Availability
BitLocker is available in the Enterprise and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista and Windows 7. It also is available in Pro and Enterprise editions of Windows 8. Users of other versions of Windows that do not include BitLocker can use a third-party encryption program to satisfy the need for full drive encryption (see comparison of disk encryption software). In the RTM release of Windows Vista, only the operating system volume could be encrypted using the GUI and encrypting other volumes required using WMI-based scripts included in Windows Vista in the %Windir%\System32 folder. An example of how to use the WMI interface is in the script manage-bde.wsf, that can be used to set up and manage BitLocker from the command line. With Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2008, volumes other than the operating system volume can be BitLocker-protected using the graphical Control Panel applet as well.
The latest version of BitLocker, included in Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2012, adds the ability to encrypt removable drives. These can be read, but not written, by Windows XP using Microsoft BitLocker To Go Reader program.
Read more about this topic: Bit Locker Drive Encryption
Famous quotes containing the word availability:
“Since ... six weeks ago, there has been no day in which I have not had letters and visits on the subject of my nomination for the Presidency.... I say very little. I have in no instance encouraged any one to work to that end.... I have said the whole talk about me is on the score of availability. Let availability do the work then.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)