Microsoft has admitted that the latest Windows devices equipped with the latest processors are vulnerable to data loss and corruption. The software giant has confirmed a critical bug in Windows 11 and Windows Server 2023 using Ice Lake, Tiger Lake, Alder Lake, Rocket Lake, or soon to be released Zen 4 chips microprocessors that boost the 10, 11, and 12-generation core CPUs.
The critical bug has occurred probably due to an error in adding new code paths to support the newest Vector Advanced Encryption Standard (VAES) instruction set in the latest AMD and Intel processors in Windows 11.
Warning signs of Windows encryption bug
The bug would affect the performance of Windows BitLocker drive encryption, Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol over Internet, and disk throughput, especially for business users. Plus, Windows AES-based operations can get two times slower than usual.
Your Windows 11 encryption may not work or the BitLocker app may slow down to nearly half its normal speed. Further, if Windows is significantly slow after installing May 24, 2023 preview release or the security release of June 14, 2023, there are high chances your system is affected by the bug.
How to fix Windows 11 encryption bug?
Microsoft says installing further Windows 11 monthly updates can remove encryption acceleration on the processors, thereby fixing the problem.
The initial patch by the company to fix the bug was the preview release of June 23, 2023 for Windows 11 (original release) and Windows Server 2023. However, it seemed to be a workaround by Microsoft to prevent further data loss as the patch critically reduced the PC performance for at least a month until the next security release.
With the July 12, 2023 security release for Windows 11 (original release) and Windows Server 2023, user could resolve the bug and restore PC performance while preventing further data loss.
Unfortunately, the updates won’t undo the data damage already occurred on your system. Microsoft’s article that outlines the cause, symptoms, and solution to the encryption bug completely avoided any resolution for those who have already lost data due to the encryption bug.
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