If you use a notebook for work and you have sensitive data inside it, then you have surely already wondered how to encrypt Windows computers; that is, if there is the possibility of encrypting Windows so that no one can ever access your data. On a Mac computer, things are very simple because there is always File Vault on board , a feature that invisibly encrypts the contents of your computer but on Windows things are not that simple. for this reason, in this article, without getting too lost in useless chatter, I will explain how to encrypt Windows computers.
Index
- Encrypt Windows computers
- Encrypt Windows Enterprise Edition
- Encrypt Windows Home Edition
Encrypt Windows computers
A premise must be made immediately; for business use it is possible to encrypt Windows using the integrated function called BitLocker ; however, this function cannot be used in the Home version and you will therefore have to resort to third-party solutions.
So, in essence, if you have a Windows Enterprise version you can use native Windows encryption or the alternative via BitLocker; if, on the other hand, you are using a Home version of Windows, you will need to install third-party software to encrypt Windows. We see both possibilities
Encrypt Windows Enterprise Edition
As I had anticipated, the Enterprise Edition allows you to encrypt Windows computers thanks to a feature called bitLocker for which you will not have to install special software.
What you need to do is open the Windows settings by pressing the Windows key in the bottom bar and then the gear key; from the settings window in the right pane write BitLocker and then click on the word BitLocker Management .
In the window that will appear you will have to select the drive you want to encrypt and press Activate BitLocker . You will then be asked to select the method used to unlock the drive; you can choose between a simple password or the use of a smart card (but in this case you will need to have both the card and the reader). Once you have chosen the method and if necessary set the password, click on Next .
You will be asked where to back up the recovery key; that is the key you will need to use if you forget your password or the smart card no longer works; once done click on Next . On the next screen select the item to enable encryption only for used disk space and press Next again .
At this point the disk encryption will begin and may take a long time depending on the size of the disk; you must not interrupt the procedure for any reason.
With BitLocker you can also encrypt external USB drives in the same ways described above.
Encrypt Windows Home Edition
BitLocker is only available for the Enterprise version to encrypt Windows computers with Home Edition version you will need to resort to third-party software. You will find many paid programs to encrypt Windows obviously the really valid ones are all paid; I recommend AxCrypt which costs about 3.67 euros per month for annual subscriptions. If you want a free solution, you can try Disk Cryptor which is the most widely used free encryption software at the moment.
