Operating System
Windows 10/11 or macOS 10.14+
Storage
500MB free space
USB Drive
8GB+ recommended (USB 3.0 or higher)
RAM
4GB minimum, 8GB recommended
Internet
Required ONLY for initial download
 

Windows Installation #

• Download XColdPro
• Download: XColdPro-Windows-v1.0.exe
• SHA-256: [Verify hash on website]
• Prepare USB Drive
• Insert USB drive (8GB+ recommended)
• Format as NTFS or ExFAT
• Create folder: \XColdPro\
• Install to USB
• Copy XColdPro-Windows-v1.0.exe to USB:\XColdPro\
• Right-click → “Run as Administrator”
• Select USB drive as installation location
• Installation creates:
• USB:\XColdPro\
  • ├── XColdPro.exe (Main executable)
  • ├── xcold.ico
  • ├── _internal\ (Python runtime)
  • └── autorun.inf (Auto-launch config)
• Verify Installation
• Disconnect from internet
• Run XColdPro.exe from USB
• Confirm offline mode indicator

macOS Installation #

• Download XColdPro
• Download: XColdPro-macOS-v1.0.dmg
• SHA-256: [Verify hash on website]
• Prepare External Drive
• Connect USB/external drive
• Format as APFS or ExFAT
• Create folder: /Volumes/USB/XColdPro/
• Install to External Drive
• Mount DMG file
• Drag XColdPro.app to USB drive
• Eject DMG
• First run: Right-click → Open (bypass Gatekeeper)
• Security Settings
• System Preferences → Security & Privacy
• Allow XColdPro to run
• Grant disk access permissions if prompted

⚠ Critical Security Reminder
Even though XColdPro remains mathematically 99.9999999% unbreachable, we strongly recommend:
❌ NEVER install XColdPro on your computer’s internal hard drive!
Hard drives are always connected → always vulnerable
System drives generate logs, temp files, and swap files
Deleted files can often be recovered with forensic tools
Malware has constant access to always-connected storage
✅ For maximum security, XColdPro must be operated exclusively from removable media (USB drives, external SSDs, or SD cards) that remain physically disconnected when not in use.

Supported File Systems & USB Drive Compatibility #

XColdPro BootVault ensures full interoperability across all major operating systems, supporting the most widely used file systems for USB-based cold storage. The Python-based executable runs natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux, enabling seamless read/write operations where supported.

Windows Support #

NTFS – Default Windows file system, full read/write.
FAT32 – Legacy USB drives; limited to 4GB max file size.
ExFAT – Modern USB file system, optimal for cross-platform use.
ReFS – Supported on Windows Server environments.

macOS Support #

APFS – Default macOS file system since 2017.
HFS+ – Legacy macOS file system.
FAT32 – Legacy, still supported for cross-platform compatibility.
ExFAT – Fully supported, recommended for cross-platform drives.
NTFS – Read-only by default; write support requires 3rd-party drivers (e.g., NTFS-3G, Paragon).

Linux Support #

ext4 – Default Linux file system, fully supported.
ext3 / ext2 – Legacy Linux file systems.
Btrfs – Modern Linux file system with advanced features.
XFS – Enterprise-grade Linux file system.
FAT32 – Legacy, universal compatibility.
ExFAT – Supported via ExFAT-utils package.
NTFS – Supported via ntfs-3g package.

Recommended Standard for Maximum Compatibility #

For optimal cross-platform performance and full USB binding functionality across Windows, macOS, and Linux, format your USB drives as:
ExFAT – The universal standard
Works natively on Windows and macOS
Supported on Linux with ExFAT-utils
No 4GB file size limit
Best suited for modern systems and XColdPro deployments

⚠️ Notes
NTFS: Perfect for Windows-only setups. On macOS, access is limited to read-only unless 3rd-party drivers are installed. Linux requires ntfs-3g.
FAT32: Supported everywhere but limited by 4GB file size restriction. Suitable only for small-volume cold storage keys.
Enterprise environments: May require ReFS (Windows) or XFS (Linux), but for universal portability, ExFAT remains the recommended default.