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Key Drive Setup

When you subscribe to Pro tier, your encryption key is written to a physical USB drive. This process is called Key Drive provisioning and is handled by a simple wizard inside the app.

Prerequisites

  • An active Pro subscription
  • A USB flash drive — any standard USB drive works (no special hardware needed)
  • The Necron Vault Manager desktop app installed

Tip

You don't need an expensive or specialized USB drive. Any USB 2.0/3.0 flash drive will work. Using a dedicated drive is recommended — avoid sharing it with other files.

Setup Wizard

The wizard runs automatically when a Pro user launches the app without a configured Key Drive. It walks you through three simple steps:

Step 1 — Insert USB Drive

Key Drive setup wizard — insert USB drive

Insert a USB flash drive. The app detects it and shows it as an available target.

Warning

Using a dedicated USB drive is strongly recommended to avoid accidental file interaction.

Step 2 — Write Key

The wizard writes your encryption key to the USB drive. This takes just a few seconds.

Step 3 — Done

Key Drive setup wizard — complete

The Key Drive is registered with your account and ready to use. You can now create vaults, encrypt files, and take the Key Drive with you.

Upgrading from Free to Pro

If you're upgrading from Free tier, the wizard copies your existing software key to the Key Drive:

  1. Complete Pro payment
  2. Relaunch the app
  3. Insert a USB drive and follow the wizard
  4. Your existing key is copied to the Key Drive — all your vaults and encrypted files continue working

Note

After upgrading, the app uses the Key Drive exclusively. Your local software key is no longer active.

Subsequent Launches

After setup, launching the app is simple:

  1. Insert your Key Drive
  2. Launch the app
  3. The Key Drive is detected and verified — you're in

If the Key Drive isn't present, the Gatekeeper screen prompts you to insert it.

Troubleshooting

Issue Solution
Drive not detected Try a different USB port
"Subscription not active" Check your subscription on the website
Setup fails mid-write Remove and reinsert the drive, then retry
Drive appears read-only Check the physical write-protect switch on the USB drive

Security Notes

  • Never copy key files manually between drives. Use the Backup Key Drive wizard to create authorized copies.
  • If you lose a Key Drive, deactivate it from your account immediately.

Next Steps