Not having the key can lock legitimate users out of their own data and using BitLocker can significantly impact performance (up to 45%) in some cases.

Microsoft’s recent directive that BitLocker be turned on by default in Windows 11 caused some consternation in the PC world. What is BitLocker and why do I need it?

USB drives, external HDDs, and memory cards—remains the go-to for transferring and backing up data. But these devices are also among the easies ...

How to use Bitlocker correctly: ・ Back up the key: When you activate BitLocker (usually automatically with Windows Pro or Business), a recovery key is generated.

Without the key, your data is gone forever. To find and back up your BitLocker recovery key, sign in to your Microsoft account online and navigate to Devices > Manage BitLocker keys.

Has anyone found other ways to use BitLocker without a TPM? I'd like to somehow force Windows to allow password-based pre-boot authentication just like how I forced Windows to put the keys on ...

BitLocker is a hard drive encryption feature available in Windows Pro and Enterprise editions. After locking your hard drive partition with BitLocker, you can unlock it using the BitLocker key.

This binding ensures that a cryptographic key, in this case, the BitLocker key, loads only during a certain time during booting, neither before nor after.

Ensure BitLocker has a strong password and the recovery keys are stored in a secure location. Limit user privileges to the minimum required to do their job.

The page also has a caution at the bottom regarding BitLocker that links to its guide about BitLocker key recovery: Note: If you’ve encrypted your device, you’ll need the BitLocker recovery ...