Introduction: Turn an Ordinary USB Stick Into a Secure USB Stick

By Read The Factory Manual
About: I analyze data and provide reporting informing the firm’s practice, about data such as project profitability and Revit model performance. Recently, I have started to dive into environmental sensors that repor…

In this Instructable we will learn how to turn an ordinary USB stick into a secure USB stick. All with standard Windows 10 features, nothing special and nothing extra to purchase.

What you need:

  • A USB Thumb drive or stick. I highly recommend getting a new drive for this.
  • Windows 10 Pro*


* Notes:

  • You only need Windows 10 Professional to encrypt the drive.
  • You can any version of Windows 10 to use the drive. (Home or Pro)

Step 1: Walk Though

This great video will take you through all the steps.

If you like to read and follow steps, then scroll down.

Step 2: Insert the Thumb Drive in to the Computer

Insert the thumb drive into your computer.

A. Grasp your USB Thumb Drive with the correct hand or foot.

B. Insert the drive silver side in, if it doesn't go in rotate it and try again.
Note: You may need to rotate the drive up to 3 times.

C. Let go.

Step 3: Encrypt Your Drive.

Once your drive in recognized it will appear in the Windows File Explorer.

A. Right click on the drive and pick Turn on BitLocker.

Note: Windows 10 Pro is required for this step. Windows 10 Home will work fine after encrypting the drive.

Step 4: BitLocker Wizard.

Once the Wizard pops up you will be guided through the steps to encrypt your drive.

A. Think of a password you will remember and will be easy to type. Then write it down or better yet put it in your password manager.

B. Choose to Print or Save your Recovery Key. The recovery key is used if you forget your password. Lose both and you are S.O.L.

C. Choose how much of the drive to encrypt. New drive = Used space only, Existing Drive = Entire Drive

D. Choose Mode. If this is a USB drive then choose Compatible mode.

E. Pick Start

F. Wait

G. Pick Closed.

Step 5: How to Unlock Your Drive.

A. Remove your drive from your computer

B. Insert the drive as you did in the previous step.

C. After you insert the drive you will see a notification at the lower left of the screen, Click on that.

D. Windows will now ask you for your password, it's at the upper left of the screen, then pick unlock.

Windows will then unlock your drive and you can use it.

Step 6: BitLocker Achievement Unlocked!

Here is your achievement patch. Print it out and hang it on your wall.

Safe and Secure Challenge

Participated in the
Safe and Secure Challenge