BitLocker is Windows’ built-in encryption feature that prevents unauthorized access to stored data. During startup, it uses the Trusted Platform Module to manage encryption keys and unlock drives after verifying system integrity. While this method has been effective, Microsoft says faster storage technologies have made the performance impact of software-based encryption more noticeable, especially during demanding tasks.
As storage speeds increase, BitLocker’s encryption overhead can slow down activities like gaming and video editing. To address this, Microsoft is offloading encryption tasks to specialized hardware within the processor that is designed for secure and high-speed cryptographic operations. This reduces reliance on the CPU and improves overall system responsiveness.
With hardware acceleration enabled, large encryption workloads no longer heavily tax the CPU. Microsoft reports that testing showed about 70% fewer CPU cycles per input-output operation compared to software-based BitLocker, although actual gains depend on hardware configurations.
On supported devices with NVMe drives and compatible processors, BitLocker will default to hardware-accelerated encryption using the XTS-AES-256 algorithm. This applies to automatic device encryption, manual activation, policy-based deployment, and script-driven setups, with some exceptions.
The update also strengthens security by keeping encryption keys protected within hardware, reducing exposure to memory or CPU-based attacks. Combined with TPM protections, this moves BitLocker closer to eliminating key handling in general system memory.
Hardware-accelerated BitLocker is available in Windows 11 version 24H2 with September updates installed and will also be included in version 25H2. Initial support is limited to Intel vPro systems with Intel Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake) processors, with broader system-on-a-chip support planned.
Users can confirm whether hardware acceleration is active by running the “manage-bde -status” command. Microsoft notes BitLocker will revert to software encryption if unsupported algorithms or key sizes are used, certain enterprise policies apply, or FIPS mode is enabled on hardware without certified cryptographic offloading.
