When I try to turn on BitLocker for operating system drive, I was prompted to: "This device can't use a Trusted Platform Module. Your administrator must set the 'Allow BitLocker without a compatible TPM' option in the 'Require additional authentication at startup' policy for OS volumes". How do I encrypt the operating system drive without TPM? Please be very clear. Thank you.
Sure, Windows allows us to encrypt the operating system drive on devices without TPM supported. To configure this, we need to edit the related group policy. Let's take a look.
Step 1: Search "Group Policy" in the search box, then select "Edit group policy" from the results.
Step 2: Navigate to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > BitLocker Drive Encryption > Operating System Drives.
Step 3: Double-click the "Require additional authentication at startup" option that appears in the main panel on this page.
Step 4: Select "Enabled" option, then tick the checkbox of "Allow BitLocker without a compatible TPM(requires a password or a startup key on a USB flash drive)". Next, click "Apply" button to save changes, then click "OK" button to close this window.
Step 5: That's it, you can enable BitLocker without a TPM following above steps.
Note: During the boot process, you will be asked to input password or insert a USB flash drive where startup key stores depending on the way you choose when encrypting the drive.
In summary, even if your device does not have TPM support, you can still protect your operating system drive with BitLocker. All you need to do is follow the steps outlined above to modify the group policy to allow BitLocker without a compatible TPM. Besides, you can try to see if you can enable TPM on your computer.
It is right that Windows 11 Home does not come with BitLocker encryption. But Windows 11 Home users can access the BitLocker encrypted drive with password. If you want to encrypt the USB flash drive or externa hard drive, 2 workable solutions are listed here.
Michael
What happens if the computer shuts down during encryption or decryption with BitLocker Drive Encryption? This post provides the answer.
Benjamin
Of course, when BitLocker is enabled on a computer, it will not only affect the startup speed but also other computer performance.
Lydia
In words, file is very safe in hibernation mode while not so secure in sleep mode, and BitLocker on your system does not significantly impact hibernation and sleep modes.
Lydia
