Sucks. I was planning on getting a new gaming laptop at the end of the year but don't want windows 11. So now I either have to get one before win 11 invades or just go back to consoles until windows 11 is stable.
Also I don't like the idea of TPM at all and it's all very confusing.. Someone tried to explain it but I don't get it.
Yes, it is mandatory. But I think there’s a lot of misconceptions about it. So I can clear things out for you.
You can still transfer files across drives and across PC. But you need for both of them to be turned on. But when you turned on, your OS will decrypt the drive so you can access and transfer files. The PC only encrypts and lock the drive when they’re turned off. But even without BitLocker or TPM. You can’t move files anyway. So in terms of usability. There’s no difference.
You would only have problem if your backup drive is done by opening your PC/laptop case, disconnect your internal drive and plugging into another computer. But even so, it would ask you for a decryption key which you should already have it backed up somewhere.
If you’re only using USB backup drive, TPM doesn’t really do anything because as long as your PC is on, your internal drive would be in unlocked mode anyway.
You can turn off TPM. But you I’m guessing you won’t be able to install Windows 11 without it turned on. And even if you turn on TPM just to install Win 11, your internal drive where you install the Win11 would be encrypted with BitLocker. So if you turn off TPM after you install Win 11 when the TPM is on, you won’t be able to boot because your disabled TPM now no longer be able to decrypt and unlock your boot drive.
I think a lot of people are still confused and misunderstood about TPM, BitLocker and the likes. And it’s understandable why you would be afraid of it. But once you understand what it actually is and how it works. There’s really no reason why you wouldn’t want it turned on.
About bricking laptop, this is the reason why I don’t like using the “upgrade” path. I always clean reinstall windows into a reformatted drive. I always do this at least twice a year. Once for every major release of windows. I hardly backup my files because my important files are automatically synced to my cloud OneDrive. So I just cleared and delete all of my drive partition, the reformat the whole drive cleaning everything and fresh reinstall Windows. That’s to make sure my PC is always feeling “new” without any junk that can make the PC sluggish or in your case, bricked.
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Thanks for the reply, however I’m only more confused now
I don’t want any encryption on my laptop, internal/external drives, usb sticks etc. Also no interest in OneDrive. Can you opt out of / turn off all encryption/decryption and just use it like it was before?
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The short answer is. Yes you can turn off all encryption and use your PC as it was before. But you won’t be able to install and run Windows 11. That’s all. So you’ll be stuck in Windows 10 until its end of support in 2025.
And if you still don’t want to use the encryption by then you’ll still be stuck in Win 10 even after it no longer supported, and new hardware may no longer work with it, and you won’t be receiving security updates which makes your PC vulnerable to attacks even if it’s just sitting at home and not going anywhere.
What is the problem you might ask. I use external HDDs for backup and transferring files between XP, Windows 7 and Windows 10 PCs / laptops. I do not want any encryption or hurdles. Can I use windows 11 while still transferring files between windows 7 and windows 11 via external HDD. Can I take my HDD/SSD out of a windows 11 laptop (if the laptop dies for example) and plug it into a new one without trouble. Can I upgrade hardware without trouble.
Is Windows 11 going to lock my laptop up more or less? The windows store storage system is already a pita and extremely anti consumer, I don't want more of that.
