Symantec Encryption Software

anyone that could advise on this please?

Yes but for gods sake don't do it !!!

It's available from within the hard disk module in the management console

First something to make sure your aware of, Full disk encryption only protects from off-line attacks, like a laptop is stolen, or a HD is removed. If the laptop is booted up and unlocked, and I steal it from you, I can access anything I want, you've already unlocked it. This is the same for a virus or malware, once the laptop is unlocked, and boots up, it looks like any other HD to any other program.
If speed is an issue with your fully encrypted disc's then perhaps you can select another encryption format? Perhaps move "down" from AES-256 to AES-128 or something like that?
There are also other programs you can try, and even HD's that have FDE builtinto them:
http://www.google.com/search?q=Seagate++Momentus++FDE
TrueCrypt is another application you can try once the Symantec encryption is removed
-rich

thanks guys,
@legalsrl -> what are the reasons for not recommeding this?

We are the lead UK GuardianEdge partner (now Symantec after the acquisition)

All of the UK legislation states that the whole disk must be encrypted as users will chose the easiest place to save things.....

If you're trying to boost performance, then use SSDs, Hardware Encrypted Drives or increase the memory in the devices

The only way you will achieve this is to actually create a seperate partition and force a redirect of the My Docs folder to the new partition using GPOs

Once that's done you can encrypt the separate partition, but that is going to render the Pre Boot Authentication useless....

You can do it, but I really wouldn't do it......

If you want to go down that route, then you are looking at using Bitlocker rather than the GuardianEdge piece

Cheers
Si

SSD's are a bit overkill, but if you did go SSD, do not use software to encrypt them, they have to be hardware encrypted: http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/?s=wear-leveling
A hardware encrypted traditionaly drive is typically just as if not more cost effective than an SSD, especially if you break it down to MB/TB per Dollar.

If anyone suggests EFS, I will kill them :p Also EFS does not support temp files being encrypted.
-rich

currently using the max mem on these 32bit Win XP notebooks,
u mentioned this can be done from within the HDD disk modules management console? I will check this out tonight, any instructions?

@legalsrl: I can't see a place in the MM console of SEE as to where you can encrypt only part of the drive, instructions??

For symantec, check this out -mentioned to be ok for SEE 7.0.4.

@ http://www.symantec.com/connect/forums/secondary-partition-encryption-only

This table of comparison is useful

@ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_disk_encryption_software#Layering

it's not possible to encrypt specific files and folders only on a partition,

If you look at pgp,do yourself a favor and look at free alternatives as well True Crypt and FreeOTFE, and make sure symantec knows your looking at them :)
No objections btw.
-rich