Anyone using Bitlocker to encrypt extenral drives?

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peppergomez

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instead of using Veracrypt, I'm going to use Microsoft Bitlocker to encrypt the next external hard drive I get. I haven't used bitlocker before but based on what i've read about it it seems like it will do what I need it to. I would probably use the password option since I'll be building a new computer later this year or next and I'm thinking with the password option, There won't be any issues of getting that external drive recognized by a different windows install.

If anybody has been using bitlocker, what do you think of it?

Does it degrade drive performance at all terms of transfer speeds?
 
peppergomez said:
instead of using Veracrypt, I'm going to use Microsoft Bitlocker to encrypt the next external hard drive I get. I haven't used bitlocker before but based on what i've read about it it seems like it will do what I need it to. I would probably use the password option since I'll be building a new computer later this year or next and I'm thinking with the password option, There won't be any issues of getting that external drive recognized by a different windows install.

If anybody has been using bitlocker, what do you think of it?

Does it degrade drive performance at all terms of transfer speeds?
Click to expand...
I haven't used it for an external drive. But, lots for internal.

For daily use, their is no perceptible performance difference. You might be able to find a difference if you really look for it. But, if you really need secure data, its worth it.

I would have as many recovery options as possible.
If you are using the password method-----make sure its a good password. The typical bitlocker keys are so long, they probably couldn't' ever be brute forced. And that's the point ;)
 
Thanks guys

And a more general question is, what is the quickest way to encrypt or password Protect a drive?

I'm buying a massive 44TB WD external drive will be RAID 0 since it the data will be backed up on other drives, so it won't ever be my single source of data. If I were to encrypt it in the way I used to do using Veracrypt.It would take literally weeks.I'd much rather not do that and if i'm able to just set a password without having to spend days encrypting it that's much better. I think that the drive comes with AES encryption software that might enable me to do that. But if i'm using Bitlocker would I be able to just set a password and not have to encrypt every sector in the drive?
 
peppergomez said:
Thanks guys

And a more general question is, what is the quickest way to encrypt or password Protect a drive?

I'm buying a massive 44TB WD external drive will be RAID 0 since it the data will be backed up on other drives, so it won't ever be my single source of data. If I were to encrypt it in the way I used to do using Veracrypt.It would take literally weeks.I'd much rather not do that and if i'm able to just set a password without having to spend days encrypting it that's much better. I think that the drive comes with AES encryption software that might enable me to do that. But if i'm using Bitlocker would I be able to just set a password and not have to encrypt every sector in the drive?
Click to expand...
Make sure bitlocker is compatible with a raid array.
 
Raid 0 is risky, externals usually have a bit harder life, if anything changes on the array, wouldn't that prompt for bit locker key?
 
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