Windows 10: Turn On or Off BitLocker for Removable Data Drives in Windows 10

How to: Turn On or Off BitLocker for Removable Data Drives in Windows 10

How to Turn On or Off BitLocker for Removable Data Drives in Windows 10


Information You can use BitLocker Drive Encryption to help protect your files on an entire drive. BitLocker can help block hackers from accessing the system files they rely on to discover your password, or from accessing your drive by physically removing it from your PC and installing it in a different one. You can still sign in to Windows and use your files as you normally would.

New files are automatically encrypted when you add them to a drive that uses BitLocker. However, if you copy these files to another drive or a different PC, they're automatically decrypted.

BitLocker can encrypt the drive Windows is installed on (the fixed data drives (such as internal hard drives). You can also use BitLocker To Go to help protect all files stored on a removable data drive (such as an external hard drive or USB flash drive).

BitLocker To Go is BitLocker Drive Encryption on removable data drives. This includes the encryption of USB flash drives, SD cards, external hard disk drives, and other drives formatted by using the NTFS, FAT16, FAT32, or exFAT file systems.

You can choose how you want to unlock an encrypted data drive: with a password or a smart card. For removable data drives encrypted with BitLocker To Go, you can set the drive to automatically unlock when you sign in to the PC.

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off BitLocker To Go to encrypt or decrypt a removable data drive in Windows 10.



Note BitLocker Drive Encryption is only available in Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Enterprise, and Windows 10 Education editions.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Turn On BitLocker for a Removable Data Drive in BitLocker Manager
• Option Two: To Turn Off BitLocker for a Removable Data Drive in BitLocker Manager
• Option Three: To Turn Off BitLocker for a Removable Data Drive in Command Prompt
• Option Four: To Turn Off BitLocker for a Removable Data Drive in PowerShell

EXAMPLE: Enter password to unlock data drive encrypted by BitLocker











OPTION ONE [/i] To Turn On BitLocker for a Removable Data Drive in BitLocker Manager
1. If you like, set a default encryption method (XTS-AES or AES-CBC) and cipher strength (128 bit or 256 bit) you want used by BitLocker. BitLocker Drive Encryption uses AES-CBC 128 bit by default for removable data drives.

2. Do step 3, step 4, or step 5 below for how you would like to manage BitLocker.

3. Right click or press and hold on the removable data drive (ex: F: ) you want to encrypt, click/tap on Turn on BitLocker, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)



4. Select the removable data drive (ex: F: ) you want to encrypt, click/tap on the "Drive Tools" Manage tab, click/tap on the BitLocker button in the ribbon, click/tap on Turn on BitLocker, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)



5. Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the BitLocker Drive Encryption icon.
A) Expand open the removable data drive (ex: F: ) you want to encrypt under Removable data drives - BitLocker To Go, click/tap on Turn on BitLocker, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)




6. Choose how (password or smart card) you want to unlock this drive, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)



7. Select how (Microsoft account, file, and/or print) you want to back up your BitLocker recovery key for this drive, and click/tap on Next when finished. (see screenshot below)






Note Microsoft account = This option is only available when you are signed in to Windows 10 with a Microsoft account. It will save the BitLocker recovery key to your OneDrive account online at Microsoft OneDrive - Access files anywhere. Create docs with free Office Online..



File = This option will save the BitLocker recovery key .TXT file to a location you select.






Print = This option will print the BitLocker recovery key to the selected printer.




8. Select (dot) how much of your drive to encrypt right now, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)


Note It is recommended to select Encrypt entire drive.





9. Select (dot) which encryption mode to use, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)


Note If you did step 1 above to set a default encryption method and cipher strength, then you will not have this setting available since BitLocker will use what you set in step 1 instead.


New encryption mode (XTS-AES 128-bit) = Select this mode if this is a fixed drive or if this drive will only be used on devices running at least Windows 10 (version 1511) or later.

Compatible mode (AES-CBC 128-bit) = Select this mode if this is a removable drive that you're going to use on an older version of Windows (ex: Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8/8.1).





10. Click/tap on Start encrypting when ready. (see screenshot below)



11. The removable data drive will now start encrypting. (see screenshot below)


Note This could take a long time to finish depending on the size of the drive and how much data on the drive is being encrypted.





12. When encryption has finished, click/tap on Close. (see screenshot below)








OPTION TWO [/i] To Turn Off BitLocker for a Removable Data Drive in BitLocker Manager
1. If you have not already, unlock the removable data drive encrypted by BitLocker.

