Windows 10: Bitlocker key prompt starting uo Win 11 after repair

I just received my lenovo thinkpad laptop after repairing by Lenovo. Motherboard has been replaced. Now every time windows starts up, it asks for the bitlocker key. I have the key, but I should enter it every time I turn on the laptop. How can I disable it?

:)

 

Prompt for BitLocker key

Hi Timothy,

Thank you for writing to Microsoft community forums.

I understand that it can be difficult when your own computer is inaccessible due to some changes that could have happened. However, let's try a few troubleshooting steps and see if we can access the drive.

• Are you aware of any changes that happened on the computer prior to this issue?
  
• Did you setup a BitLocker on your device before?
  

If you’ve not setup the BitLocker and it’s still prompting for the key,
you may try to locate the BitLocker key on your Microsoft account, which will help you access the drive. Refer
Find my BitLocker recovery key to
know how to find the BitLocker recovery key.

If no recovery key is found, you may enable the secure boot setting from BIOS and check if you can access the drive.

• Power off the device and then power it on.
  
• Look for a message on the boot screen just before or after the manufacturer logo appears. You may need to press the
  ‘F1’,’F2’, or
  ‘Delete’button, whatever key is indicated on the boot screen to enter BIOS Settings.
  
• Within BIOS, choose the tab ‘BOOT’.
  

Note: Depending on the BIOS manufacturer this page could be
BOOT, ADVANCED, STARTUP etc.

• Look for a setting called
  ‘UEFI Secure Boot’ and toggle the Secure Boot setting to
  ‘Enabled’.
  

Note: Each BIOS could have a different name for
UEFI Secure Boot. These are the keywords to look for:
‘UEFI’, ‘Secure Boot’,‘Legacy Boot’.

• Restart the machine now to see if you can access the drive.
  

Note:

Modifying BIOS/ complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) settings incorrectly can cause serious problems that may prevent your computer from booting properly. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting
from the configuring of BIOS/CMOS settings can be solved. Modifications of the settings are at your own risk.

Regards,

 

laptop prompt for bitlocker recovery key after win 11 updates

I asked essentially the same question above, and a lot has transpired since then. In hopes that it may help someone else, here is my experience. After BitLocker seized my machine and I couldn't even boot it, I took it to a group of pros in a shop in Carefree, Arizona. I have used them before with excellent results. I told them that I had not activated BitLocker, and as part of the fix, I wanted BitLocker GONE, so this could never happen again.

When they were through, I asked them what they did, and here is my recollection of what they told me. Bear in mind that I know just enough about computers to get in trouble, so I may have misunderstood or mis-recorded anything. But at the bottom line, they got my machine back for me. The fix worked this way.



1. They removed the hard drive from my machine, and used a USB adapter to connect it to one of their shop machines as an external drive. By doing so, the OS in their shop machine was running things, and they could access my disk without starting the faulted Win11 installation on my drive. In this state, they were able to use my BitLocker key from my Microsoft account, to successfully decrypt. They emphasized to me that without the key, everything would have been lost. No way around it.

2. My machine came with Windows 11 Pro preinstalled. Apparently Win 11 Pro comes with BitLocker, and BitLocker runs automatically, and there is no way to turn it off. Windows 11 Home does not contain BitLocker, so there is no way to turn it on. Since I told them I wanted BitLocker GONE, they removed Win11 Pro from my drive, and installed Win11 Home in its place, and I approved this. For my uses, there is no significant difference.

3. I learned that on a Windows machine, the OS is stored on a separate reserved part of the drive, so removing it and reloading a different OS version is easy. The unhandy part of doing this is that the application programs are apparently stored on that same partition. I have no idea why this is true, but wiping off the old OS also wipes off the application programs themselves. Fortunately, all the files created by the apps (doc files, ppt files, jpg files, etc) are stored out in the open part of the drive, so they are preserved. This was critical to me, as it is to most users. So I have had to spend a lot of time reloading the app programs, re-entering all their settings, and rebuilding all the address lists, bookmark lists, password lists, and so forth that are apparently stored with the app programs.

4. I do not know if it would have been possible to decrypt the original Win 11 Pro and fix the errors that caused the problem, and thereby save the apps and their internal settings and lists. Even if it were, I needed my machine back in a hurry, and I was sufficiently leery of BitLocker, that I was willing to reinstall the apps themselves (which is quick) and spend time later rebuilding their internal info. YMMV.

Bill

 

Lost bitlocker recovery key

I have lost my bitlocker recovery key and tried following the recovery steps. I have also searched and tried following the command prompts suggested but none have worked.