Windows 10 has different editions, and the most common one that most people use is the Windows 10 Home. The home version of Windows does not have some features that can be found on the Pro and Enterprise editions, like BitLocker. However, you can still protect your files by using a common feature in all editions; Device Encryption. I will show you how you can enable device encryption on Windows 10 Home in just a few steps.

Enable Data Encryption On Windows 10

Device encryption is a handy feature, and it will help you protect your data from unauthorized access. This feature exists in all the Windows 10 versions, and it will give you added data security. Even if Windows 10 offers this feature on all editions, there are certain hardware requirements that your device must have to enable this feature. You must have a TPM chip, TPM Version 2.0 chip with support for modern standby, and UEFI firmware.

How To Check Prerequisites – Short Way

Step-1: Go to the Start Menu and type System Information.

Step-2: Right-click on the option and select Run as administrator.

Step-3: A prompt will appear asking you, ‘Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?’ Click Yes.

Step-4: Scroll down till you reach the bottom of the window and see if next to the Device Encryption Support, it says Meets prerequisites.

If it meets the prerequisites, you can enable device encryption.

How To Check Prerequisites – Long Way

You can check each prerequisite one by one as well.

Check If TPM Chip Version 2.0 Is Present

The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is a piece of hardware that is mostly (not always) integrated into the Motherboard. This little hardware is important for storing and protecting encryption keys when using features like device encryption and BitLocker. First, you need to check if the TPM is present on your device or not.

Step-1: Go to the Start Menu and type tpm.msc and click Open.

Step-2: Once the TMP Management opens up, you will see if the TPM is present on your device or not. These are the specifications that you should look out for and MUST be present to enable device encryption:

If the TPM is not found or disabled in the BIOS or UEFI, it will say Compatible TPM cannot be found.

Ensure That You Have TPM Version 2.0 With Support For Modern Standby

Step-1: Go to the Start Menu and click on the Settings cog. (Shortcut Keys: Win + I)

Step-2: Click On Update & Security.

Step-3: On the left side of your screen, you will see various options. Select Device encryption.

If you can get device encryption settings, then you have TMP Version 2.0 with support for modern standby.

You Should Have A Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)

UEFI or BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) are two types of motherboard firmware. To enable device encryption, you need UEFI firmware. You can check to see if your device has this by following these steps:

Step-1: Go to the Start Menu and type System Information. Click Open.

Step-2: Once the information window opens, check the BIOS mode. If it says UEFI, you are good to go.

TPM Present But Disabled

On some computers, the TPM chip may be disabled in the computer’s firmware. To enable it, you will have to restart the computer to its UEFI or BIOS mode. You can go to the UEFI mode when you turn on your computer by pressing some dedicated keys. These keys vary depending on the motherboard manufacturer. Below are the keys for some popular brands:

Dell: F2 or F12

HP: ESC or F10

Acer: F2 or Del

MSI: Del

Lenovo: F1 or F2

ASUS: F2 or Del

Samsung: F2

Toshiba: F2

Microsoft Surface: Press and hold the Volume Up button

You can also enter the UEFI settings directly from the Windows settings options. To do that,, follow the following steps:

Step-1: Go to the Start Menu and select the Settings option. (Shortcut Keys: Win + I)

Step-2: Select Update & Security.

Step-3: On the left side of your screen, select the Recovery option.

Step-4: Under Advanced start-up, click on Restart now.

Step-5: Select Troubleshoot.

Step-6: Select Advanced options.

Step-7: Select UEFI Firmware Settings.

Step-8: Select Restart

Step-9: Locate Security Settings.

[TPM Settings may vary according to your UEFI manufacturer. So, check your device manufacturer support website to help locate the TPM settings. You can check this link to find your computer’s support website.]

Step-10: Enable TPM if it is disabled.

How To Enable Device Encryption

Step-1: Go to the Start Menu and click on the Settings cog. (Shortcut Keys: Win + I)

Step-2: Click on Update & Security.

Step-3: On the left side of your screen, you will see various options. Select Device encryption.

Step-4: Check to see if the Device encryption of On or Off. Switch it On if it is Off.

Once you switch it On, device encryption will be activated, and your files will be secure.