[Answered] Should I Turn BitLocker On or Off? How to Do That?

Scenario: Should I enable BitLocker on or off?

If you're hesitant about whether to enable BitLocker on or off, like the help-seeker, this passage will address your most pressing concerns. The main topics covered include the supported editions for BitLocker, how does BitLocker work, and step-by-step instructions on how to turn BitLocker on or off. Read on to find the information you're looking for now.

All you want to know about BitLocker

Should BitLocker be turned on or off? Before considering this question, the first step is to confirm whether your OS can support this utility. As of now, BitLocker is available on:

Windows Vista and Windows 7: Enterprise and Ultimate editions

Windows 8 and 8.1: Pro and Enterprise editions

Windows Server: 2008 and later

Windows 10/11: Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions

And we can see, almost all Windows Home editions are excluded from this function. If you are a Home user of these operating systems and wish to enjoy this feature, you can click here to find solutions. Besides, there are some specific system requirements to consider if you plan to enable BitLocker.

Now, let's put our eyes on BitLocker's functionality and its pros and cons. BitLocker is a full-disk encryption feature that works by encrypting the entire disk, including the operating system, system files, and user data. It utilizes a symmetric encryption algorithm, often AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), to secure the data.

This function safeguards your data through encryption, providing protection in case of unauthorized access or loss, particularly for laptops. It can be managed and configured through Group Policy, enabling administrators to enforce encryption policies across a network. Generally, these advanced features by turning on BitLocker has minimal impact on performance in modern computers.

However, there are some limitations to this utility. It is only available for specific editions of Windows users, as mentioned earlier. For example, users interested in using BitLocker need to upgrade to higher versions by paying additional fees, such as $99 for Windows 10/11 Home users.

In addition, setting up and managing BitLocker may be complex for some users, particularly those unfamiliar with encryption concepts. In the event of a forgotten password and lost recovery key, accessing the encrypted data becomes extremely challenging and may result in data loss.

Overall, despite these drawbacks, the advantages of using BitLocker outweigh the cons when effectively managed.

How to turn BitLocker on or off?

To easily turn BitLocker on or off, here we recommend a powerful tool, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. This software overcomes limitations imposed by certain Windows editions, allowing Home users to enable BitLocker without upgrading to higher versions. It also helps users who've already turned on BitLocker to manage it easily, overcoming its drawbacks to a large degree.

How to easily turn on BitLocker

Step1. First, download and open AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. Then, click on the "Tools" tab and choose "BitLocker".

Step 2. You'll see a list of all the drives on your computer, including your operating system drive, fixed data drives, and removable drives. Find the drive you want to encrypt with BitLocker and click on "Turn on BitLocker". (For example, let's say it's drive D:)

Tip: It only supports encrypting NTFS partitions. If you are using FAT or FAT32  or other file system, please convert it to NTFS.

Step 3. Set a password for the drive and confirm it by clicking "Next".

Step 4. Choose how you want to back up your recovery key. You can either save it to a file or print it out.

Step 5. If you select "Save to a file", please choose a location on your PC to save the recovery key.

Then, please click the "Next" button to start the encryption process.

Step 6. The encryption might take a while. Don't close the program, remove the drive, or shut down your computer until it's done. Once it's finished, click "Completed". Now, your drive is BitLocker encrypted.

How to quickly turn off BitLocker

Step 1. Find the drive you want to decrypt and click on the option "Turn off BitLocker".

Step 2. There are two ways to decrypt the drive: using a password or using a recovery key. Choose the method that suits your situation.

If you choose to "Use a password to decrypt the drive", enter the correct password and then click "Decrypt".

If you choose to "Use a recovery key to decrypt the drive", input the recovery key stored in the TXT file or printed during the encryption process, and then click "Decrypt".

Step 3. The decryption process will begin, and it may take some time to complete. Do not interrupt the process. Once decryption is finished, click "Completed". Now, the BitLocker encryption on the drive has been removed.

Final words

No matter you want to turn BitLocker on or off, AOMEI Partition Assistant is the reliable tool to help you.

In addition to BitLocker management, its "Reset Windows Password" function makes it easy to handle your Windows account. Moreover, it can serve as a storage manager, App Mover, Partition Merger, Free Space Allocator, Duplicate Large File Finder, and more. These features are worth trying when your drive is full or your PC is slowing down. If you're looking to upgrade your device, the "Clone Disk" and "OS Migration" functions allow you to easily transfer old data for a seamless upgrading experience.

For Windows Server 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012, 2008, or 2003 users, kindly please choose the Server edition. Besides, this tool also offers AOMEI Partition Assistant Unlimited to enhance disk performance for enterprises, allowing activation on unlimited Windows PCs and Servers within one company. And AOMEI Partition Assistant Technician is for enterprises and service providers offering paid technical services.