How do I get BitLocker for Windows 10 Home? This instruction will guide to to turn on BitLocker on Windows 10 Home, and you can also use the method on your Windows 11 Home.
Windows BitLocker is a full-disk encryption feature included in certain editions of Microsoft Windows, such as Pro and Enterprise. When BitLocker is enabled on a drive, it encrypts the data using strong encryption algorithms, making it difficult for unauthorized users to access or tamper with the information.
This utility is particularly useful for protecting sensitive data on laptops, desktops, and external drives, especially in situations where devices might be lost or stolen.
Can you get BitLocker on Windows Home? To enable it on Home edition PCs, you usually have to upgrade to the Pro version or higher version on Microsoft, which costs $99 at least.
If you don't want to spend that much, you can find alternatives to enable BitLocker on Windows 10 Home without upgrading. This passage will share one such alternative with you. Additionally, even without BitLocker, you can still secure your data in Windows 11/10 Home using other methods. Let's explore how to add BitLocker to your drive or enhance data safety with other ways in this passage.
If you simply want to enhance your data privacy and safety, you can turn on Device Encryption on your Home edition PC. For more advanced security needs in professional or business settings, it's better to use BitLocker. We'll show you how to activate it in Method 2.
The Device Encryption in Windows 10/11 Home enables you to secure your files, sharing similarities with BitLocker in its ability to safeguard data from unauthorized access. However, distinctions exist between these two features.
BitLocker offers a more robust and customizable encryption solution. It is well-suited for advanced configuration, encrypting external drives, facilitating network unlock, and managing recovery keys extensively. In contrast, Device Encryption only provides simplified management, suitable for addressing basic security needs without incorporating advanced features.
Firstly, please check if your device supports enabling this utility by these steps:
Begin by opening the Start menu. Search for System Information, right-click on the top result, and choose the Run as administrator option. Navigate to the System Summary section in the left pane. Look for the "Device Encryption Support" item, and if it indicates that it "Meets prerequisites," your computer is equipped to support file encryption.
Then you can turn on Device Encryption on Windows 10/11 Home for data security.
Step 1. Open Settings and click on Update & Security.
Step 2. Find and choose Device encryption. Please note that if the "Device encryption" page isn't available, then it's likely that your device doesn't support the encryption feature.
Step 3. Under the "Device encryption" section, click the Turn on button.
Once you're done, Windows 10 will encrypt all current and future files you store on your computer.
While the Device Encryption function satisfies fundamental data security requirements, it is merely a basic replacement for BitLocker on Windows 10 Home. For more advanced needs, it is still requisite to enable the real BitLocker utility. For Home users, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional offers the function for you. It not only allows you to enable it but also enables you to effectively manage this practical widget on any supported Windows system version.
Step 1. Install and open AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. Navigate to the "Tools" main tab and choose "BitLocker". Or, right-click on the partition you wish to encrypt and select the "BitLocker" -> "Turn on BitLocker" option in the Context Menu.
Step 2. All system drives, fixed data drives, and removable drives will be listed. Locate the partition you want to encrypt with BitLocker and click on the "Turn on BitLocker" option (e.g., Drive D:).
Step 3. Set and confirm a password for encrypting the drive, then click "Next".
Step 4. Choose how to back up your recovery key. You can either pick "Save to a file" or "Print the recovery key".
Step 5. Next, click the "Next" button to begin the encryption process. Afterward, you'll need to restart your PC to access the Windows PE environment for BitLocker to encrypt the system drive. Click "OK" to proceed.
Step 6. Once the encryption process is finished, you'll see an encryption completion window. You can click "OK" to restart your PC.
AOMEI Partition Assistant also allows you to effectively manage BitLocker. Here are some practical and useful functions:
Step 1. Locate the encrypted drive for which you want to change the password, then click on the option "Change password".
Step 2. You have two options for changing the password: Use password to change drive password or Use recovery key to change drive password. Choose the method you prefer.
Step 3. If the change is successful, you'll see a window that says "Password changed successfully".
If the drive is unlocked, you can click the option "Lock the drive" to lock it directly.
If the drive is already locked, "Unlock the drive" will be the only available option to manage BitLocker. You must unlock the drive before you can manage BitLocker settings for the drive.
Besides easily turning on BitLocker on Windows 10 Home, AOMEI Partition Assistant also offers an easy way to turn it off.
Step 1. Locate the encrypted drive you want to decrypt, then click the option "Turn off BitLocker".
Step 2. You have two options for decrypting the drive: Use password to decrypt the drive or Use recovery key to decrypt the drive. Choose the method that suits your needs. And then begin the closing process.
Following the instruction can provide an easy solution for how do I get BitLocker for Windows 10 Home. Similarly, you can also run the BitLocker utility provided by AOMEI Partition Assistant on a Windows 11 Home device.
This powerful software offers many other powerful functions for you to effectively manage your hard drive. For example, you can use its Clone Disk to easily replace old/broken/small hard drives, or try the Delete all Partitions and Wipe Hard Drive to reformat a hard drive. If you unfortunately suffer data loss, Recover Data can help you recover the lost data back.
The tool still offers different edition for different needs. If you are a Windows Server user, you can choose the AOMEI Partition Assistant Server edition. For business needs, it is advisable to choose the AOMEI Partition Assistant Technician or Unlimited edition for more advanced support.