mount options under Linux

Under Linux, the Mount Options dialog also contains a Mount options field for filesystem mount options. The value entered there is passed to the system `mount` command with `-o` when the filesystem inside the VeraCrypt volume is mounted. For example, entering `noatime` prevents Linux from updating inode access times on filesystems that support this option, reducing metadata writes caused only by file access. Multiple options can be specified as a comma-separated list, for example `noatime,nosuid,nodev`. Unsupported options are handled by the operating system and may cause mounting to fail.

The Linux preference Mount NTFS volumes with an in-kernel Linux driver is disabled by default. When enabled and no explicit filesystem type was supplied, VeraCrypt probes the decrypted virtual device with `blkid -p` and mounts detected NTFS filesystems with an available in-kernel NTFS driver instead of the default NTFS backend. VeraCrypt uses `ntfs` when it is positively identified as a modern read/write driver or expected on Linux 7.1 or later, and otherwise uses `ntfs3`. Mount helpers such as `mount.ntfs` and `ntfs-3g` are bypassed. If NTFS detection fails, VeraCrypt uses the normal automatic filesystem selection. If no supported in-kernel NTFS driver is available or loadable, mounting fails. On the command line, `--filesystem=ntfs3` pins the in-kernel ntfs3 driver, `--filesystem=kernel-ntfs` forces VeraCrypt's kernel-driver selection for an NTFS mount, and `-m kernelntfs` enables the detected-NTFS selection for the current mount. The `ntfs3` and `kernel-ntfs` filesystem selectors are mount-only; use `NTFS` when creating a new NTFS volume. This opt-in option can help on systems where suspend or hibernation can hang if user-space FUSE filesystems such as `ntfs-3g`/`fuseblk` are frozen while the kernel is syncing filesystems. The actual mounted filesystem type can be checked with `findmnt`.

The command line equivalent is `veracrypt --fs-options=noatime <volume> <mountpoint>`.

#### Mount volume as read-only

When checked, it will not be possible to write any data to the mounted volume.

#### Mount volume as removable medium

See section Volume Mounted as Removable Medium.

#### Use backup header embedded in volume if available

All volumes created by VeraCrypt contain an embedded backup header (located at the end of the volume). If you check this option, VeraCrypt will attempt to mount the volume using the embedded backup header. Note that if the volume header is damaged, you do not have to use this option. Instead, you can repair the header by selecting Tools > Restore Volume Header.

#### Mount partition using system encryption without pre-boot authentication

Check this option, if you need to mount a partition that is within the key scope of system encryption without pre-boot authentication. For example, if you need to mount a partition located on the encrypted system drive of another operating system that is not running. This can be useful e.g. when you need to back up or repair an operating system encrypted by VeraCrypt (from within another operating system). Note that this option can be enabled also when using the ‘Auto-Mount Devices’ or ‘Auto-Mount All Device-Hosted Volumes’ functions.

#### Hidden Volume Protection

Please see the section Protection of Hidden Volumes Against Damage.