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BitLocker is a powerful data encryption tool, besides encrypting hard drives, BitLocker can also encrypt external storage devices like USBs. With its secure security mechanism, you can confidently encrypt hard drives on Windows 10 using BitLocker. However, BitLocker only works on newer computer models with Trusted Platform Module (TPM 1.2) chip.
HOW TO ENCRYPT HARD DRIVES ON WINDOWS 10 WITH BITLOCKER
Step 1: Open File Explorer, right-click on the drive you wish to encrypt, and select Turn on BitLocker.
Note: You can only initiate and use BitLocker with administrator privileges.
Step 2: The BitLocker Drive Encryption window displays the drive you want to encrypt. Here, you have the following options:
Use a password to unlock the drive: utilize a password for protection
Use my smart card to unlock the drive: use a smart card to secure the hard drive
At this step, it's advisable to choose a password to encrypt your Windows 10 hard drive. Use a strong password with letters, numbers, uppercase letters, and special characters to ensure the safety of your hard drive. After setting the password, click Next to continue.
Step 3: You need to store a file containing a backup password to guard against forgetting your password. Choose backup password storage methods:
Save to your Microsoft account: store it in your Microsoft account
Save to a USB flash drive: save it on a storage USB
Save to a file: save it in a file
Print the recovery key: print out the recovery code
After selecting the recovery key backup method, click Next.
Step 4: In the next step, you need to choose the area of the drive to encrypt. If you want to encrypt only the used disk space, select Encrypt used disk space only. For full-disk encryption, choose Encrypt entire drive, then click Next.
Step 5: Next is choosing the encryption mode:
New encryption mode: New encryption mode XTS-AES is secure and suitable for fixed drives.
Compatible mode: Compatible mode for encrypting Windows 10 hard drives, suitable for portable drives.
Step 6: Click Continue to initiate hard drive encryption
After encrypting the Windows 10 hard drive, the selected drive will display a lock icon next to it. You'll need to enter the correct password to access the hard drive after setting up encryption. The data inside that drive is also securely encrypted.
Thus, Mytour has guided you through encrypting a Windows 10 hard drive, setting a hard drive password to ensure the highest level of security, preventing theft and exploitation by malicious individuals. You should also consider protecting personal data for additional information on safeguarding and securing personal information online. In today's technology era, any personal information can be susceptible to theft by hackers if not adequately protected.
For Windows 7 or Windows 8 users who want to upgrade to Windows 10, there are many ways to do it. You can refer to the create Windows 10 installation USB trick to install Windows 10 via USB. To create a Windows 10 installation USB, you only need a USB with a capacity of 4GB or more and the Windows 10 ISO file.
