VeraCrypt Rescue Disk

• If the VeraCrypt Boot Loader screen does not appear after you start your computer (or if Windows does not boot), the VeraCrypt Boot Loader may be damaged. The VeraCrypt Rescue Disk allows you restore it and thus to regain access to your encrypted system and data (however, note that you will still have to enter the correct password then). In the Rescue Disk screen, select Restore OS header keys (or Repair Options > Restore VeraCrypt Boot Loader in case of MBR legacy boot mode). Then press 'Y' to confirm the action, remove the Rescue Disk from your USB port or CD/DVD drive and restart your computer.
• If the VeraCrypt Boot Loader is frequently damaged (for example, by inappropriately designed activation software) or if you do not want the VeraCrypt boot loader to reside on the hard drive (for example, if you want to use an alternative boot loader/manager for other operating systems), you can boot directly from the VeraCrypt Rescue Disk (as it contains the VeraCrypt boot loader too) without restoring the boot loader to the hard drive. In case of EFI boot mode, just insert your Rescue Disk into a USB port, boot your computer on it and then select Boot VeraCrypt loader from rescue disk on the Rescue Disk screen. In case of MBR legacy boot mode, you need to insert the Rescue Disk in your CD/DVD drive and then enter your password in the Rescue Disk screen.
• If you repeatedly enter the correct password but VeraCrypt says that the password is incorrect, it is possible that the master key or other critical data are damaged. The VeraCrypt Rescue Disk allows you to restore them and thus to regain access to your encrypted system and data (however, note that you will still have to enter the correct password then). In the Rescue Disk screen, select Restore OS header keys (or Repair Options > Restore VeraCrypt Boot Loader in case of MBR legacy boot mode). Then enter your password, press 'Y' to confirm the action, remove the Rescue Disk from the USB port or CD/DVD drive, and restart your computer.
  
  Note: This feature cannot be used to restore the header of a hidden volume within which a hidden operating system resides (see the section Hidden Operating System). To restore such a volume header, click Select Device, select the partition behind the decoy system partition, click OK, select Tools > Restore Volume Header and then follow the instructions.
  
  WARNING: By restoring key data using a VeraCrypt Rescue Disk, you also restore the password that was valid when the VeraCrypt Rescue Disk was created. Therefore, whenever you change the password, you should destroy your VeraCrypt Rescue Disk and create a new one (select System -> Create Rescue Disk). Otherwise, if an attacker knows your old password (for example, captured by a keystroke logger) and if he then finds your old VeraCrypt Rescue Disk, he could use it to restore the key data (the master key encrypted with the old password) and thus decrypt your system partition/drive
• If Windows is damaged and cannot start after typing the correct password on VeraCrypt password prompt, the VeraCrypt Rescue Disk allows you to permanently decrypt the partition/drive before Windows starts. In the Rescue Disk screen, select Decrypt OS (or Repair Options > Permanently decrypt system partition/drive in case of MBR legacy boot mode). Enter the correct password and wait until decryption is complete. Then you can e.g. boot your MS Windows setup CD/DVD to repair your Windows installation. Note that this feature cannot be used to decrypt a hidden volume within which a hidden operating system resides (see the section Hidden Operating System).
  
  Note: Alternatively, if Windows is damaged (cannot start) and you need to repair it (or access files on it), you can avoid decrypting the system partition/drive by following these steps: If you have multiple operating systems installed on your computer, boot the one that does not require pre-boot authentication. If you do not have multiple operating systems installed on your computer, you can boot a WinPE or BartPE CD/DVD or a Linux Live CD/DVD/USB. You can also connect your system drive as a secondary or external drive to another computer and then boot the operating system installed on the computer. After you boot a system, run VeraCrypt, click Select Device, select the affected system partition, click OK , select System > Mount Without Pre-Boot Authentication, enter your pre-boot-authentication password and click OK. The partition will be mounted as a regular VeraCrypt volume (data will be on-the-fly decrypted/encrypted in RAM on access, as usual).
• In case of MBR legacy boot mode, your VeraCrypt Rescue Disk contains a backup of the original content of the first drive track (made before the VeraCrypt Boot Loader was written to it) and allows you to restore it if necessary. The first track typically contains a system loader or boot manager. In the Rescue Disk screen, select Repair Options > Restore original system loader.

If your VeraCrypt Rescue Disk is damaged, you can create a new one by selecting System > Create Rescue Disk. To find out whether your VeraCrypt Rescue Disk is damaged, insert it into a USB port (or into your CD/DVD drive in case of MBR legacy boot mode) and select System > Verify Rescue Disk.