iTunes (FREE!) – Back Up iPad to Local Disk on Windows

 You need iTunes for this task.

 

The test steps – iTunes 12.13.9.1

On: Windows 11 Home

Install from Microsoft Store

1. Open Microsoft Store, then search iTunes.

It’s free. Move a mouse pointer over the label ‘Free’, that label will be changed to ‘Get’, click it.

The app will be installed on Windows.

2. When It’s done installing, Open iTunes.

Read agreement and click ‘Agree’.

The new window shows, click ‘Agree’.

 

 

Turn on your iPad and plug in to the computer.

On your iPad’s screen, tap ‘Allow’.

Wait a while, on your computer, a new small window opens, just click ‘Continue’.

On your iPad’s screen, tap ‘Trust’.

A new version of software for iPad is out, but I did not want to update it. I clicked ‘Cancel’ (See the picture above).

At the left pane of iTunes, the icon of my iPad showed.

Look at the picture above, click the icon in the circle.

A new page will open, you can back up iPad on this page.

In the picture above, I unchecked ‘Automatically sync…’

In the picture above, when I tried unchecking ‘Encrypt Local Backup’, it asked the password for unlocking encrypted backup (see the picture below).

I think it’s because I have done an encrypted backup of this iPad on the other computer.

I did not care to remember the password because it’s just testing.

I might write an article about reset password in order to clear the old password.

3. In this step I clicked a button ‘Back Up Now’

Wait while it's backing up.

When it’s done the icon will changed to ‘Eject’.

 

iTunes will store a backup folder in C:\Users\[Your Username]\Apple\MobileSync\Backup

 

 

The test steps – iTunes 12.13.9.1

On: Windows 11 Home

Install from Microsoft Store

KeepassXC - Free Password Manager | Cloud-Free Manner | Cross-Platform

I had been using Keepass for Windows for a long time, but on Linux I couldn’t open the database file, so I had to use KeepassXC.

You can store a database file in a USB drive then use it on macOS, Linux and Windows.

The test steps – KeepassXC 2.7.10

On: Windows 11 Home

Download: https://keepassxc.org/

1. Download the app from the link above, open the downloaded file.

Follow the steps on a window.

 

Open the app.

By default, you can not capture or record KeepassXC windows.

If you want to do it, go to menu ‘View’ > ‘Allow Screen Capture’

2. Click ‘Create Database’

 

Name your database.

 

Set encryption.

 

Decryption time: more time, more secure but opening the database will take longer.

I left encryption settings as a default.

 

At database credentials, I didn’t set password because I wanted to use a keyfile.

 

I clicked ‘Add additional protection…’ 

 

‘Add key file’ 

 

‘Generate’ 

 

Name your key file and select the location for it.

 

Select the location for a database file.

 

Now you will have 2 files – database file and key file (.keyx file).

3. How to open a database file.

 

Open the database file, then click ‘I have a key file’.

 

Select your key file.

 

Click ‘Unlock’

 

Windows will ask for a PIN (your login password)

4. How to create a new entry.

 

It’s so easy, just click the plus icon at the tool bar.

 

Fill in your information.

 

You can use a tool to help you generate a password.

 

You can set length and character types.

 

At the main window, right click at the left pane, you will see menus for managing group.

 

It’s free and easy to use.

The test steps – KeepassXC 2.7.10

On: Windows 11 Home

Download: https://keepassxc.org/

Encrypt Files with a Key File Free on Windows 11

 Its website says 'unbreakable one time pad file encryption'

 

A key file in this app means a file that is qualified to be used for encryption/decryption. The message in the app's window will tell you which file is.

The test steps - FinalCrypt 6.8.0
OS: Windows 11 Home
Download from the developer's website: https://www.finalcrypt.org/

1. I downloaded .msi file.

 

Opened the downloaded file, the new window showed.

 Clicked 'More info' then clicked 'Run anyway'

 The window showed progress bar.

 After it finished, FinalCrypt is ready.

2. I opened the app.

From the picture above, the left pane is for selecting files to be encrypted or decrypted, the right pane is for selecting a key file.

The message in the box tells what users can do in the next step.

From the picture above, a file 'vv.mp4' is ready to be a key file, so the message box says 'Encrypt Files'. After clicking the button 'Encrypt', the encrypted file has the extension '.bit'

If something is not updated, try refreshing by righ clicking at the left/right pane and click 'Refresh'

When a file is qualified to be a key file for decryption, the message box shows like the picture below.

You can set password too, it's optional. Password is set after pressing Enter, the app shows message 'Password (set)'

The message box shows 'Wrong Key/Pass?' when a key file is wrong or a password is wrong or both are wrong.

This app can batch encrypt files. 

If a folder is selected to be encrypted, this app will encrypt all files in that folder.

If a file is not allowed to be a key file, the message box shows 'Select Key Directory'.

In this case, try using a file that has a bigger size.

FinalCrypt on GitHub.com

 

The test steps - FinalCrypt 6.8.0
OS: Windows 11 Home
Download from the developer's website: https://www.finalcrypt.org/