Windows 10 Encryption

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ronw

1222 posts

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#217826 13-Jul-2017 21:35

I have been thinking about Encryption of my Windows 10 laptop. I know everyone suggests Bitlocker but as I am not running a professional version of Windows 10 and don't really st to get encryption I am interested in other products to achieve encryption. I have toyed with using Veracrypt but would like some advice from other users.

Any suggestions please.

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Inphinity

2780 posts

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#1822137 13-Jul-2017 21:48

Eset do a product called DESLock which is pretty comprehensive.

nathan

5695 posts

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#1822200 14-Jul-2017 06:21

Every version of Windows 10 includes disk encryption

Logon with a local admin account attached to a Microsoft Account (so your recovery key can be escrowed) and disk encryption will turn on.

ronw

1222 posts

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#1822665 14-Jul-2017 20:03

I was not aware of that. had a look at doing that, using a separate login but it insisted that all future logins be via the windows account.Was not sure if that was telling me that I must use Windows account login in future for everything or that it applied just to the windows account that I just created, and other logins were still able to login outside of the windows account. I don't really want myself tied to MS account so I flagged it.

nathan: Every version of Windows 10 includes disk encryption

Logon with a local admin account attached to a Microsoft Account (so your recovery key can be escrowed) and disk encryption will turn on.

Nokia 7 Plus
Nexus 6P 32Gb
Nexus 6 Phone
Nexus 5 Phone
Nexus 7 2013 Tablet
Samsung TAB A 8"
Samsung TAB A 10"

& many Windows laptops, Desktops etc

ronw

1222 posts

Uber Geek

#1832565 27-Jul-2017 23:00

Not correct Windows Home does not allow Bitlocker. You have to pay another 200 dollars to upgrade to professional

nathan: Every version of Windows 10 includes disk encryption

Logon with a local admin account attached to a Microsoft Account (so your recovery key can be escrowed) and disk encryption will turn on.

Nokia 7 Plus
Nexus 6P 32Gb
Nexus 6 Phone
Nexus 5 Phone
Nexus 7 2013 Tablet
Samsung TAB A 8"
Samsung TAB A 10"

& many Windows laptops, Desktops etc

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1832627 28-Jul-2017 08:25

ronw:

Not correct Windows Home does not allow Bitlocker. You have to pay another 200 dollars to upgrade to professional

nathan: Every version of Windows 10 includes disk encryption

Logon with a local admin account attached to a Microsoft Account (so your recovery key can be escrowed) and disk encryption will turn on.

what I stated is correct. Windows 10 Home has device encryption built in. Give it a try.

Device encryption requires a PC with InstantGo and TPM 2.0.

ronw

1222 posts

Uber Geek

#1832648 28-Jul-2017 09:20

I tried it. I switched my laptop over to Windows login and then searched for Bitlocker MS Help clearly states that it is only available on professional edition and immediately offered to sell me an upgrade at $200+ dollars.

After messing around to see if there was some way aroundit and was I missing something I gave up and removed the Windows Login and went back to Local Account, I was a bit hesitant using the Windows account but thought I would give it a go. As above it just does not allow you.

Here is the details I received I meet all the other requirements TPM and UEFI

BitLocker Drive Encryption is available only on Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise.
For best results your computer must be equipped with a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip. This is a special microchip that enables your device to support advanced security features.
You can use BitLocker without a TPM chip by using software-based encryption, but it requires some extra steps for additional authentication.
Your computer's BIOS must support TPM or USB devices during startup. If this isn't the case, you'll need to check your PC manufacturer's support website to get the latest firmware update for your BIOS before trying to set up BitLocker.

Nokia 7 Plus
Nexus 6P 32Gb
Nexus 6 Phone
Nexus 5 Phone
Nexus 7 2013 Tablet
Samsung TAB A 8"
Samsung TAB A 10"

& many Windows laptops, Desktops etc

Hammerer

2476 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#1832651 28-Jul-2017 09:27

@Nathan said "Device encryption" which is not the sames as "BitLocker". BitLocker provides additional features like encryption of USB sticks.

https://www.howtogeek.com/234826/how-to-enable-full-disk-encryption-on-windows-10/

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gbwelly

1243 posts

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#1832656 28-Jul-2017 09:33

I am using Bitlocker on 3 Windows 10 Home devices, so Nathan is correct. I've seen reports that if you don't have a TPM module on your system however then you will get prompted to upgrade to Pro edition like you are seeing. See if you can enable TPM in the bios of the machine and try again perhaps?

