This Windows 11 installation setting can cut your SSD performance in half. Here’s how to disable it

Microsoft may enable auto-encryption for Windows 11

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BitLocker, which isMicrosoft’s software encryption for SSDs, has run into its fair share of issues over the years since its release. And now there’s another potential problem looming overWindows 11users with the upcoming version 24H2 update.

There’s a new report thatWindows 11version 24H2, also called the 2024 update, “may enable BitLocker by default during installation” across various versions of Windows including Home edition, according to German news outletDeskmodder(reported on byNeowin). Why is this considered bad news? For several reasons.

What’s the problem?

The first is that using BitLocker for encryption canseriously slow downyour PCs’ performance by up to 45% in Windows Pro, and would most likely affect other versions of the OS similarly. This occurs due to Windows 11 constantly prompting encryption and decryption processes with data on your SSD while your computer carries out read and write operations.

The second issue is that a user unfamiliar with encryption in general or this specific issue with BitLocker could encrypt their data without knowing and then not be able to decrypt and recover their data due to misplacing or not saving the needed key.

There’s also a third issue with BitLocker in terms of security as well — according toYouTuber Stacksmashing, its encryption can becracked remarkably easily. Their video demonstrates that if you’re using either aWindows 10or Windows 11 Pro device with a dedicated external Trusted Platform Module (TPM), your encrypted data can be decrypted and read. You only need a $10 Raspberry Pi Pico, physical access to the target endpoint, and the knowledge of how to do it.

How to fix it

Of course, there is a simple way to fix this auto encryption. You only need to disable Device Encryption inside Privacy & security in Settings. Thankfully users have that option, but many casual Windows 11 users, especially those with Windows 11 Home, may not be aware of the situation, let alone how to fix it.

Hopefully, if this report is true, Microsoft will disable auto-encryption before the update launches. It’s not necessary and causes more problems than it really solves.

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Named by the CTA as a CES 2023 Media Trailblazer, Allisa is a Computing Staff Writer who covers breaking news and rumors in the computing industry, as well as reviews, hands-on previews, featured articles, and the latest deals and trends. In her spare time you can find her chatting it up on her two podcasts, Megaten Marathon and Combo Chain, as well as playing any JRPGs she can get her hands on.

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