BitLocker questions

Ancient · Jul 1, 2024

@hsehestedt I have encrypted the laptop ssd now, all good.
When I started the process for the External backup drive it just goes straight to "Use a Password to Unlock the Drive" rather than giving the option to "save the recovery key" ?
Am I missing something or is this standard behaviour for external Hard Drives?

TraderGary · Jul 1, 2024

Ancient said:
I have encrypted the laptop ssd now, all good.
When I started the process for the External backup drive it just goes straight to "Use a Password to Unlock the Drive" rather than giving the option to "save the recovery key" ?
Am I missing something or is this standard behaviour for external Hard Drives?

I use Macrium Reflect to make backup images., I have two 4TB Samsung Portable T9 SSD drives that I use for backup images. Each SSD contains 5 rotating backup images.

When I used File Explorer and chose the option to encrypt the portable SSD's using BitLocker, I was given only two choices, I could use a hardware key or I could use a password. I chose a 16 character password, the same for both drives. There is also a checkbox to allow the drives to automatically unlock when connected to my computer's BitLocker SSD which I check. This makes using the SSD's for Macrium Reflect backups totally transparent to use. I made a record of the password and placed it in a file in my OneDrive vault. I also made a record of the password in a Secure Note in my Password Manager Vault.

Using BitLocker To Go on my two Samsung 4TB Portable SSD's gives me the confidence to take them with me when traveling to make my backup images. If I hand one of the drives to someone else and ask them to read them, they are simply asked for the password, which they don't have.

Ancient · Jul 1, 2024

Just read post 2 again and now understand that after choosing the Password option it then presents the recovery key to save somewhere.
What is the purpose of the password ie why just not use the recovery key?

cheaterslick · Jul 1, 2024

Ancient said:
Just read post 2 again and now understand that after choosing the Password option it then presents the recovery key to save somewhere.
What is the purpose of the password ie why just not use the recovery key?

Have you seen the key? It's a big long-ass thing that I wouldn't make it a habit of entering everytime I log into my computer.

No, a good complex password based on a phrase that's familiar to you would be much better.

hsehestedt · Jul 1, 2024

Ancient said:
Just read post 2 again and now understand that after choosing the Password option it then presents the recovery key to save somewhere.
What is the purpose of the password ie why just not use the recovery key?

For disks other than the OS drive, image if you had to enter that huge, long recovery key every time you wanted to use that drive? A password is much easier.

hsehestedt · Jul 1, 2024

@cheaterslick, looks like we were posting at about the same time. Good to see we were thinking along the same lines

Ancient · Jul 2, 2024

Thought of another one... I know only Windows Pro lets you turn on BitLocker, once you have set it, ... can you still access the device on a Windows Home device ?

Many thanks.

TraderGary · Jul 2, 2024

Ancient said:
Thought of another one... I know only Windows Pro lets you turn on BitLocker, once you have set it, ... can you still access the device on a Windows Home device ?

Many thanks.

If I access one of my Samsung T9 Portable SSD's from my BitLocker PC, they automatically unlock as I set them up to work this way. If I access from any other device, my password is required. So, yes, I can access my drives from any other device as long as I use my password.

Ancient · Jul 2, 2024

TraderGary said:
If I access one of my Samsung T9 Portable SSD's from my BitLocker PC, they automatically unlock as I set them up to work this way. If I access from any other device, my password is required. So, yes, I can access my drives from any other device as long as I use my password.

Thanks... just to confirm, it can be accessed even on Windows home (with the password) is that correct?

TraderGary · Jul 2, 2024

Ancient said:
Thanks... just to confirm, it can be accessed even on Windows home (with the password) is that correct?

Yes.

Ramesh Sharma · Aug 2, 2024

Thanks to all for very valuable suggestions, information provided in this thread.
1.Using Bitlocker Utility 3.0 by CarlosMartinez Github, I unlocked my usb flash drive and turn off its encryption from WinPE Environment.
2.The utility boots from Ventoy and Easy2boot softwares.
3. Here is the link for utility

Release BitLockerUtility 3.0 · cmartinezone/BitLockerUtility

Support: ISO File for creating a Bootable USB Use Rufus https://rufus.ie/ to Create a Bootable USB Drive. Hash: SHA256 EDC7E763E283CA729B5CE4132554C65E134E11CDE3A7DBC5EAAEA8D5647EDA04 ...

github.com

4. I have attached the image herewith which shows 3 different options regarding with Bitlocker encryption.The utility has wim file and iso file to download.
5. Thanks.

hsehestedt · Aug 2, 2024

Ramesh Sharma said:
Using Bitlocker Utility 3.0 by CarlosMartinez Github, I unlocked my usb flash drive and turn off its encryption from WinPE Environment.

Ramesh, forgive me if I am missing some details here, but why did you have to resort to a third-party utility to unlock your UFD?

