By Achilles Hill | Last Updated
When mentioning computer data protection, you may first think about setting an administrator password to your computer. Other than this idea, have you ever thought of encrypting the hard drives in your computer? The built-in BitLocker Drive Encryption function can help you in this case. As for how to use BitLocker to guarantee the safety of hard disk data, this article will introduce how to turn on BitLocker on Windows 8 for you.
Video guide on how to turn on BitLocker on Windows 8:
Example: Turn on BitLocker for Local Disk C.
Step 1: Enter Desktop in the Start menu on Windows 8 computer.
Step 2: Open the folder (File Explorer) on the bottom left corner of the desktop and select Desktop.
If you cannot find Desktop option on the left in the folder, click Favorites and open Desktop on the right, as the following picture shows.
Step 3: Open Control Panel.
Step 4: Choose System and Security.
Step 5: Tap BitLocker Drive Encryption on the right list.
Step 6: Click Turn on BitLocker beside the Disk C.
Note: If the following prompt box shows up, it means that you fail to start BitLocker. To solve the problem, go to set the "Allow BitLocker without a compatible TPM" option in the "Require additional authentication at startup" policy. You can refer to the processes below.
1. Simultaneously press Windows key and R key (Windows key+R) to open the Run command.
BTW, Windows key is the key located between Ctrl key and Alt key on the lower left corner of a keyboard.
2. Input gpedit.msc in the empty box and click OK.
3. Find Require additional authentication at startup according to the procedure below and open it by double clicking it.
Local Computer Policy/ Computer Configuration/ Administrative Templates/ Windows Components/ Bit Locker Drive Encryption/ Operating System Drives/ Require additional authentication at startup
4. Select Enabled on the left. After that, Allow BitLocker without a compatible TPM option will be chosen automatically. Then, click OK to save the setting and close the Local Group Policy Editor.
5. Click Turn on BitLocker again and wait for the BitLocker to check the computer configuration.
6. Click Next in the following screen.
7. Tap Next to move on.
8. Wait for the program to prepare a drive for BitLocker.
9. Tap Restart now to finish preparing the system drive for encryption.
10. After restarting, click Next to encrypt the drive.
Step 7: Choose Enter a password or Insert a USB flash drive to unlock the drive at startup.
1. If Insert a USB flash drive is chosen, you should insert a use drive to your computer, select it and then click Save in the screen below.
2. If Enter a password is selected, enter an 8-digit or more than 8-digit password, reenter it and click Next to go on.
Step 8: Select a way from Save to your Microsoft account, Save to a USB flash drive, Save to a file and Print the recovery key to save the recovery key. After saving the key, tap Next to continue.
Step 9: Choose Encrypt used disk space only or Encrypt entire drive, and select Next.
Step 10: Tap Continue to encrypt this drive.
Step 11: Select Restart now to restart the computer so as to make the encryption effective.
Later, you'll be required to enter the right password to unlock the encrypted system drive.
You may be hesitated when knowing that there are eleven steps to turn on BitLocker on Windows 8 computer to encrypt a hard disk drive. However, you can see that the steps are illustrated as clear as possible in this article. Therefore, it is easy for you to follow them to turn on Windows 8 BitLocker so as to protect your hard drive data.
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