Microsoft is gearing up to launch its next major operating system update for Windows 11 users worldwide, which looks set to prioritise encryption over SSD speed
Tests suggest SSD performance could plummet by as much as 45%
The next blockbuster update coming to Windows 11 could seriously slow the performance of your SSD storage.
It's all thanks to a decision by Microsoft to encrypt all personal files by default with the introduction of its next free upgrade, known as 24H2 — the second of two major updates coming to Windows 11 this year.
Until now, Microsoft has only offered BitLocker encryption to PC owners with Windows 11 Pro, but the next update lowers the eligibility criteria to make it available to more people. In theory, that's a positive change.
Encryption scrambles the files stored on your PC, making it much tougher to steal your private data. That should reduce the threat of theft from malware and other viruses, as well as bad actors snooping on your private information if an SSD is lost, stolen, or incorrectly decommissioned during the recycling process.
It follows a similar decision by Apple, which encrypts data automatically on all Mac models with Apple silicon or an Apple T2 Security Chip. Likewise, by enabling BitLocker encryption for all new PCs by default, Microsoft will dramatically improve security for millions of Windows users who wouldn't usually deep-dive into the settings and enable encryption.
However, encrypting your files — and decrypting them whenever you need to access them — takes a toll on the performance of your SSD. US publication Tom’s Hardware tested BitLocker on a variety of popular SSD models last year and found that it significantly impacts performance.
With BitLocker encryption enabled, sequential read speeds plummet by as much as 45%, while write speeds can dip by 40%. Given that one of the advantages of SSDs, or Solid-State Drives, is the speedy performance ...it's a blow for Windows 11 users who prize fast performance over everything else.
Microsoft has confirmed that BitLocker will only be enabled by default when you perform a clean installation of Windows 11 following the free 24H2 update, so those who simply update their PC won't need to worry about any slowdown in SSD performance related to encryption.
If you purchase one of the first batch of Copilot+ PCs — an offshoot of Windows 11 only available on select machines with an AI-enhanced processor, your personal data will be encrypted by default.
As well as bolstering encryption, the next major release from Microsoft is widely tipped to return the ill-fated Recall feature. Announced as the flagship new AI feature for Copilot+ PCs back in May, Recall was put on ice after ex-Microsoft engineer Kevin Beaumont branded it a "disaster" and warned that "stealing everything you’ve ever typed or viewed on your own Windows PC is now possible with two lines of code."
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Following these concerns about the privacy of Recall, the UK data protection watchdog confirmed that it would begin "making inquiries" with Microsoftand billionaire SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has warned millions of followers on X to ditch the feature.
Apple executives mocked the fallout of the flashy new AI feature.
Since then, Microsoft has stayed tight-lipped about a possible release date for Recall, but sources suggest it could be bundled with other improvements and tweaks in the next Windows 11 update, scheduled for release in September or October.
