BitLocker, an encryption feature, provides an extra layer of protection to the hard drive against unauthorized access and the prying eyes of cybercriminals. It is the native Windows security feature built into Windows PCs from Windows 7 to the latest versions, but is not available in the Home edition of Windows 10/11.
The drive encrypted using BitLocker can only be decrypted or unlocked with the 48-digit Recovery Key or BitLocker password. Anyone without authentication will be denied access if the drive is breached or the system has been stolen. Although BitLocker protects your sensitive data, entering the BitLocker password or recovery key again after performing a new version of Windows or every Startup, changing hardware, or performing BIOS UEFI updates can be annoying. However, you can prevent this by suspending or disabling the BitLocker Encryption.
This guide will walk you through various methods to disable BitLocker Encryption on Windows 10/11 system.
Disable BitLocker Encryption in Windows
You can easily disable or turn it off if you don't need BitLocker Encryption to prevent issues during system modification. Moreover, doing so will not modify or delete your data in the drive. However, before disabling BitLocker, you first need to unlock the encrypted drive, as shown below.
Unlocking an Encrypted Drive
To unlock the encrypted drive, be it a fixed drive, you must enter the recovery key or password. To unlock and access the data inside an encrypted drive, follow these steps:
- Go to This PC of your system and click on the encrypted drive.
- Type your password or Pin, click Unlock button to open the encrypted drive.
- If you've forgotten or lost the unlock password, click Moreoptions.
- Now click on Enter recovery key option.
- Enter a unique 48-digit recovery key and click Unlock button.
Note - You can find the BitLocker Recovery key in your Microsoft account under the Devices sections.
Once you have unlocked the BitLocker Encrypted drive, you can jump to the next step to disable it.
Methods to disable BitLocker encryption
There are several methods to disable BitLocker in Windows 10/11, including via Control Panel, Group Policy Editor, Windows Services, System Configuration, PowerShell, and Command Prompt.
1. Disable BitLocker Encryption via Control Panel
Control Panel is the most user-friendly way to turn off BitLocker Windows 10; you must be logged in as an administrator. To disable BitLocker encryption using the Control Panel:
- Click the Start icon, type Control Panel in the Cortana box, click System and Security.
- Click on the BitLocker Drive Encryption option from the menu.
- In the BitLocker Drive Encryption screen, click Turn Off BitLocker.
- Now, click on the Decrypt Drive to start the decryption process.
2. Disable BitLocker Encryption in Windows 10 Via Command Prompt
Follow the below steps to turn off BitLocker on Windows 10 using the Command Prompt:
- Click on the Start icon and type cmd in the search box.
- From the list, click on Run as Administration options.
- Now type manage-bde -status to view the encryption status of BitLocker on your system.
- Wait for encryption to complete, and then type manage-bde -off X.
Note - Replace X with the drive letter of your BitLocker encrypted drive.
- Now, wait for the decryption to complete. Then, type manage-bde -status check the decryption progress.
- If you see the Percentage Encrypted marked as 0%, it means BitLocker encryption has been removed from the drive.
3. Remove BitLocker Encryption Via PowerShell
Another command line utility that gives you more control over your system's application. To remove BitLocker in Windows 10/11, follow these steps:
- Press the Windows + X key together and select Windows PowerShell (Admin) from the Power Users menu list.
- Now type Disable-BitLocker -MountPoint "X:" and hit Enter key to disable the BitLocker encryption.
Note - Replace X with the drive letter of your BitLocker encrypted drive.
- Wait until the Protection status is Off, indicating BitLocker encryption is disabled.
You can even turn off BitLocker for all drives on your system using PowerShell. To do that, type the following commands in the PowerShell window:
- $BLV = Get-BitLockerVolume - to view the list of encrypted volumes.
- Disable-BitLocker -MountPoint $BLV –to decrypt the encrypted volumes.
Remember that the decryption will take a while, so don't interrupt it.
4. Turn Off BitLocker Encryption via Local Group Policy Editor
The Local Group Policy Editor allows the administrator to control the access and permission of various applications and users on your system. It can also be used to manage the BitLocker Drive; however, it is the most complicated method to disable the BitLocker in Windows 10/11. Let's take a look at the steps:
- Hit Windows + R keys together to launch the Run dialog box.
- Type msc to launch the GroupPolicy.
- Once the Local Group Policy Editor window appears, navigate to the Computer Configuration tab and click Administrative Templates.
- Double-click on the Windows Component folder, and expand the BitLocker Drive Encryption option.
- Click on Fixed Data Drives and then double-click on the Deny write access to fixed drives not protected by BitLocker option to open it.
- Next, either click Not Configured or Disabled. Both options will remove BitLocker encryption. Then click on Apply and OK to save the changes.
5. Turn off BitLocker Encryption via Windows Services
Windows Services can be used to turn on or off all Windows Services, including BitLocker Services. Here's how to disable the BitLocker Services:
- Press Windows + R keys together to launch the Run dialog box.
- Type services.msc in the box to launch the Services window.
- Under the Name tab, try locating BitLocker Drive Encryption Service, then double-click on it.
- Next, navigate to the Startuptype section and select Disable from the drop-down list.
- Click Apply, then click OK to save the changes.
6. Disable BitLocker Encryption using System Configuration
To remove BitLocker Encryption via System Configuration, follow these steps:
- Press Windows + R keys together to launch the Run dialog box.
- Type msconfig to launch the System Configuration window.
- Now Navigate to the Services tab, look for the BitLocker Drive Encryption Service, and uncheck it.
- Click Apply, and then OK. Restart your system for the changes to save.
Bottom Line
This guide introduced six ways to Disable or Turn Off BitLocker Encryption in Windows 10/11. You can only decrypt your drive when you have the BitLocker Recovery Key or Password. However, if you lose any data from BitLocker encrypted drive due to unforeseen circumstances, try using efficient data recovery software like Stellar Data Recovery for Windows to recover the data.
Vishakha Singh is a Senior Writer at Stellar with half a decade of experience in writing content in diverse verticals. She loves creating photo/video recovery & repair tutorials. Vishakha also specializes in writing full-blown iPhone and Android guides.
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