Windows 10: When clearing the TPM in Windows 11 home on a laptop will the bitlocker drive encryption...

When clearing the TPM in Windows 11 home on a laptop will the bitlocker drive encryption keys stay the same and still work?

:)

 

Will clearing the TPM make BitLocker encrypted data unavailable?

Yes, the TPM can be safely cleared when the recovery key is available. In further support of @sleske's answer, here are excerpts from a Technet article on Bitlocker recovery.

 

 

 

Will clearing the TPM make BitLocker encrypted data unavailable?

tl;dr:

Only if you have the BitLocker recovery key. If you clear the TPM, the encrypted drive will only be accessible using the recovery key.

So in your case it should be ok to clear the TPM chip. Afterwards, reboot and enter the recovery key. Once inside Windows, you can re-enable the TPM chip and set a new PIN.

Longer explanation:

BitLocker usually (see below for exception) uses the computer's TPM chip to store the key required for decrypting the boot drive. If the TPM chip is cleared, this key is lost (for ever). In that case, the only way to decrypt the drive is to use the BitLocker recovery key - it exists specifically for cases like this.

In practice, if you boot from a drive encrypted with BitLocker, and Windows finds it cannot retrieve the keys from the TPM chip, it will prompt you for the recovery key. You will get an ugly black & white screen asking for the key. If you enter the right key, Windows will boot normally. If you cannot enter the key - bad luck.

For more information about how BitLocker works, also see this question on serverfault.com:
TPM had to be reintialized: Does a new recovery password have to be uploaded to AD?

Note:

It is possible to use BitLocker without TPM, though the option needs to be enabled first. In that case, clearing the TPM will not make a difference. However, it looks like you are using BitLocker with TMP, so this does not apply in your case.

 

Bitlocker without TPM

Hi there,

I'm trying to use Bitlocker without TPM

My version is Windows 10 Home, and I try to follow -

To turn on BitLocker Drive Encryption on a computer without a compatible TPM

1. Click Start, type gpedit.mscin the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.
3. In the Local Group Policy Editor console tree, click Local Computer Policy, click Administrative Templates, click Windows Components, and then clickBitLocker Drive Encryption.
4. Double-click the setting Control Panel Setup: Enable Advanced Startup Options.
5. Select the Enabled option, select the Allow BitLocker without a compatible TPM check box, and then click OK.

You have changed the policy setting so that you can use a startup key instead of a TPM.

1. Close the Local Group Policy Editor.
2. To force Group Policy to apply immediately, you can click Start, typegpupdate.exe /forcein the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
3. Click Start, click Control Panel, click Security, and then click BitLocker Drive Encryption.
4. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.
5. On the BitLocker Drive Encryption page, click Turn On BitLocker. This will only appear with the operating system volume.
6. On the Set BitLocker Startup Preferences page, select the Require Startup USB Key at every startup option. This is the only option available for non-TPM configurations. This key must be inserted each time before you start
   the computer.
7. Insert your USB flash drive in the computer, if it is not already there.
8. On the Save your Startup Key page, choose the location of your USB flash drive, and then click Save.
9. On the Save the recovery password page, you will see the following options:

· Save the password on a USB drive. Saves the password to a USB flash drive.

· Save the password in a folder. Saves the password to a folder on a network drive or other location.

· Print the password. Prints the password

While I have a problem on step 4.

Double-click the setting Control Panel Setup: Enable Advanced Startup Options.

I can find "BitLocker Drive Encryption" on my group policy editor, while I cannot find
Control Panel Setup: Enable Advanced Startup Options anywhere.

Thank you for your help.

Best Regards,

Yan