Not every PC will have this feature, but some will. Many new PCs that ship with Windows 10 will automatically have “Device Encryption” enabled. This feature was first introduced in Windows 8.1, and there are specific hardware requirements for this. RELATED: Windows 8.1 Will Start Encrypting Hard Drives By Default: Everything You Need to Know If Your Computer Supports It: Windows Device Encryption You may have to pay for the Professional edition of Windows 10 or use a third-party encryption solution. Unlike all other modern consumer operating systems-macOS, Chrome OS, iOS, and Android-Windows 10 still doesn’t offer integrated encryption tools to everyone.

Here’s how to check if your Windows 10 PC’s storage is encrypted and how to encrypt it if it isn’t. Encryption isn’t just about stopping the NSA-it’s about protecting your sensitive data in case you ever lose your PC, which is something everyone needs.

Windows 10 sometimes uses encryption by default, and sometimes doesn’t-it’s complicated.

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