Patent ID: 8417969

Claim:
A method implemented in a computing device, the method comprising: accessing an encrypted storage volume having been encrypted using an encryption technique supported by some operating systems but not by other operating systems; if the encryption technique is unsupported by an operating system of the computing device, then: identifying an access application on the encrypted storage volume; executing the access application, the access application allowing the computing device to access encrypted data files stored in a first portion of the encrypted storage volume; accessing a file directory in a second portion of the encrypted storage volume, the file directory identifying locations of one or more files in the second portion as well as locations of multiple cover files in the first portion that include the encrypted data files; and the access application accessing a protected file directory in the first portion, the protected file directory being stored across two or more of the multiple cover files and identifying locations of the encrypted data files in the first portion; and if the encryption technique is supported by the operating system of the computing device, then: the operating system allowing the computing device to bypass the access application and access the encrypted data files stored on the encrypted storage volume.