Users should be aware that Windows 11's BitLocker randomly erases data.
For those who are unfamiliar with BitLocker, Microsoft's encryption system, many Windows 11 users have begun to report data loss in recent weeks as a result of the program's automatic activation.
Because BitLocker is by default enabled in Windows 11 Professional and Enterprise editions, you may already be aware of this. However, with the release of the 24H2 update, Home editions of Windows 11 are also automatically encrypted, whether you like it or not.
When a user logs in with a Microsoft account during the initial setup of the system, encryption takes place. Of course, when this happens, BitLocker is activated without the user's knowledge, and the recovery key is saved to the Microsoft account without any warning.
What a large number of Reddit users have reported is that there are multiple cases where people have lost complete access to their data after being locked out by BitLocker.
It is alleged that the way BitLocker is implemented poses a risk to the security benefits for users, especially for those unfamiliar with advanced Windows operating system settings.
The problem, they say, is that if users lose access to their Microsoft accounts due to forgetting their password or losing access to recovery methods, they will also lose access to their encrypted data forever.
Some argue that for most users, keeping their private files, such as photos or personal documents, is more important than confidentiality, and that this approach implemented by BitLocker, which is enabled by default, may end up causing more harm than good.
They believe Microsoft should find a more transparent and secure way to implement BitLocker and clearly inform users of the risks that may arise from its use.