2. Do step 3, step 4, or step 5 below for how you would like to manage BitLocker.

3. Right click or press and hold on the encrypted removable data drive (ex: F: ), click/tap on Manage BitLocker, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)



4. Select the encrypted removable data drive (ex: F: ), click/tap on the "Drive Tools" Manage tab, click/tap on the BitLocker button in the ribbon, click/tap on Manage BitLocker, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)



5. Open the step 6 below.

6. Expand open the encrypted removable data drive (ex: F: ) under Removable data drives - BitLocker To Go, and click/tap on Turn off BitLocker. (see screenshot below)



7. Click/tap on Turn off BitLocker to confirm. (see screenshot below)



8. The removable data drive will now start decrypting. (see screenshot below)



9. When decryption has finished, click/tap on Close. (see screenshot below)








OPTION THREE [/i] To Turn Off BitLocker for a Removable Data Drive in Command Prompt
1. Open an elevated command prompt.

2. Type the command below in the elevated command prompt, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)


*Arrow manage-bde -off <drive letter>:



Note Substitute <drive letter> in the command above with the actual drive letter of the encrypted drive you want to decrypt.

For example: manage-bde -off E:



Tip You can check the status of BitLocker for the drive at anytime.










OPTION FOUR [/i] To Turn Off BitLocker for a Removable Data Drive in PowerShell
1. Open an elevated Powershell.

2. Type the command below in the elevated PowerShell, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)


*Arrow Disable-BitLocker -MountPoint "<drive letter>:"



Note Substitute <drive letter> in the command above with the actual drive letter of the encrypted drive you want to decrypt.

For example: Disable-BitLocker -MountPoint "F:"



Tip You can check the status of BitLocker for the drive at anytime.







That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• Allow or Deny Write Access to Removable Drives not Protected by BitLocker in Windows
• How to Create a BitLocker Drive Encryption Shortcut in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off BitLocker for Operating System Drive in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off BitLocker for Fixed Data Drives in Windows 10
• How to Set Default BitLocker Encryption Method and Cipher Strength in Windows 10
• How to Unlock a Fixed or Removable BitLocker Drive in Windows
• How to Use BitLocker Repair Tool to Recover Encrypted Drive in Windows
• How to Check Status of BitLocker Drive Encryption for Drive in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove Change BitLocker Password Context Menu in Windows 10
• How to Add 'Lock Drive' to Context Menu of BitLocker Encrypted Drives in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Auto-unlock for BitLocker Drive in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove 'Manage BitLocker' Context Menu from Drives in Windows
• How to Add or Remove Resume BitLocker Protection Context Menu in Windows 10
• How to Add 'Suspend BitLocker protection' to Context Menu of Drives in Windows
• How to Add or Remove 'Turn off BitLocker' Context Menu from Drives in Windows
• How to Add or Remove 'Turn on BitLocker' Context Menu from Drives in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove Unlock Drive Context Menu in Windows
• How to Lock BitLocker Encrypted Drive in Windows
• How to Suspend or Resume BitLocker Protection for Drive in Windows 10
• How to Back up BitLocker Recovery Key for Drive in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Write Protection for Removable Drives in Windows 10
• How to Encrypt Files and Folders with Encrypting File System (EFS) in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Standard Users from Changing BitLocker PIN or Password in Windows 10
• How to Change BitLocker Password in Windows 10
• How to Create BitLocker Encrypted Container File with a VHD or VHDX File in Windows

:)

 

How to remove bitlocker encryption

do the steps on this link: Turn On or Off BitLocker for Removable Data Drives in Windows 10.
that should do the trick!

cheers!

 

how to unlock the drive in windows 10

Do you use BitLocker? If yes, then please see:

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/37198-turn-...

 

Hello Tony, *Smile

If the 1 TB drive is full of data, then yeah it can take a long time to finish. I'd let it sit until finished if you like.

 

nope its empty nothing on it is wired how its taking a long time, but it's a notebook style drive a small seagate backup plus drive so could that be why?.

 

It shouldn't normally take that long on an empty drive, but if it's a 5400 RPM drive, then it will be slower.

 

ok i will give it time i will see if i can check the speed on it as well. yes its a 5400 rpm drive wired as i just bought it must been old stock.

 

Hopefully it'll hurry up and finished for you. It's just that a 5400 RPM will be a bit slower than a 7200 RPM model. *Smile

 

yea hope so i want to store my banking info and tax info on it that's why encrypting it.