Windows 10: Working with an existing Bitlocker-protected external drive on Windows 11 Home - will new...

Question:Computers running Windows 11 Home can access external data drives that were previously encrypted/protected using Bitlocker on another machine.But will *new* data that is written to the external Bitlocker-encrypted/protected drive by the Windows 11 Home computer also be encrypted/protected?Or, do we need to upgrade to Windows 11 Pro for that because of the limitations of Windows 11 Home with respect to Bitlocker on non-primary drives?Background:I have an external Bitlocker-protected SSD drive that I've used for data storage for years. It was Bitlockered using my old computer, which ran

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File back up to bitlockered external drive

Thanks John.

By trial and error the solution is,

• Set the file back up to the desired external USB drive, Back up using file history.
• Run backup to completion.
• Dismount, (Remove) the drive used.
• Remount (Plug in) the drive used for the file back up (Steps 1&2) and encrypt using Bitlocker.

Note you can only encrypt drives using some versions of Windows (Pro for eg not Home)

• Once the external drive has been encrypted dismount.
• Remount the drive, go to the file back up option, Open, Settings, Backup,
  Back up using file history.
• The drive should now still be visible and has been encrypted.
• Accessing the drive will be dependant on how it was set up in Bitlocker,
  Open with this PC, password, pin code etc.
• Repeat file back up as in the first two steps.

Hope this helps someone else.

 

Bitlocker in Windows 11 Home

Hi, In my new laptop with Windows 11 Home, the C drive appears to be protected with Bitlocker. There is a page in the Control Panel to set the way I get the recovery key etc. However, is it correct that there is no Bitlocker on Windows 11 Home that can be used to encrypt external hard drive, and if I have to do that, I have to install a 3rd party software?

Thank you

 

Need to turn off Bitlocker to install Windows 10

Hi,

We suggest doing the following steps again to resolve the issue. To complete the procedure, make sure that you have the following information:

• You must be able to provide administrative credentials.
• The drive must be BitLocker-protected.

To suspend BitLocker Drive Encryption on an operating system drive, please follow the steps below:

• Click Start, click Control Panel, click
  System and Security, and then click BitLocker Drive Encryption.
• Click Suspend Protection for the operating system drive.
• A message is displayed, informing you that your data will not be protected while BitLocker is suspended and asking if you want to suspend BitLocker Drive Encryption.
  
• Click Yes to continue and suspend BitLocker on the drive.

Let us know how it goes.