Windows 10: BitLocker Data Partition unlock on boot

I am getting a laptop with Windows 10 Pro. I will be reducing the system partition and add another partition D: for data. Then i would move all user folders including Desktop to D: drive

I want to protect the D drive with BitLocker so that if laptop is stolen my data is safe. However the data drive needs to be unlocked before login as my user folders are in there else i will get an error.

Is it possible for BitLocker to ask for password to unlock D drive at boot?

I don't want to encrypt system partition not do i want to work with single partition.

:)

 

Is it worth using Bitlocker on your data partition?

I bitlock all my external hard-drives and the SD card I use to expand my Windows 10 Surface Book memory. These contain some sensitive information, so I would not be happy if any of them was stolen. They unlock automatically when connected to this
computer. The computer is boot password protected, so I hope a thief would be unable to access either my data drive or my external drives. I have two questions, both (I hope) easily answered:

1. Should I encrypt the data partition on my hard-drive? Ie, could the thief remove the drive and get access to my data partition by attaching the drive to another computer if it was not encrypted? Or would the boot password still give some protection?

2. How easy is it for someone to bypass my boot password, and get access to my data partition which
is not bitlocked at present? Eg, by booting from a flash drive or cracking the password. If easy, I guess I should maintain bitlocker password protection on my data partition (ie, not unlock it automatically).

Thanks Jon

 

Activate Bitlocker for data drive partition

Hi,

Welcome to Microsoft Community and thank you for your interest in Windows 10.

BitLocker
Drive Encryption is one of the best security tools of Windows operating system. This feature of
Windows 10 safeguards your stored data in fixed or removable drives of your storage system. When you turn on
BitLocker it saves data on any drive and encrypt it automatically. When you encrypt drive, it
protects everything with passwords on that drive whether it is file or document. In today’s
Windows 10 tutorial, we will take you through Encrypt Drive Partition using Bitlocker process with
BitLocker which will support your system in protecting its data.

Get Into BitLocker Drive Encryption Window in Windows 10


To Encrypt Drive Partition using Bitlocker you need to access BitLocker Encryption Window First. For this,

• Open Cortana Search.
• Type BitLocker in the search field.
• And in the search results select Manage BitLocker option.
• BitLocker
  Drive Encryption window pops up on your screen.

Hope this information was helpful and do let us know if you need further assistance. We will be glad to assist.

 

Is it worth using Bitlocker on your data partition?

Thanks Michael - but it is really only those two specific questions I need answered. The article answers question 1. If my data partition is encrypted, it would require a password to access it on another computer. So I plan to encrypt my D-partition.

The second question is not really about bitlocker, but rather if it is easy to hack through a Windows boot password. If it is quite easy, then I should turn off automatic unlocking on boot.

Bulldog: you are probably right - but there is one 200MB folder with financial stuff that I would like to encrypt, out of 14 gigs of data (my photos and music are in other partitions). Unfortunately Microsoft does not give me the option to encrypt individual
folders.