semi-OT: disk encryption for Windows XP?

From: Paul Rubin (//phr.cx_at_NOSPAM.invalid)
Date: 12/27/03 

Date: 26 Dec 2003 18:19:59 -0800

A friend of mine wants to buy a laptop (any new one probably runs XP,
sigh) and needs a disk encryption program for it. PGPDisk apparently
uses a normal file as a container for a virtual disk, so for example
the swap area is unencrypted.

Any idea how big a vulnerability that is in practice? Anyone know an
alternative? Someone on alt.sys.pgp suggested BestCrypt but I wonder
if there are other opinions here about it. I used to know of some
other programs but I don't think they work under XP. I don't use
Windows myself so I don't pay careful attention to this stuff, though.

Thanks.