When you log out of your user account on Windows 11/10/8/7, the BitLocker will not be decrypted given that BitLocker is independent of the user account. To understand it, you need to know how BitLocker works when you enable it on your SSD.
BitLocker Drive Encryption is an operating system-integrated data security technology that counters the risks of data loss or exposure from lost, stolen, or improperly decommissioned devices. It provides maximum protection when used with the TPM(Trusted Platform Module) 1.2 version and later. Without TPM, you can also turn on BitLocker on your Windows PC.
During the process of enabling the BitLocker drive encryption on your SSD, it automatically generates a BitLocker Drive Encryption recovery key used to decrypt the drive, you will be asked to backup the recovery key, including Save to your Microsoft account, Save to a file, and Print the recovery key.
If the computer does not have a Trusted Platform Module chip, it requires you to select the encryption to unlock method before you save the recovery key, you can choose to Insert a USB flash drive or Enter a password. Only when you apply the method you choose, then the computer can start up.
If you are going to enable BitLocker To Go on an external hard drive, it also needs to create a password to unlock the drive. When you insert the BitLocker-encrypted external disk into your Windows PC, you should enter this password so that you can access the data.
As you can see, whether you enable the BitLocker on an operating system drive with or without TPM, or turn on BitLocker To Go on an external hard drive, you can decrypt it using a password, a USB flash drive, or the BitLocker recovery key. Therefore, whether you log in or log out of your user account, it doesn't affect the BitLocker-encrypted drive at all.
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Jenny Zeng
Rivers Wong
