Windows 10: Creating a BitLocker key on a USB drive - What format should I apply to the USB key, NTFS...

Hello MS Community!


I will be creating a BitLocker key on a USB drive - What format should I apply to the USB key, NTFS or FAT32? My first impression would be NTFS as I don't need this key to boot the drive, only UNLOCK it.


Any thoughts? Suggestions?


Thanks -


TeknoDiva

:)

 

Bitlocker USB

Hi, Margaret.

BitLocker requires you to have a USB key in able to access the information. You can create a USB key by using a blank thumb drive or USB drive formatted to NTFS OR FAT32 and follow these steps:

• Click Start and go to Control Panel.
• Look for System and Security then click it.
• Select BitLocker Drive Encryption.
• Under BitLocker Drive Encryption, click Turn on BitLocker.
• Choose how you want to unlock your drive during startup: Insert a USB flash drive or
  Enter a Password and then click Next.
• On the How Do You Want To Store Your Recovery Key Page, click Save the Recovery Key To A File.
• In the Save BitLocker Recovery Key As dialog box, choose a save location, and then click
  Save.
• You can now print the recovery key if you want to. When you have finished, click
  Next.
• On the Are You Ready To Encrypt This Drive page, click Start Encrypting.

Note: Do not remove the USB flash drive until the encryption process is complete. How long the encryption process takes depends on the size of the drive and other factors.

Get back to us if you need further assistance.

 

Can't format USB 32GB drive in NTFS format

Having read several threads of how to Format a USB drive into NTFS format.

I have 32GB stick and tried several methods to do this without success.

Tried

• changing the properties of the 'policy' of the drive in device manager
• changing to 'default allocation unit size' in formatting
• changing from 'quick format'
• running as Admin with CMD Prompt and with ('drive letter': /fs:ntfs) this says cannot format a raw drive ??

Yet no problems in formatting as Fat32.

Any other tips

 

Windows 10 recovery usb flash drive , formatted fat32 or NTFS?

Sirs,

I have an old pc and Bios ( non UEFI) .

i formatted NTFS the 8GB usb flash drive,

then found the Recovery drive creator by opening Control Panel (Windows key + X)

Open Recovery

Click Create Recovery drive , flash usb drive inserted , box labeled "Back up system files to the recovery drive" checked, then i clicked next to start process of creating recovery drive. When creation
was completed ,i checked content of the created Flash recovery drive and was formatted FAT32. I am confused, i thought that ,for my PC with an old Bios, recovery drive should have been formatted NTFS ( as my inizial format with empty usb flash drive)
not FAT32( changed to fat 32 during recovery creation) . Can someone tell me if Windows 10 recovery usb flash drive will work with FAT32 or do i need to reconvert it in NTFS ?

thank you for your help.

Antonio