This article contains information about the Windows Vista Secure Online Key Backup release. This feature is installed as part of the BitLocker and EFS Enhancements Ultimate Extra in Windows Vista. Windows Vista Ultimate Extras are optional features that are available for Windows Vista Ultimate only. These features are installed by using the Windows Ultimate Extras section of Windows Update.
When you purchase Windows Vista Ultimate, you acquire all the features that Windows Vista offers for home users and for businesses. However, the BitLocker Drive Encryption feature was originally designed for businesses, and it may be complex to use. Therefore, the BitLocker and EFS Enhancements Ultimate Extra includes two tools to make it easier for you to set up a computer for the BitLocker Drive Encryption feature, and then to back up your recovery information online to your digital locker.
- Windows BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool
This tool configures the hard disk so that you can use the BitLocker Drive Encryption feature in Windows Vista. - Secure Online Key Backup
This feature stores a backup copy of your BitLocker recovery password and a backup copy of the Encrypting File System (EFS) recovery certificates in your online digital locker. The EFS certificates and the BitLocker recovery passwords can be easily lost when they are stored on USB drives or on other removable media. By using Secure Online Key Backup, you can store your EFS recovery certificates and your BitLocker recovery passwords so that they can be accessed wherever you are. For more information about the Microsoft digital locker, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
Uninstallation information
You can uninstall both the BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool and the Secure Online Key Backup tool, or your can uninstall only one of the tools. To do this, follow these steps:
- Click Start
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- Click Programs and Features, and then click View installed updates.
- If you want to uninstall the BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool, click BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool (KB930063), and then click Uninstall.
- If you want to uninstall the Secure Online Key Backup feature, click Secure Online Key Backup (KB929328), and then click Uninstall.
More information about the BitLocker Drive Encryption feature
The BitLocker Drive Encryption feature provides increased security by encrypting everything on the hard disk. Data, programs, and even Windows Vista itself are encrypted. When you use BitLocker, your computer is more difficult to tamper with, and you are better protected in the event your computer is lost or stolen. BitLocker does not replace using strong passwords and other security features. But it does make it much more difficult for anyone else to read the information that is stored on the hard disk.
If your computer has a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 chip, BitLocker can use the chip to complete a system integrity check. The system integrity check verifies that your computer has not been tampered with before BitLocker unlocks the hard disk. If you do not have a TPM 1.2 chip, you can still use the encryption that is provided by BitLocker. However, you cannot use the system integrity check. For more information about how to enable BitLocker on your computer without using a TPM 1.2 chip, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
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