In Windows Vista, bitLocker feature was added that was used to encrypt your hard drive contents. In Windows 7, BitLocker also came with similar functionality but instead of encrypting contents of hard drive, it encrypts USB flash drives.
Let’s see below steps to encrypt USB drives in Windows 7 by using bitLocker.
- Navigate to “My Computer”. Right click on USB flash drive that you want to encrypt and then select “Turn on BitLocker”.
- Check the box “Use a password to unlock the drive” and write password in both text fields. Move next.
- Click on “Save the recovery key” or “Print the recovery key” option. This key will use whenever you forgot your password. If you choose the first option then please don’t save key on the same drive that you are encrypting.
- Confirmation message will appear. Click on “Start Encrypting”.
- When progress bar completes, click on “Close” button. Drive icon will change now to show that the flash drive is encrypted.
- Right click on drive to open option if you want to manage bitlocker encryption.
Next time when you connect your Flash drive to Windows 7, you will be asked to type you password to unlock drive. Enter “Password” and click on “Unlock” button. Enjoy
