I can enable Bitlocker, encrypt my drive, use it for weeks and months, then disable Bitlocker and decrypt my drive, then enable BL again with a new password, etc. But if I can enable and disable encryption via bitlocker, now that eDrive is permanently enabled, when is Secure Erase necessary? Is it the only guaranteed way to make the contents completely irretrievable?Ĭlick to expand.It depends. Or maybe a better way to ask is, when is it necessary to disable eDrive mode to perform a Secure Erase? I initially only cared about Secure Erase because it was the first step to enabling eDrive for Samsung EVO for encryption purposes. So when I turn it back on, it should prompt me to create a new key/password, enabling a new encryption compared to the previous state.Ģ) If I created a new key/password to re-enable bitlocker encryption, isn't the previous state's contents and the encryption key gone/irretrievable even without performing Secure Erase?
In this current state, if I perform a fresh install of Win 8.1 and install Samsung Magician, it should show that e-Drive is enabled (since it is not reversible without PSID revert tool), right? However, since Windows is a new install, bitlocker should be turned off. Lastly, can you comment on whether my thought process is at least qualitatively correct below?ġ) Currently, the EVO is e-Drive enabled and Bitlocker enabled. But when I boot back and turn on secure erase, this is the message I for the clarification. I was a bit confused, so I thought I'd perform another Parted Magic Secure Erase and re-install windows to see if bitlocker would work correctly. I was expecting it to just turn on per various instructionals.
For some reason, after the request to save encryption key elsewhere, it doesn't just "encrypt" but asks to select whether I want to encrypt all of part of the ssd, which I understand it to be the standard software encryption that bitlocker uses. It secure erases successfully, I re-install windows 8.1 and try to enable the hardware encryption via bitlocker. Then booted on PartedMagic's Secure Erase (using internal method) and get to the standard "Secure Erase Selection Dialog." I select "Enhanced", not "Secure" but didn't think much of it. I want to enable hardware encryption via bitlocker, so I install Windows 8.1 then enable encryption via Samsung Magician. Mobo is Asus P8Z77-V LK with latest BIOS.
So I got a 500 gb samsung 850 evo for a different computer. I'm new to using parted magic and secure erase for SSDs, but I've used it with relative ease on one of my computers with a 250gb samsung 850 evo.