TPM or Trusted Platform Module

[The Original Ralph]

okay, got my curiousty piqued when i saw a post about these and did some research and realize it's basically a security dongle that works with bitlocker to encrypt your hard drive(s), external and internal

saw a few for sale on amazon and my mobo has a TPM header. In the amazon reviews, more than a few posters talked about if someone actually broke in and stole your computer, this would protect the data, as all they'd see was 1s and 0s - does it require a password everytime i turn the computer on??

any help for a barely literate computer DIYer appreciatedd

 

[drtweak]

Well to use bitlock you don't need a TPM (Also TPM IS Trusted Platfrom Module lol)

Bitlock can store the encryption on ANY thumb drive and requires little to no space and if the thumb drive isn't plugged in on boot it won't boot up. So if you have a thumb drive you keep on you all the time you can plug it in, turn it on, once it starts to load windows you remove it. This way if the PC shuts off BAM no lucking getting back in. if you lost the thumb drive there are backup ways to can get your files back OR make more than one USB Key.

What TPM is a place to STORE passwords for Bitlock and other Encryption programs WITHOUT the need to install an additional bootloader (Most 3rd partys like SecureDoc, etc add on for boot) or with the need of a Thumb drive to store it. So when you turn it on you type in your password and you go for the most part. Again you DON"T need TPM to run bitlocker.