data-analytics-id=”inline-link” href=”https://www.tomshardware.com/tag/microsoft” data-auto-tag-linker=”true” data-before-rewrite-localise=”https://www.tomshardware.com/tag/microsoft”>Microsoft introduced BitLocker storage encryption to Windows Vista in 2007. It was initially limited to only the data-analytics-id=”inline-link” href=”https://www.tomshardware.com/tag/enterprise” data-auto-tag-linker=”true” data-before-rewrite-localise=”https://www.tomshardware.com/tag/enterprise”>Enterprise and Ultimate editions at the time, but since then, BitLocker has become an integral part of the operating system. Starting with data-analytics-id=”inline-link” href=”https://www.tomshardware.com/tag/windows-11″ data-auto-tag-linker=”true” data-before-rewrite-localise=”https://www.tomshardware.com/tag/windows-11″>Windows 11, BitLocker is turned on by default when you data-analytics-id=”inline-link” href=”https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/microsoft-clamping-down-on-windows-11-local-account-setup-latest-insider-build-removes-local-only-commands-skipping-microsoft-account-sign-in-will-crash-setup-process” data-before-rewrite-localise=”https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/microsoft-clamping-down-on-windows-11-local-account-setup-latest-insider-build-removes-local-only-commands-skipping-microsoft-account-sign-in-will-crash-setup-process”>sign in with a Microsoft account in the OOBE. In theory, this is a novel practice — encrypting your storage without manual interception, but it can easily lead to unwanted problems.
That’s what…
