Windows 11 Home version 23H2 - BitLocker question


Ward1951

Ward1951

Active member
Local time
2:24 PM
Posts
2
OS
Windows 11 Home 64-bit
I have Windows 11 Home Version 23H2. I've looked at several YouTube videos explaining how to find out if I have Bitlocker installed on my system. After examining my system using Terminal (Admin) I have discovered none of my drives (all SSD) are encrypted. Additionally, I do not have a BitLocker recovery key.

My question is the following: My system is going to be updated to Version 24H2 sometime in the near future which, from what I can gather, will apparently encrypt my C drive. If that is true, will I also receive the Bitlocker recovery key? Or is my Home version of Windows 11 going to continue to be exempt from BitLocker encryption?

Thanks in advance!
 
Windows Build/Version
23H2

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Home 64-bit11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-11600KF @ 3.90G...16.0 GB (15.9 GB usable)4095MB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (MSI)
OS
Windows 11 Home 64-bit
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
CyberPowerPC - C series
CPU
11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-11600KF @ 3.90GHz 3.91
Motherboard
ASRock B560M-C
Memory
16.0 GB (15.9 GB usable)
Graphics Card(s)
4095MB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (MSI)
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
HP M27ha (1920x1080@60Hz)
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
931GB Seagate ST1000DM010-2EP102 (SATA )
465GB Western Digital WD Blue SN570 500GB (Unknown (SSD))
1862GB Western Digital WD Elements 2621 USB Device (USB (SATA) (SSD))
PSU
ATX-PR600W
Case
CyberPowerPC case
Cooling
water cooled
Keyboard
HID Keyboard Device
Mouse
HID-compliant
Internet Speed
500 mbps download - 55 mbps upload
Browser
Chrome
Antivirus
Windows Defender
Other Info
HP DJ 2700 series PCL-3 printer
Ward1951 said:
I have Windows 11 Home Version 23H2. I've looked at several YouTube videos explaining how to find out if I have Bitlocker installed on my system. After examining my system using Terminal (Admin) I have discovered none of my drives (all SSD) are encrypted. Additionally, I do not have a BitLocker recovery key.

My question is the following: My system is going to be updated to Version 24H2 sometime in the near future which, from what I can gather, will apparently encrypt my C drive. If that is true, will I also receive the Bitlocker recovery key? Or is my Home version of Windows 11 going to continue to be exempt from BitLocker encryption?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
If your C drive is being encrypted with BitLocker after updating to Windows 11 version 24H2, you should receive the BitLocker recovery key during the encryption setup process. This key is essential for accessing your drive if needed. As for the inclusion of BitLocker in Windows 11 Home edition, changes in version 24H2 would need to be confirmed with official Microsoft documentation or release notes.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProfessionalIntel Core i5-940032GBIntegrated Intel UHD Graphics 630
OS
Windows 11 Professional
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Microcenter B677
CPU
Intel Core i5-9400
Motherboard
ASRock H310CM-HDV/M.2
Memory
32GB
Graphics Card(s)
Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630
Sound Card
Intel Kaby Lake - High Definition Audio / cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech) [A0]
Monitor(s) Displays
LG Model: GSM59F1
Screen Resolution
2560x1080
Case
Lian Li 205M
Antivirus
Kaspersky AV
Ward1951 said:
I have Windows 11 Home Version 23H2. I've looked at several YouTube videos explaining how to find out if I have Bitlocker installed on my system. After examining my system using Terminal (Admin) I have discovered none of my drives (all SSD) are encrypted. Additionally, I do not have a BitLocker recovery key.

My question is the following: My system is going to be updated to Version 24H2 sometime in the near future which, from what I can gather, will apparently encrypt my C drive. If that is true, will I also receive the Bitlocker recovery key? Or is my Home version of Windows 11 going to continue to be exempt from BitLocker encryption?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Welcome to Eleven Forum.

