Microsoft Bitlocker

Windows 10 Pro 1909

Just a quick question please guys.

There is a TPM module on my Asus motherboard so I thought I would have a play with Bitlocker, not for
security reasons but just to have a go and see.

I've read a few articles that came up in a search and the main thing that struck me was "if your computer
is lost or stolen".

I've enabled Bitlocker and I can read everything it says on the screen and operate it as normal/usual.

So, the question is:
If I can see, read and use this pc, then surely any thief will also be able to do the same things, he will
pick it up and run away with it, plug it in at home and everything is there for him to see so how does it
protect against theft ?

In your instance , you would need to also take some extra counter-measures to prevent such a scenario. Have a read here for more info:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...ountermeasures
quote:
"On computers with a compatible TPM, operating system drives that are BitLocker-protected can be unlocked in four ways:

TPM-only. Using TPM-only validation does not require any interaction with the user to unlock and provide access to the drive. If the TPM validation succeeds, the user sign in experience is the same as a standard logon. If the TPM is missing or changed or if BitLocker detects changes to the BIOS or UEFI code or configuration, critical operating system startup files, or the boot configuration, BitLocker enters recovery mode, and the user must enter a recovery password to regain access to the data. This option is more convenient for sign-in but less secure than the other options, which require an additional authentication factor.

TPM with startup key. In addition to the protection that the TPM-only provides, part of the encryption key is stored on a USB flash drive, referred to as a startup key. Data on the encrypted volume cannot be accessed without the startup key.

TPM with PIN. In addition to the protection that the TPM provides, BitLocker requires that the user enter a PIN. Data on the encrypted volume cannot be accessed without entering the PIN. TPMs also have anti-hammering protection that is designed to prevent brute force attacks that attempt to determine the PIN.

TPM with startup key and PIN. In addition to the core component protection that the TPM-only provides, part of the encryption key is stored on a USB flash drive, and a PIN is required to authenticate the user to the TPM. This configuration provides multifactor authentication so that if the USB key is lost or stolen, it cannot be used for access to the drive, because the correct PIN is also required."

you put a special password on it that encrypts all the contents of your hard drive. WHhenver you boot your PC and before Windows loads, you will be asked fot this password. If you don´t enter it, the system won´t boot. If you (or a potential thief) steals your PC or your hard drive, they WON´T be able to see your files without knowing such password. Everything on it will be scrambled and unreadable.