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Windows tip of the week

Keep a watchful eye over data usage

By Ed Bott

BitLocker drive encryption is one of the signature features of the Pro and Enterprise editions of Windows 10. When you enable BitLocker on a drive, you make it impossible for an attacker to steal data from that drive unless they have the decryption keys.

Normally, drives that you've encrypted using BitLocker unlock automatically when you sign in with your Windows credentials. But you can get locked out under other conditions as well, by actions as simple as updating a system's firmware. And you really can't appreciate what a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach feels like until you see Windows demand your 48-digit numeric key before it will allow you to access your data.

If you signed in to Windows with a Microsoft account, your BitLocker recovery key is in OneDrive; from any device, go to https://onedrive.com/recoverykey and sign in with the same Microsoft account to retrieve the key.

If you're not signed in with a Microsoft account, or you just want a belt-and-suspenders backup of that key, use the Bitlocker management tools in Control Panel. Right-click the drive icon in File Explorer, click Manage BitLocker, and then click Back Up Your Recovery Key. You can print the key, or save it as a text file to an external drive. Just don't forget where you stored it.

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