Operation Manual

118

Incompatibilities

Activation of Adobe Photoshop

and Other Products Using FLEXnet Publisher

/ SafeCast

Note: The issue described below does not affect you if you use a non-cascade encryption

algorithm (i.e., AES, Serpent, or Twofish).

The issue also does not affect you

if you do not use

pre-boot authentication (see the chapter System Encryption).

Acresso FLEXnet Publisher activation software, formerly Macrovision SafeCast, (used for activation

of third-party software, such as Adobe Photoshop) writes data to the first drive track. If this

happens when your system partition/drive is encrypted by VeraCrypt, a portion of the VeraCrypt

Boot Loader will be damaged and you will not be able to start Windows. In that case, please

use your VeraCrypt Rescue Disk to regain access to your system. There are two ways to do so:

You may keep the third-party software activated but you will need to boot your system from

the VeraCrypt Rescue Disk CD/DVD every time. Just insert your Rescue Disk into your

CD/DVD drive and then enter your password in the Rescue Disk screen.

If you do not want to boot your system from the VeraCrypt Rescue Disk CD/DVD every

time, you can restore the VeraCrypt Boot Loader on the system drive. To do so, in the

Rescue Disk screen, select Repair Options > Restore VeraCrypt Boot Loader. However,

note that this will deactivate the third-party software.

For information on how to use your VeraCrypt Rescue Disk, please see the chapter VeraCrypt

Rescue Disk.

Possible permanent solution: Decrypt the system

partition/drive, and then re-encrypt it using a

non-cascade encryption algorithm (i.e., AES, Serpent,

or Twofish).*

Please note that this not a bug in VeraCrypt (the issue is caused by inappropriate design of the

third-party activation software).

The reason is that the VeraCrypt Boot Loader is smaller than the one used for cascades of ciphers and, therefore, there

is enough space in the first drive track for a backup of the VeraCrypt Boot Loader. Hence, whenever the VeraCrypt Boot

Loader is damaged, its backup copy is run automatically instead.

It is recommended that you read also the latest online version of this chapter at:

https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=Incompatibilities