Is your Windows 11 PC encrypted? The answer is surprisingly complex

You would think that Windows 11 PCs are all encrypted. Security is such a big focus for Microsoft’s latest operating system that automatically saving stored data unless the computer is shut down seems sensible.

In fact, the mechanisms for doing just that are already in place. Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro both support automatic device encryption, with the Home version providing a more streamlined experience. All you have to do is sign in to the machine with a Microsoft account, which almost all people do during setup.

What makes the process exciting (and makes Windows 11 encryption so complicated) is your hardware. If a PC does not meet the required standards, device encryption will not start automatically even if your laptop or desktop system is brand new. That does not mean that your computer can not be locked, but you may need to do some work or make more money to do so.

Note on “Device Encryption” vs. “Device Encryption”: In this article, we use “Device Encryption” (Lowercase) as a general reference to secure data in Windows Home and Pro. The official name for the feature in Windows 11 Home is Device Encryption; in Windows 11 Pro it is called BitLocker Device Encryption.

How to check if your Windows 11 PC is encrypted

Open the Settings app. In the left menu, select Privacy & Security.

On PCs that net Support device encryption, you will not see anything related to the feature in the menu. (Why Microsoft does not show a gray option is everyone’s guess.)

On PCs that support device encryption, it appears as the third option from above. Click on the Menu Item. The next screen will show your encryption status. By default it should be open. When off, click on the button to encrypt your PC.

Curious about where your recovery key is? For Windows 11 Home users (and many Windows 11 Pro users), the key is stored in your Microsoft account. Windows 11 Pro users can also jump to the control panel in their BitLocker settings (Control Panel> BitLocker Drive Encryption) to save the key manually – which is a must when logging in to your PC with a local account.

My Windows 11 PC is not encrypted. What now?

You probably read this section because you can not encrypt your PC – that is, device encryption settings are invisible to you in Windows 11 Home – and you want to. So first you need to get a general idea of ​​why your system did not enable encryption automatically. Then you can decide to move on, spend some money or call it a wash.

Go to the System Information app. (Open the Start menu, type “System Information”, then click on the search result and select Run as Administrator.) When the app opens, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and see for Device encryption support. You should see a description that starts with “Reasons for incorrect automatic encryption.” Hover your cursor over this text to read the full overview.

Depending on the reasons given, you may be able to fix the problem (s). One common one is a lack of support for Modern Standby – it is a low-power state that allows a computer to perform updates and other processes while asleep, as well as instantly wake up like a smartphone. Most current laptops support this feature, while many desktops do not. Of those that do, a handful of PCs do not have the modern standby enabled by default, but you should be able to find tips online to help you turn it on.

Device lock still does not work after you release your roadblocks? You can upgrade to Windows 11 Pro. Paying $ 99 opens up access to BitLocker, which works on systems without Modern Standby or even a TPM.

If you do not want to spend any money, you can of course choose to go without device encryption. (We do not recommend it for security reasons, but it is an option.) You can also try a third-party encryption solution like VeraCrypt instead, which is not so seamless but does not cost anything.

Why is encryption so complicated in Windows 11?

Given that modern smartphones automatically turn off device encryption seamlessly, Microsoft surprised with this inconsistent application of the feature. But in fairness to Microsoft, PCs have a wider range of possible configurations to which Windows 11 can be installed.

The fact is, if encryption is important to you (and for laptop owners, it should be), be prepared to check the status of your system. Unfortunately, you can not yet assume that this security area is covered out of the gate.