How to Encrypt a Drive With Bitlocker

Your laptop is exposed to a high risk of theft when you are traveling. While the loss of the laptop is disheartening enough, it pales beside your sensitive data falling into the wrong hands. Financial documents and personal information can be used to steal your identity and drain your bank accounts. To protect yourself from such events, you can encrypt your data. Windows 7 Ultimate offers a built-in feature called BitLocker that can protect your data using encryption. Fortunately, enabling BitLocker is quick and easy.

Instructions

1. Click "Start" followed by "Control Panel."

2. Click "System and Security," and then click "BitLocker Drive Encryption."

3. Click "Turn on BitLocker" next to the drive you wish to encrypt with BitLocker. There will be a list of applicable drives, with the phrase "Turn on BitLocker." Clicking the phrase will only affect the drive that appears immediately to the left of the phrase.

References

• Microsoft TechNet: Turning On BitLocker Drive Encryption on an Operating System Drive (Windows 7)
• Microsoft TechNet: Turning On BitLocker Drive Encryption on a Fixed or Removable Data Drive (Windows 7)
• Windows: Help Protect Your Files Using BitLocker Drive Encryption