BitLocker questions

Ancient · Monday at 8:23 AM

@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 · Monday at 9:32 AM

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 · Monday at 8:13 PM

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 · Monday at 8:28 PM

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 · Monday at 8:30 PM

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 · Monday at 8:31 PM

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

Ancient · Tuesday at 2:01 PM

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 · Tuesday at 3:02 PM

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 · Tuesday at 3:14 PM

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?