Edit: I am talking about full device encryption, not just encryption of removable media.

ronw

1222 posts

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#1832659 28-Jul-2017 09:38

I do have the correct TPM and it is fully enabled. Once logged into a windows account I searched for bitlocker it did not exist. I even went down the GPEdit road to see if that would make it pop up but it did not. I then went ahead with veracrypt and it found the TPM immediately

Nokia 7 Plus
Nexus 6P 32Gb
Nexus 6 Phone
Nexus 5 Phone
Nexus 7 2013 Tablet
Samsung TAB A 8"
Samsung TAB A 10"

& many Windows laptops, Desktops etc

ronw

1222 posts

Uber Geek

#1832662 28-Jul-2017 09:40

The article you quoted specifically states that you have to pay extra if you use Home Edition

Hammerer:

@Nathan said "Device encryption" which is not the sames as "BitLocker". BitLocker provides additional features like encryption of USB sticks.

https://www.howtogeek.com/234826/how-to-enable-full-disk-encryption-on-windows-10/

Nokia 7 Plus
Nexus 6P 32Gb
Nexus 6 Phone
Nexus 5 Phone
Nexus 7 2013 Tablet
Samsung TAB A 8"
Samsung TAB A 10"

& many Windows laptops, Desktops etc

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1832665 28-Jul-2017 09:45

ronw:

I do have the correct TPM and it is fully enabled. Once logged into a windows account I searched for bitlocker it did not exist. I even went down the GPEdit road to see if that would make it pop up but it did not. I then went ahead with veracrypt and it found the TPM immediately

its not BitLocker. Its Device Encryption (powered by BitLocker technologies)

Windows 10 Home has no Group Policy which is why GPedit, and it has no BitLocker which is why the search fails

nathan

5695 posts

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Inactive user

#1832667 28-Jul-2017 09:46

the first half of the article refers to the Device Encryption which is built into Windows 10 Home.

ronw:

The article you quoted specifically states that you have to pay extra if you use Home Edition

Hammerer:

@Nathan said "Device encryption" which is not the sames as "BitLocker". BitLocker provides additional features like encryption of USB sticks.

https://www.howtogeek.com/234826/how-to-enable-full-disk-encryption-on-windows-10/

1101

3122 posts

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#1832670 28-Jul-2017 09:52

Perhaps the laptop has password protection at the bios level.

via a bios setting , you might be able to pass protect the actual hard drive , so no HD access without that pass, even if the HD is removed you
still wont be able to access it.

Hammerer

2476 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#1832673 28-Jul-2017 09:57

ronw:

The article you quoted specifically states that you have to pay extra if you use Home Edition

Hammerer:

@Nathan said "Device encryption" which is not the sames as "BitLocker". BitLocker provides additional features like encryption of USB sticks.

https://www.howtogeek.com/234826/how-to-enable-full-disk-encryption-on-windows-10/

Read the article and be specific.

It only says that Windows 10 Home users have to pay for BitLocker in the section "For Windows Pro Users: BitLocker":

If you don’t have a Professional edition of Windows 10, you can pay $99 to upgrade your Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Professional.

In the section "If Your Computer Supports It: Windows Device Encryption" states:

Many new PCs that ship with Windows 10 will automatically have “Device Encryption” enabled. This feature was first introduced in Windows 8.1, and there are specific hardware requirements for this. Not every PC will have this feature, but some will.

The Microsoft system requirements for Device Encryption do not require Windows Pro or higher:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-nz/windows/windows-10-specifications

Device encryption requires a PC with InstantGo and TPM 2.0.

I'd reproduce a screenshot from my Windows Home laptop except it doesn't support InstantGo because "The boot volume must not use a hard disk drive", which I have.

P.S. Edited to hyperlink Windows specs page

gbwelly

1243 posts

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#1832951 28-Jul-2017 15:35

Well I learned something today, I thought the padlock on the C: drive was bitlocker, I guess because I've never attempted to enable bitlocker on a removable drive on any of my Win 10 Home machines (only unlocked them) I've been working under an incorrect assumption.