HOWTO: Enable and Disable Bitlocker Disk Encryption

NOTE: DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK! IF NOT DONE CORRECTLY, YOUR SYSTEM WILL BE LOCKED OUT

Enable BitLocker

Requirements:

• A PC running Windows Pro, Enterprise, or Education edition (BitLocker is not available on Windows Home).
• A Trusted Platform Module (TPM) or a USB flash drive for key storage.
• Administrator privileges.

Steps to Enable BitLocker:

1. Open Control Panel

   • Press Win + R, type control, and press Enter.
   • Navigate to System and Security > BitLocker Drive Encryption.

2. Turn On BitLocker

   • Select the drive you want to encrypt (e.g., C: drive).
   • Click Turn on BitLocker.

3. Choose How to Unlock the Drive

   • Use TPM (if available) or set a password/PIN.
   • If no TPM is detected, you may need to enable BitLocker without TPM by using Group Policy (gpedit.msc > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > BitLocker Drive Encryption > Operating System Drives).

4. Choose Where to Save the Recovery Key

   • Save it to your Microsoft account, a USB drive, a file, or print it.
   • Important: Keep this key safe in case you forget your password.

5. Choose Encryption Mode

   • New PCs (Windows 10/11): Choose XTS-AES-256 (New Encryption Mode).
   • For Compatibility with Older Versions: Choose AES-CBC (Compatible Mode).

6. Start Encryption

   • Click Start Encrypting and wait for the process to complete.
   • Restart your computer if prompted.

Disable BitLocker (Decrypt a Drive)

1. Open Control Panel

   • Navigate to System and Security > BitLocker Drive Encryption.

2. Turn Off BitLocker

   • Find the drive you want to decrypt and click Turn off BitLocker.
   • Confirm and wait for the decryption process to finish.

3. (Optional) Disable BitLocker via Command Prompt

   • Open Command Prompt (Admin) (Win + X > Command Prompt (Admin)).
   • Run the command:
     manage-bde -off C:

   • Replace C: with the appropriate drive letter.

Check BitLocker Status

• Run the following command in Command Prompt (Admin):
  manage-bde -status
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