BitLocker

[Tails5]

(Solved) BitLocker

Hey, I'm trying to use BitLocker Drive Encryption, and I don't have a TPM, and I need to use the BitLocker Preperation tool... but it doesn't work on Windows 7, it finds I don't have 'Vista Ultimate' or 'Vista Enterprise' and says it doestn apply to me, is there any way to get around this, or perhaps a 3rd party tool? I don't mind doing it myself manually, but I understand it has to move alot of system files, which it wont let me - as a user- do by myself.

EDIT: The prefix option wasnt available when editing so I manually added (Solved)

 

[Ex_Brit]

See http://www.sevenforums.com/system-security/2123-enable-bitlocker-without-tpm-windows-7-a.html

 

[Tails5]

Now that I've done that will BitLocker migrate the OS files itself? Also I already have another partition on the drive, which I think might mess with this a bit. So I was wondering if its possible to mirror the partition into a VHD then just delete it?

 

[Ex_Brit]

Bitlocker isn't about migrating files, it's about encrypting them.

 

[Tails5]

But in order to encrypt the system drive BitLocker has to migrate the files to a 1.5GB partition. That info is from Microsoft

 

[Ex_Brit]

I don't know then. When I last used Bitlocker it simply went ahead and encrypted my drive.
If you've run the preparation tool and it says you are ready, then all you have to tell it is to start encrypting.
Make sure you keep a copy of the password.

 

[Tails5]

I cannot run the preperation tool because it doesn't work on Windows 7, and I'm not sure how to make it work - or if there are any 3rd party substitutes. It says that it's not applicable to my OS, because it's not Vista.

 

[Ex_Brit]

Take no notice of that 1.5gb thing, it's not necessary. The drive will be encrypted in situ, provided there is sufficient room on the drive, it will tell you.

I just called up mine, Start/Control Panel/System & Security/Bitlocker Drive Encryption and it wanted to start immediately without my having done anything.

If you are doing this to hide it from another system, there are other ways and means too. (As in when XP wipes all System Restore points in a dual boot scenario).

 

[Ex_Brit]

Let me add, I was thinking of Vista when I mentioned the preparation tool, sorry. BL has been simplified and improved since then and the W7 version doesn't need all those extra preparation steps that Vista needed.

 

[Tails5]

Okay, thanks, you've been a big help. One last question: Do you know how to copy a real partition into a VHD file?

 

[Ex_Brit]

Sorry, no I don't. I would start a new thread on that one.

 

[Tails5]

Okay thanks. I'll go ahead and mark this one as solved now then.

 

[Ex_Brit]

Good luck!