BitLocker is a Windows utility that allows you to encrypt sensitive documents, photos, video clips and other files. It is possible to protect a whole drive or select specific logical partitions. There is support for HDDs, SSDs and SD cards.

Configuration

After installing the program users can navigate to the BitLocker Drive Encryption tab located in the Control Panel. The next step is to choose the area for protection and specify a personal password for accessing encrypted data in the future.

It is worth mentioning that BitLocker is included in Professional and Ultimate editions of all modern operating systems. Separate installation in these OS versions is not required. However, the included executable file can be used for repairing missing or corrupted system components.

Encryption

Data processing may take up a long time depending on the amount of files. A system reboot is required after completing the encryption. The application will automatically scan protected items on every startup to detect potential security threats. You can interact with the encrypted files as usual.

Like in TrueCrypt, external access to private information and system settings is blocked automatically. Additionally, there is an option to backup critical information to a cloud storage server.

Features

free to download and use;
provides tools for encrypting data on hard drives and external storage devices;
automatically scans protected files on every system startup to detect potential security issues;
there is support for the AES encryption algorithm;
compatible with all modern versions of Windows.