On computers with Windows operating system there is a preset application, called BitLocker, that allows us to encrypt our hard drive
On computers with Windows operating system we find a feature, installed by default, that allows us to encrypt an entire hard drive. This way we’ll increase the security of the documents and multimedia contents saved on our PC. The tool is called BitLocker, and here’s how to activate it.
As mentioned BitLocker is found by default on Windows systems, but the tool is not activated automatically. We will have to be the ones to set it manually to improve computer security. First of all we have to specify that there are three Windows versions on which BitLocker is pre-set: Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7 Ultimate. With BitLocker we can decide to encrypt the entire hard disk or create an encryption-protected “container” in which to put only the most important and confidential documents. For greater security, it is advisable to encrypt all data.
What is BitLocker
Encrypting an entire storage unit with BitLocker is very simple. Just activate the service and protect it with a PIN. Before we see how to activate the feature though, we need to check if ours is a computer with a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) on the motherboard. This is basically a chip that generates and stores the cryptographic keys used by BitLocker. If we don’t have the TPM chip we can still activate BitLocker, but it will be a little less secure. Also with BitLocker in addition to the hard drive, thanks to the feature called BitLocker To Go, we could also protect external drives, such as USB sticks or external hard drives.
How to activate BitLocker
To enable BitLocker on Windows 10 just go to File Explorer then the entry This PC and then right-click on the drive that marks our hard drive. At this point a menu will appear from which we have to choose the BitLocker Enable option. If we don’t see this option correctly, it means that we aren’t using a Pro or Enterprise version of Windows. And in this case we will have to use another service for file encryption, such as TrueCrypt or Veracrypt programs.
Check BitLocker support
BitLocker is available by default on all computers running Windows 10 in Pro, Enterprise or Education version. To check if your PC supports encryption you need to type “System Information” in the taskbar and right-click on the result shown by your computer. A pop-up menu will appear and you will have to click on “Run as administrator”. A new window will open and you’ll have to check if next to “Device encryption support” there is “Meet prerequisites”.
Choose an unlocking method
Once BitLocker is activated you’ll be redirected to the page where you’ll choose the method of unlocking documents. There are several possible solutions. For example, you can unlock the hard drive with a password, a PIN but also with a USB drive that will act as a key. And if our PC has biometric sensors we can also select the fingerprint scanner to unlock the encrypted files.
Store recovery key
Once the wizard for choosing the unlock method is completed we’ll have to store the recovery key. BitLocker, in fact, provides a recovery key that allows us to access the encrypted files if we lose the PIN or the master password. The advice is to save this data in a safe place. Like our Microsoft account, inside a USB key or to print it and take it with us.
Encrypt new files
Once it is active, BitLocker saves and protects with encryption every new file we save on the hard disk. This way it will be very convenient to increase our computer security. Because once the initial installation is complete, we won’t have to worry about anything anymore. Regarding the encryption modes, the safest system is the Windows 10 one that uses the XTS-AES standard. On Windows 7 and 8 instead BitLocker uses the encryption standard called AES. If we have the latest version of Windows we can still choose which standard to use according to our preferences. Remember that encrypting a file takes much longer than saving a document “normally”. Depending on the size of the file it may take several minutes.