How to Encrypt an External Drive

The steps one must take to encrypt a flash drive will vary depending on what operating system your computer uses. Here’s how to make it happen when you’re using Windows:

Plug your flash drive into a USB port of your Windows computer.
Click File Explorer. If you can’t find it, simply press the Windows logo key + E on your keyboard.
Right-click your flash drive and select BitLocker, then turn BitLocker on. BitLocker is available on supported devices running Windows 10, Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education. Next, wait for BitLocker to start.
Choose a password that you’ll use to unlock your flash drive. It’s important that you choose a strong password that others wouldn’t be able to guess. Never reuse passwords across devices—your password for your flash drive should be completely new.
Choose how to save your recovery key. The recovery key will let you recover the information on your flash drive in case you forget the password for your flash drive.
Select what data you want to encrypt. You can select the entire drive or the used disk space only.
Click “Start Encrypting.” Keep your flash drive plugged in for this entire process.
You’ll receive a notification when the encryption process is complete. Once you receive this notification, it is safe to remove your flash drive from the computer.