Windows 11’s BitLocker: How It Affects SSD Speed

by

Data theft has become a common problem in this extremely digitalized world. Every other day, we hear news about data breaches and computers being hacked. In order to ensure protection and safety from this debacle, modern operating systems like Windows 11 have introduced a built-in feature of BitLocker. This feature encrypts the data with a strong password or a key. Without correct credentials, no one can access the data even if the hard drives are swapped with another computer or laptop. BitLocker ensures strong data security, but it also slows down the speed of your operating system. It encodes and decodes the data before it is retrieved and presented. Therefore, it consumes a lot of power, which includes RAM and the CPU. 

There is no denying the fact that security is important in these digitalized times. Similarly, speed is the next important issue. No one likes to use a computer that is slow and sluggish. Fortunately, there are methods to speed up your PC without disabling BitLocker in Windows 11. This post looks deeply into the reasons why BitLocker slows down your machine and what the best possible solution to this problem is.

How BitLocker Works

Before you make changes, you need to understand what BitLocker does. It can affect the performance of SSDs.

BitLocker is a tool for encryption. It makes your data unreadable. It only allows access to people who have the right key. It uses the Trusted Platform Module chip in many modern computers. This chip manages encryption keys well. If you want to learn more about how BitLocker affects the SSD performance, watch this detailed video guide.

How BitLocker Affects SSD Performance

  • Real-Time Encryption Overhead: Each time you open, move, or change a file, BitLocker encrypts or decrypts it. This adds extra work for the CPU. It can slow down SSD performance.
  • Reduced Read/Write Speeds: BitLocker encrypts every piece of data that goes onto the SSD. This creates a delay when you access files. It affects the speed of the system.
  • Increased SSD Wear: SSDs have a limit on how many times you can write data. BitLocker encrypts and rewrites data all the time. This can lead to faster wear over time.
  • Higher Power Consumption: More work for the CPU and disk means the battery drains faster on laptops. This affects how portable the laptop is.
  • Gaming and Software Performance Drops: Games and software that read and write data a lot can become slow. This happens because of BitLocker’s constant encryption.

Step 1: Checking If BitLocker Is Enabled on Your SSD

Before you optimize, you must check if BitLocker is active on your SSD. Here is how to do it:

Method 1: Using the Control Panel

  1. Open the Start Menu. Type Control Panel and press Enter.
  2. Go to System and Security and then BitLocker Drive Encryption.
  3. Look for BitLocker next to your SSD drive. It will say On or Off.

Method 2: Using the Command Prompt

  1. Press Win + X and click on Command Prompt (Admin).
  2. Type this command and press Enter: manage-bde -status
  3. Find your SSD drive and check if BitLocker is enabled.

If BitLocker is On, you may see a drop in performance. The next step is to decide if you will disable it or change settings for better efficiency.

Step 2: Disable BitLocker to Make the SSD Faster

If you do not need full-disk encryption and want to make your SSD faster, you can disable BitLocker.

Method 1: Disable BitLocker Using Control Panel

  1. Open Control Panel. Go to System and Security. Then, go to BitLocker Drive Encryption.
  2. Click on Turn off BitLocker next to your SSD.
  3. Follow the instructions on the screen. Wait for the decryption to finish.

Method 2: Disable BitLocker With the Command Prompt

  1. Open the Command Prompt as Admin.
  2. Type this command and press Enter: manage-bde -off C:
  3. Wait until decryption finishes.

After you disable BitLocker, your SSD will be faster. However, Windows 11 still has many background processes that can slow your SSD. To make it better, we will use CL Debloat.

Step 3: Use CL Debloat to Make Windows 11 Faster for SSD

Even with BitLocker off, Windows 11 has bloatware, ads, and unneeded background services that slow SSD speed. CL Debloat is a tool that can help take away these unwanted features.

What Is CL Debloat?

CL Debloat is a tool for Windows that lets users remove bloatware, turn off ads, and make the boot time faster. It has three main parts:

  • Visual: Changes UI settings for a better experience.
  • Bloat: Takes away unneeded Windows features.
  • Ads: Turns off Windows tracking and advertisements.

How to Use CL Debloat for SSD Speed

1. Remove Bloatware

Unneeded Windows services use SSD space and run in the background. To remove them:

  1. Open CL Debloat and go to the Bloat tab.
  2. Select Disable Windows Recall, Disable Widgets, Hide OneDrive Folder, and Hide ‘Recommended’ in Start Menu.
  3. Click Apply.
2. Turn Off Ads and Telemetry

Windows 11 has ads and tracking services that make SSD read/write work more. To turn them off:

  1. Go to the Ads tab in CL Debloat.
  2. Choose Disable Telemetry Tracking. Choose Disable Personalized Ads. Choose Disable Ads in File Explorer. Choose Disable Bing Results in Search.
  3. Press Apply.
3. Turn Off the Game Bar and Unused Features

Background services like Game Bar and Copilot use system resources. To turn them off, do this:

  1. In CL Debloat, go to the Bloat tab.
  2. Choose Disable Game Bar. Choose Disable Chat in Taskbar. Choose Disable Copilot.
  3. Press Apply.

After you apply these settings, your SSD will perform better. Your background activity will reduce. Your SSD will last longer.

Step 4: Check SSD Speed Improvements

After you turn off BitLocker and optimize Windows 11 with CL Debloat, you can check your SSD speed.

Test SSD Speed with CrystalDiskMark

  1. Download CrystalDiskMark. Install the tool.
  2. Open the tool. Select your SSD drive.
  3. Press Start. Compare the results. Check before and after optimization.

Monitor System Performance

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Look at Disk Usage in the Performance tab.
  3. If disk space usage is much lower, your optimizations worked.

Conclusion

Windows 11’s BitLocker is an important security feature. It can slow down SSD speed because of real-time encryption. If your SSD is slow, check the BitLocker status. Turning it off can make it faster. However, even after you turn off BitLocker, Windows still runs unnecessary background processes. These processes can slow you down. Using CL Debloat helps you remove bloatware. It also helps you disable ads and turn off heavy features. This can make SSD performance better.

By following this guide, you can balance security with performance. Your Windows 11 system will run better. You can keep essential protections in place. If you want speed, turn off BitLocker. Using CL Debloat is a good way to make your SSD work better and last longer without disabling the BitLocker.