this installation tip will prevent you from losing your data later

Fresh installation of Windows 11 may result in automatic encryption of all your drives and poses a risk of data loss. Here’s how to avoid it.

Installing Windows 11 on a new computer introduces a new feature that could surprise many users : THE automatic encryption of all disks, including the system disk and secondary disks.

However, this change, which is intended to improve data security, presents risks. If users do not have decryption keys after a system reinstallation, they may lose access to all their data. This process, which is often not mentioned during initial setup, can cause unexpected complications for those who are not prepared.

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Here’s how to stop Windows 11 from encrypting your drives during installation

To avoid unwanted encryption of your disks, there are two methods that you can apply from the start of the Windows 11 installation. These solutions allow you to control the encryption setting directly from the Windows registry or by modifying the image. the installation itself.

• Option 1: disable encryption via the Windows Registry

1. After booting and choosing the country or region, tap Shift+F10 to open the command prompt.
2. Type “regedit” and press Enter to launch the Registry Editor
3. Navigate to ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetBitLocker
4. Right-click on the BitLocker key, select “New > Dword Value (32-bit)” and name it something like “Prevent Encryption”
5. Open the created value and change the value data from 0 to 1.
   

   

6. Close the editor and continue the installation
7. To check the encryption status of your disks, open the command prompt as in 1) and type “manage-bde -status”
   

   

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• Option 2: Edit a Windows 11 image

1. Download a program to format a USB boot key. You can use Rufus, it’s a free program.
2. Get a Windows 11 image via the official website or media creation tool
3. Connect your USB drive, select the image and click “Start”
4. Rufus will ask you to select some options to improve your experience; the necessary option is named “Turn off BitLocker automatic encryption”
5. Once the media is created, install Windows 11

These steps will allow you to keep control on the encryption of your disks during the installation of Windows 11. They will thus avoid you unpleasant surprises and potential complications related to access to your personal data.