Q: What types of disk configurations does BitLocker Drive Encryption (BDE) support?

Q: What type of disk configurations does BitLocker Drive Encryption (BDE) support? Can I use BDE on iSCSI or Fibre Channel drives? Is anything different from older OSs in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2?

A: In Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2, you can use BDE on USB, FireWire, SATA, SAS, ATA, IDE, and SCSI drives. At this point, you can't use BDE on iSCSI, Fibre Channel, eSATA, or Bluetooth drives. Compared to the initial BDE release that's included in Windows Vista and Server 2008, the Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 BDE release adds support for BDE encryption on removable storage devices such as portable hard drives and USB flash drives. This addition is possible thanks to the new BitLocker To Go (BTG) extension.

See this TechNet page for the official Microsoft statement on BDE disk configuration support. Look for the question "What type of disk configurations are supported by BitLocker?"

Note that BDE isn't available in all Windows 7 versions. As in Vista, BDE is included only in the Windows 7 Enterprise and Ultimate editions—the versions that target high-end home and business users. BitLocker support is included in all Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 editions.

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