Swif’s Device Lock command on Windows leverages BitLocker to enforce a full-disk lock and shutdown. The exact behavior depends on:
Windows Edition (Home vs. Pro)
Existence of a BitLocker policy on the C: drive
Presence of a TPM (Trusted Platform Module)
Below is a summary of the lock and unlock scenarios you may encounter.
1. Windows Home Edition
BitLocker support: Not available
Lock behavior: Ignored (no effect)
Unlock behavior: N/A
2. Windows Pro with Existing BitLocker Policy
TPM Present? | Lock Action | Unlock Behavior |
Yes | Immediately shuts down the device (lock enforced) | Enter recovery key once; drive remains unlocked on subsequent boots without re-prompting. |
No | Immediately shuts down the device (lock enforced) | Recovery key requested on every boot before unlocking. |
Scenario detail: Swif issues the lock command, BitLocker shuts down the PC, and on TPM machines the recovery key is only needed once; on non-TPM machines, the prompt repeats each time .
3. Windows Pro without Existing BitLocker Policy
TPM Present? | Encryption Action | Lock Action | Unlock Behavior |
Yes | Initiates C: drive encryption, then shuts down | Shutdown after starting encryption | Enter recovery key once; drive remains encrypted but unlocked on subsequent boots. |
No | Initiates C: drive encryption, then shuts down | Shutdown after starting encryption | Recovery key requested on every boot; drive remains encrypted and needs re-unlock each time. |
Scenario detail: Swif’s lock command first triggers BitLocker encryption, then power-off. Unlocking once on TPM devices leaves the drive encrypted but accessible; without TPM, you must re-enter the key each time .
Summary Table
Edition | BitLocker Policy | TPM | Device Lock | Device Unlock |
Home | Any | N/A | Unsupported | N/A |
Pro | Exists | Yes | Immediate shutdown | Recovery key once; no further prompts |
Pro | Exists | No | Immediate shutdown | Recovery key on every boot |
Pro | Not exists | Yes | Start encryption + shutdown | Recovery key once; drive stays encrypted but unlocked thereafter |
Pro | Not exists | No | Start encryption + shutdown | Recovery key on every boot; drive stays encrypted |
Key Takeaways
Windows Home: Device Lock has no effect.
Windows Pro + BitLocker policy: Lock is immediate; unlock prompts vary by TPM.
Windows Pro without policy: Lock first initiates encryption, then shuts down; unlock behavior again depends on TPM.
These behaviors ensure that device locks via Swif enforce full-disk security on Pro machines while gracefully handling the lack of BitLocker support on Home editions.