USB 记忆(USB memory)棒以及外部硬盘驱动器和闪存驱动器是传输数据的便捷方式。它们允许您携带任何东西，包括视频、文档、演示文稿、应用程序、系统恢复(system recovery)工具，甚至操作系统。不幸的是，它们是便携式的事实也使它们容易丢失，这可能会使您存储在它们上的任何敏感信息面临风险。为了保护您和您自己的数据，您可以使用BitLocker To Go，这是一种Windows 工具(Windows tool)，可加密您的数据以防止未经授权的查看。如果没有您的密码、智能卡或恢复密钥(recovery key)，任何发现（或窃取）您的 USB 驱动器的人都无法解读您的数据。以下是如何使用BitLocker To Go在Windows 10中加密任何USB 驱动器(USB drive)：
什么是 BitLocker To Go？
BitLocker To Go是Microsoft制作的基于BitLocker的工具，可让您加密可移动驱动器。换句话说，您可以使用它来加密和保护您存储在USB 记忆(USB memory)棒、外部硬盘驱动器和固态驱动器、SD 卡以及任何其他类型的便携式驱动器上的数据。BitLocker To Go可以加密使用(BitLocker To Go)NTFS、FAT32、FAT16或 exFAT 文件系统格式化的可移动数据驱动器。
BitLocker To Go在Windows 10 专业版(Pro)、企业版(Enterprise)和教育(Education)版中可用，但在Windows 10 家庭(Home)版中不存在。如果您不知道您使用的是哪个版本的Windows 10，请按照以下说明检查Windows 10版本、操作系统构建(OS build)、版本或类型。
如何在Windows 10中使用(Windows 10)BitLocker To Go加密USB 驱动器(USB drive)
要在Windows 10中加密(Windows 10)USB 驱动器(USB drive)，您必须启动BitLocker 驱动器加密(BitLocker Drive Encryption)向导，您可以从文件资源管理器(File Explorer)或控制面板(Control Panel)中打开该向导。如果您选择使用文件资源管理器(File Explorer)，请转到这台电脑(This PC)，右键单击或按住要加密的USB 驱动器，然后选择(USB drive)“打开 BitLocker”。("Turn on BitLocker.")
如果您更喜欢使用控制面板(Control Panel)，请打开它，导航到系统和安全(System and Security)，然后单击或点击BitLocker 驱动器加密(BitLocker Drive Encryption)。
在BitLocker 驱动器加密(BitLocker Drive Encryption)窗口中，单击或点击要加密的可移动USB 驱动器(USB drive)旁边的“打开 BitLocker” 。("Turn on BitLocker")
无论您选择如何启动BitLocker 驱动器加密(BitLocker Drive Encryption)向导 - 通过文件资源管理器(File Explorer)或从控制面板(Control Panel)- 现在它已打开。它做的第一件事是要求您“BitLocker 初始化驱动器时请稍候”。("Please wait while BitLocker initializes the drive.")
根据您的 Windows 10 PC 和USB 驱动器(USB drive)的速度，这可能需要一些时间。请注意(Take care)不要在此步骤中拔下可移动驱动器。否则，上面的数据可能会损坏。
在BitLocker初始化USB 驱动器(USB drive)后，您可以在加密后“选择解锁方式 [...]” 。("choose how you want to unlock [...]")您可以使用密码或智能卡(smart card)。由于大多数人没有智能卡（主要用于公司），您应该选择“使用密码解锁驱动器”。("Use a password to unlock the drive.")选择此选项后，输入您要使用的密码并确认。然后，按下一步(Next)。
BitLocker要求您选择备份加密USB 驱动器的(USB drive)恢复密钥(recovery key)的位置。如果您忘记密码或丢失在上一步中选择的智能卡，您可以使用此密钥恢复可移动驱动器上的数据。没有它，您的数据将永远丢失。您可以选择：
- 将文件存储在您的 Windows 10 PC 上 - BitLocker会生成一个文本文件(text file)并要求您选择保存位置
- 打印并保存记录 - 打印一个页面，其中包含加密设备的唯一标识符和唯一的恢复密钥(recovery key)
- 将恢复密钥(recovery key)保存在您的Microsoft 帐户(Microsoft account)中- 将备份的BitLocker 密钥(BitLocker key)上传到您的Microsoft 帐户(Microsoft account)中，您可以在此链接中找到该密钥(at this link)
我们建议您使用所有选项以确保您不会丢失恢复密钥(recovery key)。然后，单击或点击(click or tap) 下一步(Next)。
选择(Choose)是要加密整个USB 驱动器(USB drive)还是只加密其中文件使用的存储空间(storage space)。正如您在下一个屏幕截图中看到的那样，Microsoft建议：
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“仅加密已用磁盘空间（更快）”("encrypt used disk space only (faster)") - 如果您使用的是没有数据的新可移动驱动器
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“加密整个驱动器（较慢）”("encrypt [the] entire drive (slower)") - 如果它已经存储了数据。
做出选择后，按Next。
