How to encrypt a USB drive on Windows 11 using BitLocker

How to encrypt a USB drive on Windows 11 using BitLocker:

1. Plug in your USB drive

   • Insert your USB drive into the computer.

2. Open File Explorer

   • Press Windows+E to open File Explorer quickly.

3. Enable BitLocker

   • Right-click on the USB drive in Explorer and select “Turn on BitLocker.” In Windows 11, you’ll have to click on “Show more details” first¹.

4. Wait for BitLocker to initialize the drive

   • BitLocker will prepare your drive for encryption¹.

5. Choose a password

   • You will be prompted to choose a password. This password will be used to unlock your encrypted USB drive¹.

6. Save your recovery key

   • You will be asked to choose where and how to save your recovery key. The recovery key will allow you to decrypt the drive if you forget your password¹.

7. Choose encryption type

   • You will be asked to choose whether to encrypt the whole drive or only used space. If the drive is empty and formatted, choose “Used Space”; otherwise, choose "Entire Drive"¹.

Remember, BitLocker is available on Windows 10 and 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education versions. If you’re using Windows Home, you might need to consider third-party encryption options¹.