iSumsoft » BitLocker »How to Enable Full-Disk Encryption Windows 10 Home

How to Enable Full-Disk Encryption Windows 10 Home

Isabella Shinn
Isabella Shinn

Updated:

BitLocker is one of the ways to turn on full-disk encryption for Windows 10. However, it is only available on Windows 10 Pro, Education, Enterprise, and Server editions, i.e., Windows 10 Home doesn't have full disk encryption. Here, iSumsoft provides three solutions to enable full-disk encryption on Windows 10 Home.

How to Enable Full-Disk Encryption Windows 10 Home


Part 1: What Is Full-Disk Encryption?

Full disk encryption (FDE), a data protection technique, encrypts all the data on a storage device, such as a hard drive or solid-state drive (SSD), which ensures that all the files, folders, and system data stored on the device are encrypted and can only be accessed with the correct decryption key or password.

When full disk encryption is enabled, the encryption software or hardware encrypts the entire disk, including the operating system, applications, and user data. This provides a comprehensive layer of security, as even if the device is lost, stolen, or accessed by unauthorized individuals, the encrypted data remains inaccessible without the decryption key.

Part 2: How to Enable Full-Disk Encryption on Windows 10 Home?

Even though Windows 10 Home doesn't have BitLocker, Microsoft provides them with an alternative Device Encryption to encrypt their system drive. In addition to the Device Encryption, this section also presents you with a brand-new solution to turn on BitLocker in Windows 10 Home. Here we go!

Solution 1: Enable Full-Disk Encryption with Device Encryption

For a start, check if your computer supports the feature by following the steps below:

Tips:

  • Your device needs to meet the following requirements to turn on Device Encryption:
  • 1. Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 or higher with TPM enabled in UEFI/BIOS setup.
  • 2. Modern standby is supported.
  • 3. Motherboard firmware set to Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) instead of legacy BIOS.

1: Click the Windows icon, and then locate Windows Administrative Tools > System Information.

Locate System Information

2: Scroll down the page and find Device Encryption Support. If the value says Meet Requirements, the Device Encryption is available on your device.

Check the value of Device Encryption Support

So, if device encryption works for you, here is how to enable full-disk encryption:

Step 1: Locate Start > Settings > Update & Security > Device Encryption.

Step 2: Click Turn on and follow instructions to turn it on.

Turn on Device Encryption

Solution 2: Turn on Full-Disk Encryption Using iSumsoft BitLocker Reader

Your PC does not support BitLocker, nor does it support device encryption? Facing such a situation, you may need to use a third-party tool to complete the task. iSumsoft BitLocker Reader is for Windows 10 Home, which is designed to enable BitLocker on Windows 11 Home, as well as Windows 10/8.1/8/7 Home editions.

Features of iSumsoft BitLocker Reader

Learn how to encrypt your hard drives:

Step 1: Free download iSumsoft BitLocker Reader and complete its installation.

Download iSumsoft BitLocker Reader

Step 2: Launch the software. You can find that all your drives and partitions are displayed on the interface. Right-click on a volume you want to enable full-disk encryption and then select Turn on BitLocker.

Select Turn on BitLocker

Step 3: You are prompted to set a password for the encrypted disk. Enter your password, and then click Save to File to back up your recovery key on any location of your PC.

Enter password and click Save to file

Step 4: After saving the file, click Encrypt to proceed.

Click Encrypt to turn on full-disk Encryption

Step 5: Once the encryption is turned on, you can see "Encrypt successfully" message on the screen.

Enable Full-disk Encryption successfully

Step 6: Back to the Home page of the program, you can find a grey lock on the BitLocker Encrypted drive.

A grey key on the encrypted drive

Solution 3: Use a Computer Supporting BitLocker to Turn on Full-disk Encryption

This method is particularly convenient when using external hard drives. Although Windows 10 Home does not support full-disk encryption, it does allow you to unlock encrypted drives on another computer. Therefore, you can first use BitLocker to encrypt hard drives on a computer running Windows Pro, Education, or Enterprise. Once the drive is encrypted, you can safely disconnect it from the computer and reconnect it to your own Windows 10 Home computer.

On your Windows 10 Home computer, you can then utilize the BitLocker functionality to lock and unlock the encrypted drive as needed. This allows you to maintain the security of your data and ensure that it remains protected even when using a Windows 10 Home edition.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Connect your drive to a computer available for BitLocker. Then locate File Explorer, right-click on the drive, and select Turn on BitLocker.

Click Turn on BitLocker

Step 2: Select Use a Password to unlock the drive, then set your password and click Next.

Enter password to enable BitLocker

Step 3: Select how you want to back up your recovery key and then click Next.

Back up recovery key

Step 4: Depending on your requirements, select how much of your drive to encrypt and then click Next.

Encrypt used disk space

Step 5: Click Start encrypting.

Click Start encrypting to enable full-disk encryption

Step 6: Wait for the Encryption to complete, and once the process is finished, you can see a grey lock on the disk.

Successfully enable full-disk encryption