The
BitLocker Drive Encryption helps you to protect all files stored on the
Operating System Drive, on
fixed data drives or on
removable data drives (such as external hard drives or USB flash drives).
BitLocker encrypts the entire drive. All the Windows system files necessary for startup and logon are also encrypted. You can log on and work with your files normally, but
BitLocker can help block hackers from accessing the system files.
When you add new files to a drive that is encrypted with
BitLocker, BitLocker encrypts them
automatically. If you share encrypted files on the network then they can be normally accessed by the
authorized users only.
Hardware requirements for BitLocker Drive EncryptionTo use
BitLocker Drive Encryption, your computer has to meet certain
hardware requirements. These requirements vary depending on the
type of drive that you are encrypting.
Hardware requirements for the drive that Windows is installed onTo encrypt the drive that Windows is installed on (
the operating system drive),
BitLocker stores its own encryption and decryption key in a hardware device that is separate from your hard disk i.e. either
Trusted Platform Module (TPM) or a removable USB Flash Drive.To
turn on BitLocker Drive Encryption on the
operating system drive, your computer’s hard disk must:
Have at least
two partitions. One partition must include the drive Windows is installed on and must be at least
400 MB. This is the drive that BitLocker will encrypt. The
other partition is the
active partition, which must remain unencrypted so that the computer can be started. If your computer does not have two partitions,
BitLocker will create them for you.Hardware requirements for data drivesYou can use
BitLocker to encrypt
fixed data drives (such as
internal hard drives) and
removable data drives (such as
external hard drives and USB flash drives). To encrypt a data drive, it must be formatted using either the
exFAT, FAT16, FAT32, or NTFS file system and must be at least
128 MB.
Steps to Turn On/Off BitLocker:1. Click the
Start button to view the
Start Menu and then choose the
Control Panel option.
2. The
Control Panel window opens up.
Now click the
System and Security link from this window.
3. The
System and Security section of
Control Panel opens up and you can see the direct link for the
BitLocker Drive Encryption.
4. Click on the
BitLocker Drive Encryption and a new window opens up.
By default the
BitLocker Drive Encryption is
Off for the
Hard Disk Drive.
5. Click
Turn On BitLocker. If a compatible
Trusted Platform Module
(TPM) security device is not present on your computer the window will look like below:
Note: To use BitLocker Drive Encryption, your computer has to meet certain hardware requirements.
Otherwise, this opens the
BitLocker setup wizard. Follow the instructions in the wizard. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
6. Click
Turn Off BitLocker. This opens the
BitLocker Drive Encryption dialog box. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
To decrypt the drive, click
Decrypt the volume. To temporarily suspend
BitLocker, click
Suspend BitLocker Drive Encryption.