I previously encrypted my computer drives with a BitLocker 30-character password to ensure password security. But it is too long to remember, which frustrates me a lot. However, I recently learned that I can use a short PIN for BitLocker drive encryption. Then I am curious about the differences between a PIN and a regular password. Is PIN code safe enough? And how can I set up a Windows 11 BitLocker PIN to protect my drive? I can't wait to try it.
PIN BitLocker in Windows 11 and BitLocker password are two totally different things, because their protection mechanism is not the same. Following I will answer your questions in detail. And this guide is prepared for novice BitLocker PIN beginners just like you.
PIN (Personal Identification Number) is normally used in our daily life, such as ATM transactions and Windows login authentication, and so on. It’s used to prevent unauthorized access for BitLocker-protected drive.
The default length of the PIN code is 6 characters, but you can reduce it to a minimum length of 4 characters. Someone may doubt PIN’s security as it seems so simple. This leads us to the role of the TPM. Use BitLocker with PIN is often combined with TPM, which makes it even more secure than using a password alone.
To make it clear, when you’re prompted to enter a BitLocker PIN, even if you only enter “1234”, the TPM will use its own encryption algorithm to generate a complex unique key for BitLocker verification. Therefore, enabling the TPM BitLocker protection mode is necessary before setting up the PIN.
The distinction of these two lies in the more flexibility and the added security benefits of PIN. PIN is bound to the hardware device with TPM. Accordingly, if the motherboard is replaced, the BitLocker authentication will fail to pass. And differ from the password saved on the hard drive, the PIN is safely stored in the TPM chip.
We can use the command line tool to set up a BitLocker startup PIN. Refer to the linked article to enable a pre-boot BitLocker PIN on Windows.
After enabled, to verify if BitLocker PIN is enabled, you need to reboot your computer, and confirm that you’re prompted to enter your PIN to unlock drive before enter into the system.
Once you aim to change your BitLocker PIN, you can open Command Prompt as an Administrator, and execute the following command:
manage-bde -changepin c:
# c is the letter of encrypted drive, replace it for your own
TPM (Trusted Platform Module) is an important part of BitLocker encryption and one of the BitLocker password protection methods.
Lydia
Sure, Windows allows us to encrypt the operating system drive on devices without TPM supported.
Benjamin
My pleasure to assist you. BitLocker offers multiple password protection methods for different scenarios. The BitLocker password is a solid barrier to BitLocker security.
Lydia
Yes, you can defragment a BitLocker encrypted drive after you unlock it. Fragments may appear on the disk when we add or delete files. When fragments accumulate to a certain extent, the disk's access speed decreases significantly.
Benjamin
