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Step 6: At last, click the Start encrypting option and wait patiently. Step 5: Choose the Compatible mode option and click the Next button.
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As we want to protect the external hard drive data from unauthorized access, it is better to choose the Encrypt used disk space only option. Step 4: Here you can choose to encrypt the entire drive or only the used disk space. When you choose to save to a file, you need to set a location to save the file. Choose one and then click the Next button. Step 3: Select a way to back up the recovery key: Save to your Microsoft account, Save to a file, or Print the recovery key. After that, click the Next button to go ahead.
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It is required to set the password which contains uppercase & lowercase letters, numbers, spaces, and symbols.
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Usually, the first option- Use a password to unlock the drive would be chosen. Step 2: A prompt comes with two options to encrypt the external hard drive. Right-click the external hard drive and choose the Turn on BitLocker option. After that, you can view all devices and drives on your computer. Step 1: Connect the external hard drive with your PC and then click This PC. Here, we will take Windows 10 Enterprise PC as an example. If your computer happens to be one of these editions, you can go to use BitLocker To Go to encrypt the external hard drive on Windows. Method 1: Encrypt External Hard Drive with Windows Built-in UtilityīitLocker is the Windows built-in app that enables users to password protect the drive data, which is available on Ultimate and Enterprise editions of Windows Vista and Windows 7, Pro and Enterprise editions of Windows 8/8.1/10/11, Education edition of Windows 10/11, and Windows Server 2008 and later.
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Generally, most people will use the external hard drive to back up the data in case the original one is lost or damaged. The external hard drive is known as a portable hard disk, which makes it convenient to carry personal or valuable information anywhere.
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