Even if you have a non-bootable OS on the HDD, you can just boot from your Windows installation media and at the first static screen press SHIFT + F10 to open a command prompt. At that point you run the "manage-bde" command line utility for BitLocker. Using that you can do everything - including unlocking the UFD.

I have nothing against using another utility, I just thought that I would point out that you don't need one. That's good to know just in case you end up in a situation where you don't have access to that utility.

Ramesh Sharma · Aug 2, 2024

hsehestedt said:
Ramesh, forgive me if I am missing some details here, but why did you have to resort to a third-party utility to unlock your UFD?

Even if you have a non-bootable OS on the HDD, you can just boot from your Windows installation media and at the first static screen press SHIFT + F10 to open a command prompt. At that point you run the "manage-bde" command line utility for BitLocker. Using that you can do everything - including unlocking the UFD.

I have nothing against using another utility, I just thought that I would point out that you don't need one. That's good to know just in case you end up in a situation where you don't have access to that utility.

Thanks @hsehestedt for sharing and considering this post. Very glad to see you watching this.
Which options do we get in mange-bde?
I found that this utility gives all drives information connected in pc.
It gives much details regarding with bitlocker such as recovery key ID, identifier etc. in WinPE environment.I found easy to get in to decryption of drive encrypted.
I will be very happy to have such ready made utility by VIP members like you.
I am greatest admirer of you all.

hdmi · Aug 2, 2024

Ramesh Sharma said:
I found easy to get in to decryption of drive encrypted.

Yes, it really is easy. So easy in fact, it took him only 43 seconds to get in... Beating Bitlocker In 43 Seconds

hdmi · Aug 2, 2024

Here's another video about the fact that, the farther you dig back in time, the more hard evidence piles up to show that it never was safe.

The key point (with emphasis on "key"...) is that if Microsoft kept promising over and over and over that BitLocker was safe, then why in the name of guacamocola should anyone choose to simply believe that it is safe now?

TraderGary · Aug 2, 2024

hdmi said:
Yes, it really is easy. So easy in fact, it took him only 43 seconds to get in... Beating Bitlocker In 43 Seconds

Just watch this YouTube video and you too can beat BitLocker encryption in only 43 seconds!

TraderGary · Aug 2, 2024

hdmi said:
Here's another video about the fact that, the farther you dig back in time, the more hard evidence piles up to show that it never was safe.

The key point (with emphasis on "key"...) is that if Microsoft kept promising over and over and over that BitLocker was safe, then why in the name of guacamocola should anyone choose to simply believe that it is safe now?

He's talking about TPM 1.2. I wonder what's changed in TPM 2.0? Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0.

hdmi · Aug 2, 2024

TraderGary said:
Just watch this YouTube video and you too can beat BitLocker encryption in only 43 seconds!

Like I already tried to point out, the main takeaway is that Microsoft has been selling blatant mistruths about BitLocker. Worse, they have been doing it ever since they invented the feature. So, let me set this straight. Where I come from, if you want to sell a security product, then you have to prove that the safety is real. Not snake oil.

TraderGary said:
He's talking about TPM 1.2. I wonder what's changed in TPM 2.0? Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0.

Vulnerabilities in the TPM 2.0 reference implementation code

In this blog post we discuss the details of two vulnerabilities we discovered in the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 reference implementation code. These two vulnerabilities, an out-of-bounds write (CVE-2023-1017) and an out-of-bounds read (CVE-2023-1018), affected several TPM 2.0 software...

blog.quarkslab.com

hdmi · Aug 2, 2024

TraderGary · Aug 2, 2024

hdmi said:
Like I already tried to point out, the main takeway is that Microsoft has been selling blatant mistruths about BitLocker. Worse, they have been doing it ever since they invented the feature. So, let me set this straight. Where I come from, if you want to sell a security product, then you have to prove that the safety is real. Not snake oil.

Vulnerabilities in the TPM 2.0 reference implementation code

In this blog post we discuss the details of two vulnerabilities we discovered in the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 reference implementation code. These two vulnerabilities, an out-of-bounds write (CVE-2023-1017) and an out-of-bounds read (CVE-2023-1018), affected several TPM 2.0 software...

blog.quarkslab.com

Of course no product can be proven to be totally secure. BitLocker uses AES 128bit and 256bit encryption. I feel secure using BitLocker on my two laptops and on my portable SSD drives. You're free to believe that BitLocker is "snake oil".

BitLocker questions

Member

My Computer

Stock Market Wizard

My Computer

Member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Member

My Computer

Stock Market Wizard

My Computer

Member

My Computer

Stock Market Wizard

My Computer

Well-known member

Attachments

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Jack of all trades – master of none

My Computers

Jack of all trades – master of none

My Computers

Stock Market Wizard

My Computer

Stock Market Wizard

My Computer

Jack of all trades – master of none

My Computers

Jack of all trades – master of none

My Computers

Stock Market Wizard

My Computer

Similar threads