Protecting your data is important, especially because cyber criminals are becoming more sophisticated in their hacking and phishing attempts. But did you know that you can store your data in a virtual drive (aka VHD) and also encrypt it using Bitlocker?
Although Bitlocker and VHD are standard Windows tools, you’ll need Windows 11 Pro to encrypt the drive, so make sure you’ve got the right version. Once you’re all set up and ready to go, we’ll show you how to create a virtual drive for your data and how to activate Bitlocker.
Create a virtual drive: The first step in this process is to create a virtual drive. Start Disk Management by entering Diskmgmt.msc in the Windows search bar and select “Action – Create Virtual Hard Drive.” Under “Storage Location,” specify where you want to save the VHD file of the virtual drive.
You can easily move the file later and also enter the desired size of the future data vault. If you select “Dynamically Expandable” below, the VHD file starts with 0 KB and only gets larger when you copy files to the drive.
Assign virtual drive: The new virtual hard drive initially appears as “Unassigned” in the data volume management below. To change this, right-click on “Disk [number],” “Disk Initialization,” and then right-click the “Unassigned” field.
Select the option “New Simple Volume.” Answer the dialogue with the wizard by selecting “Next,” but remember the suggested drive letter. At the end, Windows Explorer starts automatically and displays the new virtual drive. You will find the corresponding VHD file in the location you specified.
Activate Bitlocker: Right-click on the new drive in Windows Explorer and select “Activate Bitlocker.” You’ll need a Pro version of Windows to do this. Set a password and save the recovery key. Follow the wizard’s instructions and complete the process by clicking “Start Encryption.”
Copy data, disconnect drive: You can now copy data to the encrypted drive. As long as you have mounted the drive and are logged in with your account, you have access to the data.
To protect it from unauthorized access, simply log out of Windows. To remove the drive from Windows, right-click on the drive in Windows Explorer and select “Eject.”
Mount the drive again: To remount the VHD file, start Disk Management (Diskmgmt.msc) again and click on “Action – Mount Virtual Hard Drive.” In the following dialogue, select the desired VHD file via “Browse” by double-clicking on it.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and was translated and localized from German.
Author: Arne Arnold, Contributor, PCWorld
Arne Arnold has been working in the IT industry for over 30 years, most of that time with a focus on IT security. He tests antivirus software, gives tips on how to make Windows more secure, and is always looking for the best security tools for Windows. He is currently trying out new AI tools and questioning what they mean for our future.