Press Windows key + X and open Terminal (Admin) to launch the command prompt with administrative privileges.

Plugin the external drive into the Windows device.

If you do not require password protection for the drive, you can also disable the bitlocker encryption. Note: BitLocker encryption is only available on Windows 10 & 11 pro and enterprise edition.

Once the encryption is done, The BitLocker will lock the drive, and any user accessing the protected drive must enter the previously set password. It is recommended that you choose the Compatible mode for the external drive. Choose the backup medium and click on Next.

You will be asked for a location to back up the recovery key.Set a password for the drive and click on Next.Find the Drive you want to encrypt and click on its Properties button.Press Windows Key + I to open the Windows Settings.Plug the external HDD to your Windows device.Here’s how to use this to password-protect the external hard drive. This makes the encryption so strong that it can sustain any attacks on your data and protect it. AES makes use of a single key to encrypt and decrypt the data. This algorithm converts the blocks of files and combines them as a ciphertext. Using BitLocker to Encrypt External Hard Driveīitlocker is a useful utility on Windows that can be used to encrypt the drives on the device and protect the files in the drives from unauthorized access.īitLocker uses AES Encryption with a block size of 128 or 256-bit key algorithm to protect your data. However, Bitlocker is the most trusted among all, which comes pre-installed on Windows. There are multiple third-party options on Windows to protect your External Hard drive. However, in this article, we will just recommend pre-installed encryptors on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. You can even use third-party applications for this purpose. There are various GUI and command line utilities that can be used to encrypt and password-protect the hard drive.

As a result, it adds a new layer of security to the data. Bypassing the password will not give the recipient any access to the files. The key is required when the user or receiver wants to decrypt the data again. Encryption converts your data into an unreadable form known as the cipher text and also assigns it a key. Hackers can easily break the protocol that has set the password. It is well-known that a password alone can’t protect your drive. Password Protect External Hard Drive on Windows, Mac, and Linux Password Protect External Hard Drive on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Can you password protect a usb drive