接下来，Windows 10 会要求您选择您喜欢使用的BitLocker加密类型。(BitLocker)您可以选择：
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新的加密模式(New encryption mode)，这是一种更安全的加密模式(encryption mode)，称为 XTS-AES，但与旧版本的Windows 10不兼容（2015 年(Windows 10)11 月(November 2015)发布的版本 1511(version 1511)之前）
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兼容模式(Compatible mode)，这是与其他（旧）Windows 版本兼容的传统BitLocker 加密模式(encryption mode)。如果您希望能够在运行Windows 7或 Windows 8.1的计算机和设备上使用加密的USB 驱动器，请选择此模式。(USB drive)
做出选择后，单击或点击(click or tap) 下一步(Next)。
此时，您剩下要做的就是使用BitLocker To Go加密驱动器。单击或点击开始加密(Start encrypting)。
使用BitLocker To Go(BitLocker To Go)加密 USB 驱动器，特别是如果它是一个大的，可能需要一些时间。
注意：(NOTE:)如果您需要在加密过程(encryption process)中移除驱动器，请在继续操作之前在BitLocker 驱动器加密(BitLocker Drive Encryption)窗口中按暂停(Pause)，以免损坏驱动器上的数据。当您准备好恢复加密过程(encryption process)时，将可移动驱动器插回您的 Windows 10 PC USB端口之一。键入驱动器的密码，BitLocker To Go将继续从您离开的位置加密USB 驱动器。(USB drive)
当您的驱动器完全加密时，您会收到一个快速弹出窗口的通知，您必须关闭(Close)它才能完成该过程。
您的USB 驱动器(USB drive)现在使用BitLocker To Go进行加密，从而防止未经授权的访问。从现在开始，USB 驱动器(USB drive)的图标在文件资源管理器(File Explorer)中将有所不同。它上面有一个小锁，以突出它已加密的事实。
如果您以后想在加密的USB 驱动器上调整(USB drive)BitLocker To Go的设置，请阅读本教程：管理您的 BitLocker To Go 加密闪存驱动器(flash drive)。在其中，我们向您展示了如何更改驱动器上的BitLocker密码，以及如何在 Windows 10 中启用或禁用BitLocker自动解锁功能。
您(Are)是否使用BitLocker To Go 加密USB驱动器？
如果您正在处理敏感或私人数据，则应考虑使用BitLocker To Go。它提供了加密USB 记忆棒、闪存驱动器和(USB memory)Windows 10中的任何其他USB驱动器的最佳和最简单的方法之一。在关闭本文之前，请告诉我们您是否在Windows 10中使用(Windows 10)BitLocker To Go ，以及您在加密可移动驱动器方面的体验。
Encrypt a USB drive with BitLocker To Go in Windows 10
USB memory sticks, as well as external hard disk drives and flash drives, are convenient means of trаnsporting data. They allow you to carry anything, including videos, documents, presentations, applicatіons, system recovery tools, and even operating systems. Unfortunately, the fact that they're portable also makes thеm prоnе to being lost, which can put any sеnsitive informatіon you have stored on them at risk. To protect your data and yоυrѕelf, you can usе BitLocker To Go, a Windows tool that encrypts your data to prevent unauthorized viewing. Without your password, smart card, or recovery key, your data is indecipherable to anyone who finds (or steals) your USB drive. Here's how to use BitLocker To Go in Windows 10 to encrypt any USB drive:
What is BitLocker To Go?
BitLocker To Go is a tool made by Microsoft, based on BitLocker, that allows you to encrypt removable drives. In other words, you can use it to encrypt and safeguard the data you store on USB memory sticks, external hard disks drives and solid-state drives, SD cards, and any other types of portable drives. BitLocker To Go can encrypt removable data drives that are formatted using NTFS, FAT32, FAT16, or exFAT file systems.
