The way Bitlocker works is to use a private key stored in the TPM chip to encrypt the full volume key that in turn was used to encrypt the volume data. This is all done by low-level device drivers ...
Allowing BitLocker without a TPM will require unlocking the operating system drive at startup with either a password or startup key on a USB flash drive. This option ...
BitLocker PINs can now be 6 to 20 characters long, aligning with other Windows features that use TPM 2.0. However, Windows allows you to specify the minimum length for BitLocker Startup Pin in ...
and Bitlocker runs silently in the background, decrypting data on demand. The problem is key storage. In a simplified sense, encryption keys are stored in the Trusted Platform Module (TPM).
Windows 11 officially requires a Trusted Platform Module. Here's what it does and how you can work around that requirement if your old PC doesn't have one.