• Hi there and welcome to PC Help Forum (PCHF), a more effective way to get the Tech Support you need!
    We have Experts in all areas of Tech, including Malware Removal, Crash Fixing and BSOD's , Microsoft Windows, Computer DIY and PC Hardware, Networking, Gaming, Tablets and iPads, General and Specific Software Support and so much more.

    Why not Click Here To Sign Up and start enjoying great FREE Tech Support.

    This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Solved BitLocker for Second Drive

Status
Not open for further replies.
Brandon Byrnes

Brandon Byrnes

PCHF Member
Jan 3, 2017
580
54
39
Wisconsin
#1
I have BitLocker edabled on my C drive and would like to enable it on my second D drive that I use for storage but when I go into BitLocker settings I only see the option to encrypt my primary C drive. How can I enable BitLocker on my second D drive?
Also before I enabled BitLocker I had it setup so I use a pin when I log onto my computer, that hasn't changed after enableing BitLocker, I would have thought I would have to enter a password like I do for my external drive with BitLocker, so does it just use my pin as the password to decrypt my drive?
 
Last edited:
#4
Sorry for the delay Brandon, sorry to admit I have not used BitLocker, but if I enter "Encryption" into the windows search box and then choose "Manage BitLocker" from the choices available I get this dialogue.

2018-04-11_122730.jpg
 
#6
Hi Brandon, whilst we are waiting for others to assist here, can I ask just to clear it up if D Drive is a second physical drive or a separate partition on your system drive?

Is it possible for you to supply a screenshot of your disk Management screen please?
Type diskmgmgmt.msc into the windows search box and then select the same entry at the top of the box. Take a screenshot of the next box to open and try to get the full width of the disk management box if possible:)
 
#7
My D Drive is another physical disk, but it also has the old recovery partitions on it from when I had my OS on that drive before I got my SSD and put my OS on that. I tried to delete those old recovery partitions using disk management but it wouldn't do it. I also tried extending the D: Storage partition to those recovery partitions but it wouldn't let me. I've attached the Disk Management screenshot.

I know that if I use Diskpart then I can select my D drive and use the clean command to wipe it of all partitions, which I am considering doing, I'll just have to back up my files from that drive. But since I have my Document, Pictures, and Downloads going to that drive will that get messed up if I format the drive, or will it be fine as long as I keep it as Drive D after formatting it? Also I'm not sure if that EFI partition is from my old OS that was installed on that drive or if it's from my current OS that I'm running off of my SSD which is disk 1. So i'm kind of scared about deleting that, I don't want to mess something up.
 

Attachments

  • Disk Managment Screenshot.JPG
    Disk Managment Screenshot.JPG
    167.6 KB · Views: 110
Last edited:
#8
What a mess, my advice would be to physically disconnect your D drive, make sure your computer works fine, although there's no reason why it shouldn't. Assuming that step proves ok then rescue any data you want from D Drive, then NUKE it. Reformat it and start again with D drive. Copy the rescued data back to D Drive.

Have a read of THIS too, may save you reformatting? But DO backup your data first, just in case.

Guess you could also try something like mini tool partition wizard, or similar?

Definitely would not pursue the BitLocker issue until you attend to that D Drive mess you currently have:)

Who knows you may even be able to use BitLocker on it then?
 
Last edited:
#9
gus said:
What a mess, my advice would be to physically disconnect your D drive, make sure your computer works fine, although there's no reason why it shouldn't. Assuming that step proves ok then rescue any data you want from D Drive, then NUKE it. Reformat it and start again with D drive. Copy the rescued data back to D Drive.

Have a read of THIS too, may save you reformatting? But DO backup your data first, just in case.

Guess you could also try something like mini tool partition wizard, or similar?

Definitely would not pursue the BitLocker issue until you attend to that D Drive mess you currently have:)

Who knows you may even be able to use BitLocker on it then?
Click to expand...
I'm having so many issues with this laptop, its not even funny, along with the bitlocker issue I am also having problems with BSODs and then a new issue poped up today after a Windows update last night, now for some reason random weird things are popping up over the icons on my desktop, for example I have a folder for movies and use a video camera iccon, well every icon on my desktop that is a shortcut for some reason the little arrow that shows it being a short cut changed to the video camera icon, and just about 5 minutes ago those shortcut arrows changed to little ex's like I have on my Google Drive synced folder. So I am just thinking of backing up all of my data then wiping the D drive and wiping and reinstalling WIndows on my primary SSD . I didn't have any of these issues until I installed this SSD. If you want to know about my BSOD issues I have a thread that I posted about that in the Windows 10 forum which is currently active.
 
#10
You could roll back the update, or system restore before the update.
Please be advised to backup any data you value.

Can you also advise to make and model of this laptop?
 
#16
gus said:
According to this link, this machine has only one hard drive?????????

http://www8.hp.com/us/en/products/laptops/product-detail.html?oid=7834555#!tab=specs

Irrespective of where this D drive is still would recommend reformat of it.
Click to expand...
I got rid of the 500GB hybrid drive that came with the laptop and replaced it with a 1TB hybrid drive, then I installed a 256GB WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSD M.2 2280. I installed my OS, Windows 10 Pro 64 on the SSD. I use the 1TB hybrid drive for storage. I also upgraded the RAM from 8GB to 16GB.
 
#19
jmarket said:
You can do it via Windows Install or right click the drive and select "Format"
Click to expand...
I formatted the drive earlier today but it didn't get rid of the old recovery partition or the EFI System partition, those are what I want to get rid of. I did it by right clicking the drive and selecting format, I did quick format because it would have took forever for a regular format on a 1TB drive. Is there a way to get rid of those partitions without having to reformat the whole drive again, I really don't feel like having to rebackup 300GB of data again since I already deleted the old backup. And put those files back on the drive.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back
Forums
Resources
Menu