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.
Your PC's hard drive must contain two partitions: a system partition, which contains the necessary files to start Windows, and the partition with the operating system. If your computer doesn't meet the requirements, BitLocker will create them for you. Additionally, the hard drive partitions must be formatted with the NTFS file system.
The process to encrypt an entire hard drive isn't difficult, but it's time-consuming. Depending the amount of data and size of the drive, it can take a very long time.
Make sure to keep your computer connected to an uninterrupted power supply throughout the entire process.
