To manage write access to removable drives not protected by BitLocker, you can use Group Policy or Local Security Policy in Windows. Here’s how to allow or deny write access:

Method 1: Using Group Policy (for Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions) #

1. Open the Group Policy Editor:
   • Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to the Setting:
   • Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > BitLocker Drive Encryption > Removable Data Drives.
3. Configure the Setting:
   • Find Deny write access to removable drives not protected by BitLocker and double-click it.
   • Enable this setting to deny write access to removable drives that are not BitLocker-protected.
   • Disable or Not Configured to allow write access.
4. Apply and Exit:
   • Click Apply, then OK, and close the Group Policy Editor.

Method 2: Using Local Security Policy (an alternative approach) #

1. Open Local Security Policy:
   • Press Win + R, type secpol.msc, and press Enter.
2. Go to Local Policies:
   • Go to Local Policies > Security Options.
3. Edit BitLocker Policies:
   • Locate any relevant settings under Security Options that may handle removable drive encryption requirements, but keep in mind that some controls are only available in the Group Policy Editor.

Method 3: Using Registry Editor (for Windows Home or if Group Policy isn’t available) #

1. Open the Registry Editor:
   • Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to the Registry Key:
   • Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\FVE.
3. Add or Modify a DWORD Value:
   • Right-click in the right pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it RDVDenyWriteAccess.
   • Set its value to 1 to deny write access or 0 to allow write access.
4. Close the Registry Editor and restart the computer for the change to take effect.

Notes    #

• Enable BitLocker on removable drives: Use the BitLocker Drive Encryption tool in the Control Panel to encrypt drives that require additional protection.
• Administrative Privileges: You need admin privileges to apply these changes.

This setup should help you control access to removable drives based on BitLocker encryption status effectively.