Featured resource
2025 Tech Upskilling Playbook
Tech Upskilling Playbook

Build future-ready tech teams and hit key business milestones with seven proven plays from industry leaders.

Check it out
  • Lab
    • Libraries: If you want this lab, consider one of these libraries.
    • Core Tech
Google Cloud Platform icon
Labs

Windows System Administration: Disk Management and Encryption

In this lab, you’ll practice using Server Manager to manage disks and configure BitLocker. When you’re finished, you’ll have an encrypted drive and knowledge of partitioning, formatting, and encryption processes.

Google Cloud Platform icon
Lab platform
Lab Info
Level
Beginner
Last updated
Oct 15, 2025
Duration
1h 15m

Contact sales

By clicking submit, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Table of Contents
  1. Challenge

    Partitioning and Formatting Drives

    You will use Windows Server Manager to partition and format a new drive. After creating the partition, you will format the drive with the NTFS file system and assign it a drive letter. Finally, you will verify the newly created drive in File Explorer.

  2. Challenge

    Enabling BitLocker and Configuring Recovery

    You will enable BitLocker on a newly created data drive and configure recovery options. You will choose a password as the unlock method and save the recovery key. Finally, you will encrypt the drive using BitLocker.

  3. Challenge

    Testing Encryption and Decryption

    You will test the encryption on your BitLocker-protected drive by locking and unlocking the drive. You will use both the password and the recovery key to unlock the encrypted drive. Finally, you will perform decryption to remove encryption from the drive.

  4. Challenge

    The Last Challenge

    Welcome to the final challenge! This is your last chance to experiment in the environment. Clicking Finish Lab will end this little world that flittered into existence just for you.

About the author

Pluralsight Skills gives leaders confidence they have the skills needed to execute technology strategy. Technology teams can benchmark expertise across roles, speed up release cycles and build reliable, secure products. By leveraging our expert content, skill assessments and one-of-a-kind analytics, keep up with the pace of change, put the right people on the right projects and boost productivity. It's the most effective path to developing tech skills at scale.

Real skill practice before real-world application

Hands-on Labs are real environments created by industry experts to help you learn. These environments help you gain knowledge and experience, practice without compromising your system, test without risk, destroy without fear, and let you learn from your mistakes. Hands-on Labs: practice your skills before delivering in the real world.

Learn by doing

Engage hands-on with the tools and technologies you’re learning. You pick the skill, we provide the credentials and environment.

Follow your guide

All labs have detailed instructions and objectives, guiding you through the learning process and ensuring you understand every step.

Turn time into mastery

On average, you retain 75% more of your learning if you take time to practice. Hands-on labs set you up for success to make those skills stick.

Get started with Pluralsight