This tutorial contains step by step instructions on how to password protect your PC with BitLocker encryption. The BitLocker is a full disk encryption feature included in Windows 10 Professional and Enterprise editions and it can help you, to protect your personal data from unauthorized access.
Imagine the following scenario: Your personal laptop gets stolen or lost and your private data is available to indiscreet eyes. To avoid this from happening, read this guide, and learn how to password protect your PC and your valuable data with strong encryption, in order to become inaccessible to anyone without the decryption password.
- Related Article: How to Protect a Folder with a Password.
How to use BitLocker to Encrypt & Protect your Windows 10 PC.
To protect the Operating System drive, with BitLocker in Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise:
1. From Windows Control Panel, click System and Security and then click Bit Locker Drive Encryption.
2. Next to the operating system drive C:, click Turn On BitLocker. *
* Note: If after pressing ‘Turn On BitLocker’, you receive the error “This device can’t use a Trusted Platform Module…”, then read this article to fix the problem.
3. At the next screen, choose how do you want to unlock the drive at startup.
1. If you want to unlock your PC by using a USB device click Insert a USB flash drive.
2. If you want to unlock your PC by typing a password click Enter a password. (like in this example)
4. Now type a very strong password and click Next.
5. Now select where do you want to save* the recovery key and click Next. *
* For example: if you login to Windows 10 with a Microsoft account, then click Save to your Microsoft Account. If you login to Windows 10 with a local account then choose one of the other options.
Notes:
1. If you save the BitLocker recovery key to your Microsoft Account, then you can view the key after login to https://onedrive.live.com/recoverykey.
2. I always prefer to store the recovery key on a USB drive, in order to be prepared to troubleshoot BitLocker problems.
6. At the next screen leave the default setting if your PC and/or drive is new and then click Next again.
7. At encryption mode options, leave the default setting and click Next.
8. At the last screen click Continue, in order to restart and check the system before enabling the BitLocker protection.
9. At restart, you ‘ll prompted to enter your BitLocker password. Type your password and press Enter. *
* Note: If BitLocker cannot accept the password, or if you face other problems, try one of the following actions to login to Windows:
1. Press the ESC key at BitLocker’s Password screen to access the recovery options.
2. Press repeatedly the ESC key after power up your PC, to bypass the BitLocker test.
10. If the BitLocker tests passed, then, after booting to Windows 10, BitLocker will start to encrypt your operating system drive. To view the status of the encryption process, click the BitLocker notification in the taskbar, or go to Control Panel > BitLocker Drive Encryption.
That’s all folks! Did it work for you?
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