When starting Tails, in the **Persistent Storage** section of the [[Welcome Screen|first_steps/welcome_screen]], enter your passphrase and click **Unlock Encryption**.
Your personal files in the *Persistent* folder are accessible from **Places** ▸ **Persistent**, if the [[Persistent Folder|configure#persistent_folder]] feature is turned on.
Your [[Additional Software|additional_software]] packages are automatically installed when starting Tails, if the [[Additional Software|configure#additional_software]] feature is turned on.