Windows 10: Everytime i restart my laptop, my second ssd is locked by bitlocker.

I cloned my main ssd yesterday, i got windows 11 to boot but my second ssd is always locked after a restart and theres also no bitlocker options on the laptop. How can i fix it?

:)

 

Bitlocker frequently locking computers

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately these suggestions don't really fit our needs. We want to use BitLocker and don't want to disable it. The problem we have is that it locks some of our computers from time to time. Ideally we will make use of BitLocker but not have it blocking our computers.

I have tried:

1. Turning off BitLocker
   
2. Installing all Driver and Windows Updates
   
3. Turning BitLocker back on again
   

Maybe this will help. We will wait and see.

 

Bitlocker has locked a SSD in my laptop

Looks like Device encryption got activated when you did a clean install and associated it with your Microsoft account. ( When you first got the laptop from DELL and did the initial setup, you perhaps created a local user account ( and not one linked to your Microsoft account), and so Device encryption was not activated)

• "When a clean installation of Windows 10 is completed and the out-of-box experience is finished, the computer is prepared for first use. As part of this preparation, BitLocker Device Encryption is initialized on the operating system drive and fixed data drives on the computer with a clear key (this is the equivalent of standard BitLocker suspended state). In this state, the drive is shown with a warning icon in Windows Explorer. The yellow warning icon is removed after the TPM protector is created and the recovery key is backed up, as explained in the following bullet points."

Continue to read on: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...iew-windows-10

You were unaware of this , but shrewd enough to check your Microsoft Account and get the Recovery key/s that were backed up there.

( Having said that if you had turned off Device encryption as you stated, your second fixed 500GB SSD data drive also should have gotten decrypted (unlocked) by itself without the need for inputting the Recovery Key . Perhaps you panicked and did not wait for sufficient time for it to encrypt and then decrypt and unlock.These actions once started cannot be stopped midway.)

 

Laptop locks up on cloned SSD

If we change the HDD to a new cloned SSD, we need to reactivate the operating system in cloned SSD, we need to check if the operating system from cloned SSD is activated, if no, we reactivate the operating system by the following two way:

1. Retail activate way: Microsoft Licensing Activation Centers worldwide telephone numbers
   
2. OEM(Original Equipment Manufacturer) activate way: OEM activation is bound to the motherboard. As long as the motherboard is not replaced, it does not need to be reactivated. If we change hard disk, it should be activated automatically, if it is not activated now, we can consult the laptop vendor to reactivate.
   

Probably because of the cloned operating system, online updates after first normal startup caused some settings and policy changes.

Turn off hibernation and restart the laptop.

1. Search for cmd. In the search results list, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as Administrator.
   
2. At the command prompt, type powercfg.exe /hibernate off, and then press Enter.
   
3. Restart the laptop.
   

We try to turn off screen saver, then see if the laptop locks up on cloned SSD.

1. The laptop does not lock up on cloned SSD by turning off screen saver, we can turn off screen saver in Setting to fix the issue.
   
2. The laptop locks up on cloned SSD by turning off screen saver, we can turn off lock screen or adjust the duration of the lock screen.
   

If the above does not work, we try to re-clone the SSD according to the following article: How to Upgrade Your Laptop’s Hard Drive to an SSD