No, the update to 24H2 should not encrypt your drive(s).

Home doesn't support Bitlocker, but it does support device encryption. On a device that meets certain requirements (for example, supports Modern Standby, has TPM 2.0 and has Secure Boot enabled) then a clean install of Windows 11 (Home or Pro) will by default enable device encryption. This encrypts the drive but leaves it 'open', so that you don't have any need for a key. Only in Pro you would you then be prompted to turn on Bitlocker, and only then will you be provided with a key that you need to know and keep safe.

The feature update to 24H2 though should retain whatever your current encryption state is, in your case unencrypted.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two Other systems

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround.

    In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround.
    Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
Bree said:
Welcome to Eleven Forum.

No, the update to 24H2 should not encrypt your drive(s).

Home doesn't support Bitlocker, but it does support device encryption. On a device that meets certain requirements (for example, supports Modern Standby, has TPM 2.0 and has Secure Boot enabled) then a clean install of Windows 11 (Home or Pro) will by default enable device encryption. This encrypts the drive but leaves it 'open', so that you don't have any need for a key. Only in Pro you would you then be prompted to turn on Bitlocker, and only then will you be provided with a key that you need to know and keep safe.

The feature update to 24H2 though should retain whatever your current encryption state is, in your case unencrypted.
Click to expand...
My post was based on the information provided in the link listed below;
(below link is from an article on "tom's HARDWARE" dated May 7th, 2024)

tinyurl.com

Windows 11 24H2 will enable BitLocker encryption for everyone — happens on both clean installs and reinstalls

You can still manually disable encryption if desired.
tinyurl.com tinyurl.com

Perhaps there is more recent information which contradicts the article that I have not seen.
 
Last edited:

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProfessionalIntel Core i5-940032GBIntegrated Intel UHD Graphics 630
OS
Windows 11 Professional
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Microcenter B677
CPU
Intel Core i5-9400
Motherboard
ASRock H310CM-HDV/M.2
Memory
32GB
Graphics Card(s)
Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630
Sound Card
Intel Kaby Lake - High Definition Audio / cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech) [A0]
Monitor(s) Displays
LG Model: GSM59F1
Screen Resolution
2560x1080
Case
Lian Li 205M
Antivirus
Kaspersky AV
Sir_George said:
My post was based on the information provided in the link listed below;
(below link is from an article on "tom's HARDWARE" dated May 7th, 2024)
Click to expand...
Your link says "happens on both clean installs and reinstalls". The meaning of a 'clean install' is obvious, the 'reinstall' it refers to would typically be when you go to System > Recovery and select Reset this PC.

The feature update to 24H2 through Windows update is neither of those, it is an upgrade of your existing system and retains your files, installed apps, and settings - and that should include your current setting for device encryption being turned off.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two Other systems

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround.

    In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround.
    Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
Thanks to all who responded! Appreciate it!
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Home 64-bit11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-11600KF @ 3.90G...16.0 GB (15.9 GB usable)4095MB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (MSI)
OS
Windows 11 Home 64-bit
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
CyberPowerPC - C series
CPU
11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-11600KF @ 3.90GHz 3.91
Motherboard
ASRock B560M-C
Memory
16.0 GB (15.9 GB usable)
Graphics Card(s)
4095MB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (MSI)
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
HP M27ha (1920x1080@60Hz)
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
931GB Seagate ST1000DM010-2EP102 (SATA )
465GB Western Digital WD Blue SN570 500GB (Unknown (SSD))
1862GB Western Digital WD Elements 2621 USB Device (USB (SATA) (SSD))
PSU
ATX-PR600W
Case
CyberPowerPC case
Cooling
water cooled
Keyboard
HID Keyboard Device
Mouse
HID-compliant
Internet Speed
500 mbps download - 55 mbps upload
Browser
Chrome
Antivirus
Windows Defender
Other Info
HP DJ 2700 series PCL-3 printer
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