You want to form sure your valuable data is safe and secure. The last item you would like to listen to is that your data has fallen into the incorrect hands, especially if you lose your precious device.
BitLocker provides a simple way for Windows 10 users to guard their data using encryption. The program creates a secure environment for all of your files with none extra effort on your part.
If you don’t need BitLocker anymore, you’ll turn it off during a few quick steps. However, once you disable BitLocker on Windows 10 it’ll decrypt all of your files, and your data won’t be protected anymore.
What Is BitLocker?
BitLocker is a feature built into laptops running Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise versions. The feature encrypts your whole disk drive to make your data safe from unauthorized prying and tampering eyes.
Not sure what version of Windows
you’re using? inspect our guide the way to tell what version of Windows you’ve got installed.
Note: While Windows 10 Home doesn’t have BitLocker, you’ll still use device encryption to guard your files from unauthorized access if your device gets lost or stolen. you’ll also put your important files within the OneDrive Personal Vault.
BitLocker uses your Windows login to ensure that your data is secure without requiring extra passwords. The feature encrypts your data by scrambling it in order that nobody can access or read it without employing a recovery key.
BitLocker only protects and secure your data just in case your device is lost or stolen. If you would like to guard your files from ransomware or other malware, inspect our top picks for the simplest malware and virus scanners bound to nuke any virus.
How to Disable Bitlocker on Windows 10
BitLocker is a discrete method to secure your data from unauthorized access. Turning off the feature won’t erase any of your files, but it’s still good practice to stay backup copies of your files.
There are alternative ways you’ll disable BitLocker on Windows 10, like through Settings, instrument panel , the Windows search box, or via PowerShell and prompt . Below are the steps to require when using each of those methods to disable BitLocker.
There are some sites that suggest you ought to disable the BitLocker Windows Service or use Group Policy to disable BitLocker, but those methods don’t really work and will find yourself causing misconfigurations and errors.
How to Disable BitLocker in Windows 10 Via Windows Search
The Windows search tool allows you to perform narrow searches to seek out specific items from File Explorer, Start menu, or the Settings menu. you’ll also run web searches from here without opening your browser and access the files or apps you employ most often .
If you would like to disable BitLocker, you’ll easily do so through the Windows search box.
- Sign in to your PC using an administrator account, type Manage BitLocker into the Windows search box, then select it from the list of results.
- Next, Click Turn off BitLocker.
How to Turn Off BitLocker in Windows 10 Via the Settings Menu
The Windows Settings menu houses basic settings that you simply can use to form app-specific changes on your PC. Here’s the way to close up BitLocker via the Settings menu.
- Pick Start > Settings.
- from the Settings window, click System.
- Click About on the bottom left side, locate the Related Settings section on the right, and click BitLocker Settings.
Note: If the the tab doesn’t shown , it means that your PC doesn’t have BitLocker.
- Next, Pick Turn off BitLocker.
- If prompted, click Turn off BitLocker again. BitLocker will encrypt your hard drive, after which Windows will prompt you to enter your password before the feature is disabled.
How to Remove BitLocker in Windows 10 Via Control Panel
The Windows 10 instrument panel contains settings that control nearly everything about how Windows looks and works. Here’s the way to close up BitLocker via the instrument panel .
- Open instrument panel from the beginning menu or type instrument panel within the search box and choose it from the search results.
- Pick System and Security.
- Next, Click BitLocker Drive Encryption > Manage BitLocker.
- Click the Turn off BitLocker link.
- A popup will appear with the message: Your drive will be decrypted. This might take a long time, but you can keep using your PC during the decryption process. Pick Turn off BitLocker to confirm the action.
Note: If BitLocker encrypted one disk drive , it’ll begin the decryption process for that drive. If there are different drives, you’ll got to choose the drive that you would like to show off BitLocker.
How to close up BitLocker Using PowerShell and prompt
Finally, if you’re having issues using the GUI interface otherwise you can only access the instruction tools, you’ll close up BitLocker using PowerShell or prompt . For both tools, confirm to run them as Administrator.
For PowerShell, the command is below, but you’ll replace X with the drive letter of the encrypted drive.
Disable-Bitlocker –MountPoint “X:”
The volume status should be FullyDecrypted and Protection Status should be Off.
If you’re using the prompt , you’ll first need the recovery key that you simply either saved to your Microsoft account or to a file once you first setup BitLocker. it’s normally a group of eight numbers that are each six digits separated by dashes. Once you’ve got that, you’ll you would like to type the subsequent command, replacing X with the drive letter on your PC:
manage-bde -unlock X: -RecoveryPassword Recovery-Key
Note that this unlocks the drive, but doesn’t turn off BitLocker fully. If you need to turn it off completely, use this command:
manage-bde -off X:
If you would like to enable BitLocker again later, address our guide the way to found out full disk encryption on Windows with BitLocker.
Safely Disable BitLocker on Windows 10
Disabling BitLocker will decrypt all of your files, meaning your data won’t be protected anymore. However, you’ll still encrypt your text files or encrypt all of your online and offline data.
Whatever you opt to try to to , confirm your files are protected. If your data falls into the incorrect hands, hackers can use your data against you.
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