Bitlocker will automatically be enabled when reinstalling Windows 11 24H2, whether you like it or not. Encryption is not a new feature and is usually enabled by default in Windows 23 version 2H11 on new flagship PCs like the HP Spectre.
Currently, it is not enabled by default for most devices, but this will change with Windows 11 24H2, which automatically enables encryption on reinstall (clean install) in Windows 11 Pro and also in Windows 11 Home if the manufacturer has set a flag in UEFI.
This will encrypt all drives in both versions of Windows 11: Home and Pro (Professional).
It will not affect devices that have been upgraded to Windows 11 using Windows Update.
To enable encryption automatically, your device must have Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and UEFI Secure Boot, which are also required by Windows 11 as minimum hardware requirements.
Before, devices needed to have Modern Standby or HSTI standards and ensure that there were no unreliable DMA interfaces. But these requirements do not apply to Windows 11 24H2.
It should be mentioned that automatic encryption starts during installation, and is fully activated only after the user has signed in with his Microsoft account.
Devices using local accounts will not have automatic encryption, but users will be able to manually turn on BitLocker through the Control Panel.
If you don't need encryption, you can disable it during installation.
The easiest method is to create a bootable USB with the Rufus, an app that seems to enable you to disable Windows 11 24H2 drive encryption.
Another method is to disable automatic encryption directly from the installation wizard.
To do this, open the registry via Command Prompt (Shift + F10) and change the BitLocker “PreventDeviceEncryption” key to 1.
Windows 11 24H2 will start to be available on Intel and AMD PCs in the second half of the year, starting in late September or early October.
