How to Check Status of BitLocker Drive Encryption for Drive in Windows 10


You can use BitLocker Drive Encryption to help protect your files on an entire drive. BitLocker can help block hackers from accessing the system files they rely on to discover your password, or from accessing your drive by physically removing it from your PC and installing it in a different one. You can still sign in to Windows and use your files as you normally would.

New files are automatically encrypted when you add them to a drive that uses BitLocker. However, if you copy these files to another drive or a different PC, they're automatically decrypted.

BitLocker can encrypt the drive Windows is installed on (the operating system drive) as well as fixed data drives (such as internal hard drives). You can also use BitLocker To Go to help protect all files stored on a removable data drive (such as an external hard drive or USB flash drive).

This tutorial will show you how to use the manage-bde -status or Get-BitLockerVolume command to check the status of BitLocker Drive Encryption for a drive in Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to check the status of BitLocker.



Contents

  • Option One: To Check Status of BitLocker in Command Prompt
  • Option Two: To Check Status of BitLocker in PowerShell






OPTION ONE

To Check Status of BitLocker in Command Prompt


Note   Note
The manage-bde -status command provides the following information about a drive on the PC:
  • Size
  • BitLocker version
  • Conversion status
  • Percentage encrypted
  • Encryption method
  • Protection status
  • Lock status
  • Identification field
  • Automatic Unlock
  • Key protectors


1 Open an elevated command prompt.

2 Type the command below you want to use below into the elevated command prompt, and press Enter. (see screenshots below)

(See status of all drives)
manage-bde -status

OR

(See status for specific drive)
manage-bde -status <drive letter>:

Substitute <drive letter> in the command above with the actual drive letter you want to check the status of.

For example: manage-bde -status C:



Status: BitLocker encryption in progress
Check BitLocker Drive Encryption Status in Windows 10-bitlocker_status-in_progress.png


Status: BitLocker turned on (encrypted entire drive)
Check BitLocker Drive Encryption Status in Windows 10-bitlocker_status-.png


Status: BitLocker turned on (encrypted used space only)
Check BitLocker Drive Encryption Status in Windows 10-bitlocker_used_space_only.png


Status: BitLocker turned off (decrypted)
Check BitLocker Drive Encryption Status in Windows 10-bitlocker_status-off.png






OPTION TWO

To Check Status of BitLocker in PowerShell


Note   Note
The Get-BitLockerVolume command provides the following information about a drive on the PC:
  • VolumeType = Data or Operating System.
  • Mount Point = Drive letter.
  • CapacityGB = Size of drive.
  • VolumeStatus = Whether BitLocker currently protects some, all, or none of the data on the volume.
  • Encryption Percentage = Percent of the volume protected by BitLocker.
  • KeyProtector = Type of key protector or protectors.
  • AutoUnlock Enabled = Whether BitLocker uses automatic unlocking for the volume.
  • Protection Status = Whether BitLocker currently uses a key protector to encrypt the volume encryption key.


1 Open an elevated Powershell.

2 Type the command below you want to use below into the elevated Powershell, and press Enter. (see screenshots below)

(See status of all drives)
Get-BitLockerVolume

OR

(See status for specific drive)
Get-BitLockerVolume -MountPoint "<drive letter>:"

Substitute <drive letter> in the command above with the actual drive letter you want to check the status of.

For example: Get-BitLockerVolume -MountPoint "C:"



Status: BitLocker encryption in progress
Check BitLocker Drive Encryption Status in Windows 10-bitlocker_status-progress_powershell.png


Status: BitLocker turned on (encrypted)
Check BitLocker Drive Encryption Status in Windows 10-bitlocker_status-encrypted_powershell.png


Status: BitLocker turned off (decrypted)
Check BitLocker Drive Encryption Status in Windows 10-bitlocker_status-decrypted_powershell.png



That's it,
Shawn


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