BitLocker

Running Windows 11 home. Should bit locker be on or off.

It depends whether you wish to have the extra security it provides.

You need to be fully aware of the implications of running BitLocker, mainly that you absolutely must back up your recovery keys in case you need them at any time. Fwiw I use BitLocker and have all drives and their partitions encrypted including external HDD's and flash drives using 'BitLocker To Go' for those. As long as you have a copy of the keys you should be fine. You need the keys if for example you clean install and need to access an encrypted drive or partition or if you perhaps alter the disk structure and resize a partition. Apart from major events like that it operates seamlessly.

There is no Bitlocker in Home but is called device encryption. There are differences.

So, based on the two comments above, the OP should make sure the correct recovery keys are saved to their Microsoft accounts, and that they can access their Microsoft account even when the computer in question is unavailable.

The questions are:

1. How does the user check the Microsoft‑stored Recovery Key ID against their local devices when the utilities to manage Bitlocker are unavailable? No tutorial! (now that this has become the default)
2. What happens for people using local accounts only?

At a basic level you can get the keys using a command prompt. For drives other than the main C drive simply replace the C with the appropriate designation. I would assume this would work for any Windows version running BitLocker.

Use the code:

Personally I print them out and securely file them should they be needed. I would have to be sat in front of the Home edition to see what options were available but normally you can use 'Control Panel' to access the BitLocker settings page although I see typing just 'Encryption' into W11 settings gives the option as well.

The arrowed number (password) if the 48 digit key needed.

GrayOldman1 said:

Running Windows 11 home. Should bit locker be on or off.

Click to expand...

Yes, definitely on or off.