Upon reboot, BitLocker will prompt you to enter your encryption password to unlock the drive. Select one of the two options and click “Next.” In the next pop-up, check the “Run BitLocker system check” option and click “Continue.”įinally, restart your computer. It’ll also prompt you to choose between two encryption modes: new encryption mode (best for fixed drives on your device) and compatible mode (best for detached drives you can remove from your device). Select one of the four options and click “Next.” Next, choose how much of the drive you want to encrypt – the entire drive or only the used disk space. Like EFS-based encryption, you’ll have options to save a recovery key to regain access to your files if you lose or forget your password. Under the “BitLocker Drive Encryption” section, click on “Turn on BitLocker”.Go to “Control Panel” > “System and Security” > “BitLocker Drive Encryption”.Press Windows key + X keyboard shortcut to open the “Power User” menu.
Set up BitLocker on your Windows 10 PC, using the following steps:
Your computer must have a TPM chip version 1.2 or later to support BitLocker. To check if your computer has a TPM chip, use Windows key + X combination to open the Power User menu and select “Device Manager.” Now, click on “Security Devices.” If your PC has a TPM chip, one of the subfolders will read “Trusted Platform Module” with a version number. When combined with a PC’s trusted platform module (TPM), BitLocker can provide advanced security features, including hardware-level encryption. Encrypting files and folders using BitLockerīitLocker is a full-disk encryption solution that enables you to encrypt an entire hard drive at once.
You may also use a DVD or portable hard disk to backup your encryption key. Note: The PC owner can access an EFS-encrypted file locally, but the files will remain inaccessible for all other user accounts. In the “Advanced Attributes” dialogue box, under “Compress or Encrypt Attributes” section, uncheck “Encrypt contents to secure data” option.Right-click on the file or folder you want to decrypt and select “Properties”.If encrypting a folder, a window will pop up asking you to choose between “Apply change to this folder only” and “Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files.” Select your preference and click “OK” to save the change(s)ĭecrypting the encrypted file/folder is just as easy with the following steps:.In the “Advanced Attributes” dialogue box, under “Compress or Encrypt Attributes” section, checkmark on “Encrypt contents to secure data”.In the “General” tab of “Properties,” click on the “Advanced” button.
There are two simple ways to encrypt files and folders on Windows 10, via Microsoft’s encrypted file system (EFS) or BitLocker.
How to encrypt files and folders in Windows 10 With those warnings heeded, we explain how you can encrypt your data on Windows.