I'm setting up a new Windows 11 laptop and planning to switch most of my computing to Linux while keeping a Windows partition just in case. I've used Linux before but haven't set up a dual-boot system. My main concern is Bitlocker. I know I need to disable it before installing Linux, but should I turn it back on afterwards? I don't have anything super sensitive on my laptop, so I'm tempted to just remove it altogether. I'm also worried about performance issues since I've read that Bitlocker can slow things down significantly. How do others feel about using Bitlocker in a dual-boot setup with Linux?
1 Answer
Bitlocker's presence doesn't directly mess with your Windows install, but it does have some indirect effects. Most Linux installers will require you to disable Bitlocker first, which means you'd need to turn off secure boot temporarily. If you don’t, you might be asked for the Bitlocker recovery key every time you boot into Windows after disabling secure boot. As for dual-boot setups, it's generally safer to have separate drives for Windows and Linux, if possible, to avoid potential boot issues from Windows updates.
Does that mean separate partitions count as separate drives? I can’t really add another one to my laptop.