This article provides guidance on enabling Bitlocker in Windows 11 if you wish to safeguard your confidential data stored on a hard drive or USB thumb drive. Simply follow the steps outlined in the guide provided by MiniTool Solution to initiate BitLocker setup for enhanced data protection.

While using a password alone may suffice for encrypting data on a hard drive, it is insufficient to prevent determined hackers from accessing your data. Therefore, ensuring your information remains secure can be challenging. Fortunately, BitLocker offers a solution to keep your data protected.

You can utilize BitLocker to encrypt both internal hard drives and external hard drives, preventing data loss should the drive ever be stolen. Access will only be granted to authorized users. Unauthorized individuals attempting to access your BitLocker-enabled computer will be denied entry.

If you're using Windows 11, a newer version of the Windows operating system, learn how to configure BitLocker to shield your critical data from others. Proceed to the subsequent section for further details.

Note: If you need to encrypt your USB hard drive for data protection, refer to this post - Full Guide - How to Password Protect USB Drives in Windows 11.

How to Enable BitLocker in Windows 11?

Note: BitLocker is not available in Windows 11/10 Home. If you're running the Home edition, consider upgrading to Windows Pro. Alternatively, explore other methods to encrypt your hard drive. For more information, consult this post - Can You Turn on BitLocker on Windows Home.

Prior to enabling BitLocker in Windows 11, ensure the following:

1. Enable TPM (Trusted Platform Module) to use BitLocker drive encryption. Without a TPM chip, BitLocker cannot be used unless you employ a workaround.
2. Log in to the operating system as an administrator. If not, sign out and log back in with an administrative account.

Here's how to activate BitLocker in Windows 11:

Step 1: Press Win I to open Windows 11 settings.

Step 2: Navigate to System > Storage.

Step 3: Click Advanced storage settings > Disks & volumes.

Step 4: All drives are listed here. Select the drive you wish to encrypt and click Properties.

Step 5: Under BitLocker, click Turn on BitLocker.

Additionally, you can enable BitLocker through Control Panel.

Step 1: Follow any method to open Control Panel – How to Open Control Panel in Windows 11? [7 Ways] – and view all items by large icons.

Step 2: Click BitLocker Drive Encryption to start BitLocker setup.

Regardless of the method chosen to enable BitLocker, it’s now time to leverage it to secure your data.

Here's how to set up BitLocker in Windows 10:

Step 1: Click the Turn on BitLocker button next to the drive you intend to encrypt.

Step 2: Check the box for Use a password to unlock the drive, enter your password, and confirm it.

Step 3: Decide on a method to back up the recovery key and proceed.

Step 4: Choose to encrypt either used disk space only or the entire drive depending on your requirements.

Step 5: Select the encryption mode and start the encryption process by pressing Start encrypting.

To unlock the drive, right-click it and select Unlock Drive. Enter the password you configured. If you forget the password, use the backed-up recovery key to unlock the drive.

How to Use BitLocker Without TPM?

As mentioned earlier, TPM is necessary for BitLocker usage. However, if your computer lacks a TPM chip, follow the instructions below to circumvent this restriction.

Step 1: Press Win R, type gpedit.msc, and click OK to open Local Group Policy Editor.

Step 2: Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > BitLocker Drive Encryption > Operating System Drives.

Step 3: Double-click Require additional authentication at startup and select Enabled in the popup window. Ensure the option – Allow BitLocker without a compatible TPM (requires a password or a startup key on a USB flash drive) – is checked.

Step 4: Click Apply and OK.

After completing these steps, proceed to set up BitLocker to encrypt your hard drive for data protection by following the aforementioned instructions.

Final Thoughts

How to enable BitLocker in Windows 11? How to set up BitLocker in Windows 11? How to use BitLocker without TPM? You now possess all the answers to these queries and can attempt them by adhering to the comprehensive guide.

The above is the detailed content of Guide - How to Turn on/Enable or Set up BitLocker in Windows 11?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!