Imagine you’re living your best life, but something goes wrong with your PC. A user on Reddit shared a frightening experience where they wiped their Windows 11 drive and lost 3TB of files because the operating system had encrypted their drives without their knowledge.
The problem occurred when the user didn’t have an encryption key stored in their Microsoft account for two of their storage drives. This means that even though Windows was automatically encrypting some data, it wasn’t consistently saving the decryption keys to the user’s account.
To avoid this fate, experts recommend taking a few simple steps:
First, make sure you back up all your data to multiple locations, including external hard drives and cloud backup services. It’s also essential to keep your backup drive unplugged when not in use to protect it against threats like ransomware.
Next, check if your Windows drive is encrypted by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Device Encryption. If you’re using a home edition of Windows, it might be called Device Encryption instead.
Encrypting your drive can be beneficial, as it protects sensitive data from being copied and exploited if your computer gets stolen. However, it’s crucial to verify that your encryption key is backed up and stored securely.
To back up your encryption keys, go to the Control Panel, search for “Device Encryption,” and click on “Back up your recovery key.” You can also save the key in your Microsoft account or a local file, such as a thumb drive. Make sure to include it in your estate planning documents if you have them stored securely.
In summary, taking these precautions can help prevent data loss due to unencrypted Windows drives. It’s essential to prioritize strong security measures, especially with more people using laptops and facing the risk of theft.
Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/2953078/yikes-windows-11-can-lock-you-out-of-your-files-heres-how-to-avoid-the-nightmare.html