---
title: "Access an External Drive encrypted with Windows Bitlocker"
canonical: "https://kb.uconn.edu/space/IKB/28189950101/Access%20an%20External%20Drive%20encrypted%20with%20Windows%20Bitlocker"
format: markdown
---
Students, faculty and staff can access data on external drives that have been encrypted with Microsoft Bitlocker. Bitlocker is a tool that encrypts storage drives and requires a password in order to access to encrypted data. If you have worked with ITS and left a storage drive in their possession, the drive may be returned to you with Bitlocker enabled.

> ⚠️ If you lose the password to decrypt the storage drive, the data will be lost and the drive must be wiped (erased) in order to be used again.

## Accessing encrypted data

1. Plug the storage drive into your computer.  
You may receive popups that look similar to error messages stating that the drive is inaccessible. This is true because the drive is locked. You may ignore any popups.
2. If File Explorer did not open automatically, open it and click on **This PC** in the left hand menu.
3. You will see your locked drive in the main window.
4. Double-click on the drive to open it as you normally would. A popup will appear in the upper-right corner of your screen.  
If you click anywhere else on your screen, the popup will disappear. Open the drive again to reopen the popup.
5. Type in your Bitlocker password into the popup.
6. After decrypting, you will be able to access your drive until you unplug it. Once you plug it in again, you will need to repeat these steps.

## Turn off Bitlocker

If you wish to remove Bitlocker protection from your storage drive, you may do so using the decryption password.

1. Follow the steps above to decrypt the drive and leave the drive plugged into your computer.
2. Right click on the drive and click on **Manage Bitlocker**.
3. Find the drive in the list. Note that the drives are separated by function (ex. “Removable data drives”, also known as “USB Drives”).
4. From this window, you can change the password or remove the encryption altogether.

> ⚠️ The duration of the decryption process depends on how much data you have on the drive. It may take anywhere from a minute to a full day to decrypt the drive. <u>DO NOT</u> unplug the drive without first pausing the encryption/decryption process window. Failure to properly pause the process before unplugging the drive may render the drive unreadable; in this case, you will need to completely wipe (erase) the drive before using the drive again.

## Related Guides

> Macro (contentbylabel)