Enabled by default on Windows 11 Pro computers, BitLocker provides an extra layer of security thanks to data encryption, but you pay a price for it.

Microsoft enables BitLocker encryption software by default on Windows 11 Pro installations, even if encryption is not supported by the SSD hardware. The software-controlled version of BitLocker is the standard, but it has a significant negative impact on the performance of your SSD and therefore your computer in general. Tom’s Hardware discovered this.

Much slower

A variety of tests showed that BitLocker with the software encryption XTS-AES 128 reduces the performance of the SSD by up to 45 percent. The impact depends on the workload. Sequential read and write speeds are also affected, but less severely. Random IO in particular is severely affected, and this is noticeable in the daily use of your computer.

Not all SSDs support hardware encryption, and major PC makers like Dell, HP and Lenovo say they configure the devices correctly in advance when they have a compatible drive on board. This is good news because there is no good way to switch from software encryption to hardware encryption without reinstalling Windows.

Do you need BitLocker?

Software encryption is standard on most systems and you have little control over it when installing a Windows 11 Pro computer. If the feature is enabled, you will lose a lot of SSD performance. This raises the question: Do you even need BitLocker?

For those who regularly take their laptop with them when traveling, the answer is actually a resounding “yes.” BitLocker ensures that the files on your SSD are encrypted so a laptop thief can’t get to them. Without BitLocker, a criminal who stole your laptop case could take your drive out of the laptop, connect it to another system, and use it. BitLocker prevents that. In a professional context, that’s good news, and even for personal use, we suspect you’d prefer if a laptop thief wasn’t able to search your family photos.

For desktop computers or laptops that don’t leave the building, the situation is slightly different. BitLocker also offers added value against theft, but it is conceivable that you trust other security measures sufficiently. In such a case, disabling BitLocker may be an option for certain users. This can be done via the control panel.

Check

Are you curious about the situation on your system? Then open Command Prompt as administrator and type manage bde status.

If you see XTS-AES 128 as the encryption method here, BitLocker uses software locking and you will feel the impact on performance. Otherwise it will show that hardware encryption is active.