BitLocker To Go is available in Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions, but it is not present in Windows 10 Home. If you don't know what edition of Windows 10 you are using, here's how to check the Windows 10 version, OS build, edition, or type.
How to use BitLocker To Go in Windows 10 to encrypt a USB drive
To encrypt a USB drive in Windows 10, you have to start the BitLocker Drive Encryption wizard, which you can open either from File Explorer or from the Control Panel. If you choose to use File Explorer, go to This PC, right-click or press-and-hold on the USB drive that you want to encrypt, and select "Turn on BitLocker."
If you prefer using the Control Panel, open it, navigate to System and Security, and then click or tap on BitLocker Drive Encryption.
In the BitLocker Drive Encryption window, click or tap "Turn on BitLocker" next to the removable USB drive that you want to encrypt.
Regardless of how you chose to start the BitLocker Drive Encryption wizard - via File Explorer or from the Control Panel - now it's open. The first thing it does is ask you to "Please wait while BitLocker initializes the drive."
Depending on how fast your Windows 10 PC and your USB drive are, this can take a few moments. Take care not to unplug your removable drive during this step. Otherwise, the data on it can be corrupted.
After BitLocker initializes the USB drive, you can "choose how you want to unlock [...]" it after it's encrypted. You can use either a password or a smart card. Since most people don't own a smart card (which are mostly used in companies), you should choose to "Use a password to unlock the drive." After you select this option, enter the password that you want to use and confirm it. Then, press Next.
BitLocker requires you to select where to back up the recovery key for the encrypted USB drive. You can use this key to recover the data on the removable drive, should you forget the password or lose the smart card you selected on the previous step. Without it, your data is forever lost. You can opt to:
- store the file on your Windows 10 PC - BitLocker generates a text file and asks you to select where to save it
- print it and keep it for your records - print a page with a unique identifier for your encrypted device and the unique recovery key
- save the recovery key on your Microsoft account - uploads the backup BitLocker key in your Microsoft account, which you can find at this link
We recommend exercising all options to ensure you do not lose the recovery key. Then, click or tap Next.
Choose whether you want to encrypt the entire USB drive or just the storage space used by the files on it. As you can see in the next screenshot, Microsoft recommends to:
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"encrypt used disk space only (faster)" - if you're using a new removable drive with no data on it
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"encrypt [the] entire drive (slower)" - if it already has data stored on it.
After you make your selection, press Next.
Next, Windows 10 asks you to choose the type of BitLocker encryption you prefer to use. You can choose between:
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New encryption mode, which is a more secure encryption mode called XTS-AES, but is incompatible with old versions of Windows 10 (before version 1511, which was released in November 2015)
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Compatible mode, which is the traditional BitLocker encryption mode that's compatible with other (older) Windows versions. Select this mode if you want to be able to use the encrypted USB drive on computers and devices running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.
After you've made your choice, click or tap Next.
At this point, all you have left to do is encrypt the drive with BitLocker To Go. Click or tap on Start encrypting.
Encrypting a USB drive with BitLocker To Go, especially if it's a large one, can take some time.
NOTE: If you need to remove your drive during the encryption process, press Pause in the BitLocker Drive Encryption window before proceeding to avoid corrupting the data on it. When you're ready to resume the encryption process, insert your removable drive back into one of your Windows 10 PC USB ports. Type the drive's password, and BitLocker To Go continues to encrypt the USB drive from where you left off.
When your drive is fully encrypted, you are notified with a quick pop up, which you have to Close to complete the process.
Your USB drive is now encrypted with BitLocker To Go, and thus protected from unauthorized access. From now on, the icon of the USB drive is different in File Explorer. It has a small lock on it to highlight the fact that it's encrypted.
If you later want to adjust the settings of BitLocker To Go on your encrypted USB drive, read this tutorial: Managing your BitLocker To Go encrypted flash drive. In it, we show you things like how to change the BitLocker password on the drive, and how to enable or disable the BitLocker auto-unlock feature in Windows 10.
Are you using BitLocker To Go to encrypt USB drives?
If you are working with sensitive or private data, you should consider using BitLocker To Go. It offers one of the best and easiest ways to encrypt USB memory sticks, flash drives, and any other USB drives in Windows 10. Before you close this article, let us know whether you use BitLocker To Go in Windows 10 and what your experience is with encrypting removable drives.
