BitLocker is getting worse by the minute.

tinmar49 · Sep 27, 2021

The latest addition to my woes regarding bit locker is that it now requires the key every time the system is first started and when restarting. There are no options to change this other than suspending bit locker or uninstalling it alltogether. Windows 11 is so new that the normal advice from the experts is not forthcoming probably because they haven't come across the problem.
I have to have the code handy as the system times out after about one minute and shuts down.

Dru2 · Sep 27, 2021

Hi, BitLocker user here... Not sure what's going on, but can definitely say what you are experiencing should not be happening. Perhaps you could suspend or permanently disable BitLocker and see how that goes?

I'm running BitLocker on both a Windows 10 and Windows 11 machine without such issues.

BunnyJ · Sep 27, 2021

If it's that much of an issue I would uninstall it but that's just me and I wouldn't have installed it to begin with

Dru2 · Sep 27, 2021

BunnyJ said:
If it's that much of an issue I would uninstall it but that's just me and I wouldn't have installed it to begin with

While that's what "you" might do, ever consider the OP isn't you, and they might actually have a good reason to use said system?

And as said, what the OP is experiencing is highly unusual (depending).

"I" use (and haven been using) BitLocker and don't have any issues. I also know why I'm using BitLocker, and it isn't FUD based :wink:

BunnyJ · Sep 27, 2021

Dru2 said:
While that's what "you" might do, ever consider the OP isn't you, and they might actually have a good reason to use said system?

And as said, what the OP is experiencing is highly unusual.

"I" use (and haven been using) BitLocker and don't have any issues. I also know why I'm using BitLocker, and it isn't FUD based

True.. but that was my suggestion. I don't see the need for it.

tinmar49 · Sep 27, 2021

I enabled bit locker because it was a requirement for eligibilility for getting W11 legitimately from Microsoft. It is updated from W10 beta channel.

BunnyJ · Sep 27, 2021

tinmar49 said:
I enabled bit locker because it was a requirement for eligibilility for getting W11 legitimately from Microsoft. It is updated from W10 beta channel.

It's not a requirement. You only need TPM 2 enabled. I don't have bitlocker on mine and I use and get updates for 11

Dru2 · Sep 27, 2021

BunnyJ said:
True.. but that was my suggestion. I don't see the need for it.

Well just because "you" don't see a need for something doesn't mean it's useless, it simply means "you" don't use it :wink:

At the end of the day, the OP may very well dismiss the system, or they may wish to solve the issue.... in the end it'll be based on "their" needs :wink:

Fabler2 · Sep 27, 2021

I have to have the code handy as the system times out after about one minute and shuts down.

Check your power options in the old control panel.

Dru2 · Sep 27, 2021

tinmar49 said:
I enabled bit locker because it was a requirement for eligibilility for getting W11 legitimately from Microsoft. It is updated from W10 beta channel.

BitLocker is NOT a requirement for Windows 11, only TPM. That TPM is enabled does not auto invoke or turn on BitLocker.

That said, the issue you have should not be happening unless you've not chosen the auto unlock feature - however, that feature is used for data drives, not the "active" OS drive with does get auto unlocked at each boot.

See this tutorial - Turn On or Off Auto-unlock for BitLocker Drive in Windows 10

That said, is the issue with the OS or data drive?

tinmar49 · Sep 27, 2021

My power is set for 5 hours before anything happens.
I will look into removing bit locker, the drives will probably have to be de-incrypted first.

Dru2 · Sep 27, 2021

tinmar49 said:
My power is set for 5 hours before anything happens.
I will look into removing bit locker, the drives will probably have to be de-incrypted first.

Once you turn it off it'll start decrypting the drive. There's no need to decrypt first because that's what turning it off will do.

But you've not answered the question - what drive? OS or data?

Mystere · Sep 27, 2021

Disabling and re-enabling bitlocker is a pretty seamless operation. You don't even really know it's happening unless you issue a command to view the status. You can continue to use the system while it is decrypting and re-encrypting. So it's not really an issue to re-do your drives.

Having said that, as mentioned, Bitlocker is not a requirement for Windows 11.

Dru2 · Sep 27, 2021

Mystere said:
You can continue to use the system while it is decrypting and re-encrypting.

Yes, I forgot to mention that ^^ :)

pparks1 · Sep 27, 2021

As others have stated, BitLocker is not required for Windows 11.

However, it sounds to me like you don't have a TPM module in your computer, for BitLocker to store the keys in....hence the reason it's asking for the key at boot. Do you have TPM?

tinmar49 · Sep 27, 2021

I decrypted both drives and now BL is turned off. Shutting down and restarting is now back to normal. Now I know that BL is not a requirement for W11, I think I can do without it without too many tears.
I don't have a TPM module in the motherboard, but the AMD firmware version is switched on, and so is secure boot, which requires 2 passwords before getting to the pin number.

PerpetualCycle · Sep 27, 2021

His A320 chipset and AsRock motherboard should support AMD fTPM 2.0. It may not, however, be enabled in BIOS. if he is on the latest .194 beta, that means it is enabled.

Dru2 · Sep 27, 2021

pparks1 said:
However, it sounds to me like you don't have a TPM module in your computer, for BitLocker to store the keys in....hence the reason it's asking for the key at boot. Do you have TPM?

Hmmm, maybe, but... BitLocker can be run without TPM - How to Use BitLocker Without a Trusted Platform Module (TPM)

Also Microsoft's FAQ - Can I use BitLocker on an operating system drive without a TPM?

Yes, you can enable BitLocker on an operating system drive without a TPM version 1.2 or higher, if the BIOS or UEFI firmware has the ability to read from a USB flash drive in the boot environment. This is because BitLocker will not unlock the protected drive until BitLocker's own volume master key is first released by either the computer's TPM or by a USB flash drive containing the BitLocker startup key for that computer. However, computers without TPMs will not be able to use the system integrity verification that BitLocker can also provide. To help determine whether a computer can read from a USB device during the boot process, use the BitLocker system check as part of the BitLocker setup process. This system check performs tests to confirm that the computer can properly read from the USB devices at the appropriate time and that the computer meets other BitLocker requirements.

Perhaps there's a possibility the USB drive needs to be plugged in (assuming the OP is using BitLocker without a TPM.

Also, pointed out (to which the OP never answered) which drive(s)? If it's a data drive BitLocker is going to nag for a key each boot unless you enable auto unlock as pointed out in Brink's tutorial. If the OS drive, the drive would be automatically unlocked upon boot.

PerpetualCycle · Sep 27, 2021

He is using a TPM (fTPM). He said so. It's resolved.

Dru2 · Sep 27, 2021

geneo said:
He is using a TPM (fTPM). He said so. It's resolved.

That wasn't the question. And answering the question may have offered a solution without need to turn off BitLocker :wink:

tinmar49 said:
I don't have a TPM module in the motherboard, but the AMD firmware version is switched on, and so is secure boot, which requires 2 passwords before getting to the pin number.

And this one is rather odd, and I am using both Secure Boot and BitLocker. The only password is whatever I setup to log into Windows. Nothing to do with BitLocker or Secure Boot.

But he resolved it his way so movin on.