Windows 7 - BitLocker Problems

I am trying to encrypt my hard drive and the partitions on these drives but I am having problems trying to do this. On the C: drive when I try to turn on BitLocker I get a message saying, 'A compatible Trusted Platform (TPM) Security Device must be present on this computer, but a TPM was not found. Please contact your system administrator to enable BitLocker'.

The thing is though if I try to encrypt the D: drive which is a partition on the same HDD as the C: drive then I am able to encrypt without any problems. Also If I try to encrypt my G: drive which is a separate drive altogether then I have no problems, which I find strange. Why would I be able to encrypt these 2 but not the C: drive, and how can I actually encrypt my drive.

Regards.

1. Are you in a work environment?
2. If the answer to number 1 is no, do you have TPM installed? This sounds like an HP computer perhaps?

I am at home, and no I don't think I I TPM installed, could you please enlighten me as to what TPM is please?

Trusted Platform Module - it's a cryptographic program, basically used to encrypt and decrypt systems, drives, etc.

If you goto add/remove programs look for something entitled Trusted Platform Module. If it's not there, it's likely on your disc that came with your computer which has all the drivers and applications on it.

No it's not there, so how do I get it of the OS disk? For the record this PC is practically a self build, I upgraded my OS from Vista Home to Windows 7 Ultimate.

Well, it's in the Ultimate version of windows 7 I found out.

However you must have the chip installed.

BitLocker Drive Encryption Overview

more about it there and using TPM when you don't have a TPM chip installed.

I am going to be buying a new mobo in the next few weeks, so I will I know whether the mobo has the chip installed on it or not?

I would definitely ask the sales associate and ask to see the spec sheet.

TPM is as motc7 said a Trusted Platform Module and this is a small physical chip which will be on the motherboard, but I don't think your foxconn board has it

I would just check in your bios to see if it is there and needs to be turned on ?

bitlocker is software that is part of the windows 7 software environment found in ultimate and enterprise versions and this has different ways of storing and accessing the key, If you want to bitlock the OS drive you can do it if your motherboard supports booting from a USB flash drive which is where you store the key when you don't have a TPM chip
You will need to make a change to an admin template in Local Group Policy Editor

there is a great tut here by Brink

gigabyte claim to be the leaders in TPM chip implimentation but mm dunno
heres their GA-P55-UD3L-TPM (rev. 1.0)

you can also buy modules for a few £ that plugin to motherboards equipped with TPM headers , but I'm not sure I can see the difference between that and a USB flash drive really ?