How to disable BitLocker on Windows 11

Q: Will BitLocker turn back on automatically after I disable it?

No. Once BitLocker is disabled and the drive is decrypted, it stays off unless you manually re-enable encryption.

To turn off BitLocker on Windows 11, open Settings > Privacy & security > Device Encryption, and turn off the “Device Encryption” toggle switch.
Another way to disable BitLocker is to open PowerShell (admin) and run the “Disable-BitLocker -MountPoint “C:”” and “$BLV = Get-BitLockerVolume” and “Disable-BitLocker -MountPoint $BLV” commands.

On Windows 11, BitLocker can automatically turn on device encryption during a new installation on supported devices, which means your system drive may be encrypted without you manually enabling the feature. If you need to troubleshoot an issue, perform certain system changes, or simply don’t want the drive encrypted, you can disable BitLocker or temporarily suspend it.

You can disable BitLocker in at least three ways. For example, you can use the Settings app, Control Panel, or PowerShell commands. In this guide, you will learn how.

Although BitLocker encrypts a drive to protect your data from unauthorized access, it has a caveat. Encryption can sometimes complicate certain operations, such as upgrading to a newer version of Windows 11, updating non-Microsoft apps, installing a firmware update, or setting up a dual-boot configuration.

If encryption is causing an issue, you don’t necessarily need to disable BitLocker. You can suspend the feature, complete the task, and then resume BitLocker afterward. If you no longer want to protect your data with drive encryption, you can also disable BitLocker completely. On Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education, you can do this through the Settings app or PowerShell.

In this guide, I will show you how to temporarily or permanently disable BitLocker on Windows 11 Home and Pro.

Disable BitLocker permanently on Windows 11
Disable BitLocker temporarily on Windows 11

Disable BitLocker permanently on Windows 11

If you want to stop using BitLocker, you can disable it through the Settings app, the Control Panel, or PowerShell commands.

From Settings (permanently)

To disable Device Encryption (BitLocker) from the Settings app on Windows 11 Home and Pro, follow these steps:

Open Settings on Windows 11.
Click on Privacy & security.
Click the Device encryption setting.
Turn off the Device encryption toggle switch.
Click the Turn off button.

Once you complete the steps, the BitLocker encryption will be disabled on your Windows 11 Home or Pro setup.

Although BitLocker is not part of Windows 11 Home, in this edition of the operating system, you can use “Device Encryption,” a light version of BitLocker that allows you to protect your computer and files using this technology. Actually, the “Device Encryption” option is available in both Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro.

From Control Panel (permanently)

To disable BitLocker on Windows 11 Pro through Control Panel, follow these steps:

Open Start.
Search for Control Panel and click the top result to open the app.
Click on System and Security.
Click on BitLocker Drive Encryption.
Click the “Turn off BitLocker” button.
Click the “Turn off BitLocker” button one more time.

After you complete the steps, BitLocker will disable encryption on the specified drive on Windows 11.

From PowerShell (permanently)

To disable BitLocker with PowerShell commands on Windows 11 Pro, follow these steps:

Open Start.
Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to disable BitLocker on Windows 11 and press Enter:
```
Disable-BitLocker -MountPoint "C:"
```
(Optional) Type the following command to disable BitLocker for all drives on Windows 11 and press Enter:
```
$BLV = Get-BitLockerVolume 
Disable-BitLocker -MountPoint $BLV
```

After you complete the steps, the system will decrypt the drive and permanently disable BitLocker on Windows 11.

Disable BitLocker temporarily on Windows 11

On Windows 11, you can suspend BitLocker encryption in at least two ways through the Control Panel and PowerShell.

From Control Panel (temporarily)

To turn off BitLocker temporarily on a Windows 11 Pro drive, follow these steps:

Open Start.
Search for Control Panel and click the top result to open the app.
Click on System and Security.
Click on BitLocker Drive Encryption.
Click the “Suspend protection” option under the “Operating system drive” section.
Click the Yes button.

After you complete the steps, encryption protection will be temporarily disabled, allowing you to perform updates such as firmware and non-Microsoft app updates.

To resume, follow the same instructions above, but at step 8, turn on the “Resume protection” option and click Yes.

Turn off from PowerShell (temporarily)

To suspend BitLocker with PowerShell commands on Windows 11 Pro, follow these steps:

Open Start.
Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to suspend BitLocker on the system drive and press Enter:
```
Suspend-BitLocker -MountPoint "C:" -RebootCount 0
```

Once you complete the steps, the system will temporarily disable BitLocker on the system drive, allowing you to perform tasks that might otherwise cause problems. The “-RebootCount 0” option specifies how many times the computer will reboot before re-enabling BitLocker. You can change the number to a maximum of 15.

If you want to resume the protection immediately, you can use the same instructions outlined above, but in step 3, run the Resume-BitLocker -MountPoint "C:" command.

FAQs about disabling BitLocker on Windows 11

Here’s a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers about turning off BitLocker encryption on Windows 11.

Can I disable BitLocker without losing my data?

Yes. Disabling BitLocker decrypts the drive but does not delete files. The process runs in the background and keeps your data intact.

What’s the difference between suspending and disabling BitLocker?

Suspending BitLocker temporarily pauses encryption protection, usually for updates or firmware changes. Disabling BitLocker permanently decrypts the drive and permanently turns off encryption.

Should I suspend BitLocker before upgrading to Windows 11?

Yes. Suspending BitLocker is recommended before major Windows 11 feature updates, firmware upgrades, or BIOS updates to prevent installation failures.

How long does it take to turn off BitLocker on Windows 11?

The time depends on drive size and speed. Decrypting large or slower drives can take several minutes to hours, but you can keep using the computer while it decrypts.

Can I disable BitLocker on Windows 11 Home?

Windows 11 Home supports Device Encryption, not full BitLocker management. You can turn off encryption from Settings, but advanced options require Pro, Enterprise, or Education.

Does turning off BitLocker improve system performance?

Disabling BitLocker can slightly reduce processor overhead during storage operations, but on modern hardware, the performance difference is usually minimal.

Will BitLocker turn back on automatically after I disable it?

No. Once you disable BitLocker and decrypt the drive, it stays off unless you manually re-enable encryption.

Is it safe to leave BitLocker permanently turned off?

It’s safe from a system stability perspective, but your data will no longer be protected if the device is lost or stolen. Encryption is recommended for laptops and portable devices.

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