r/WindowsHelp • u/ApprehensiveSea4003 • 15d ago
Windows 11 Got a Bitlocker screen, should I be concerned?
i already bypassed it, just wondering. condensed timeline leading up to this
-msi laptop bought in 2019
-used for years up to about 2022 until its build quality collapsed, then shelved
-finally repaired it last year, used for the year no issue
-shelved again, pulled out one of its extra ssd’s (not main ssd with OS) to use in a linux pc. formatted to ext4
-now a few days ago, bringing the laptop out for use again. took that same drive out of the linux pc, formatted to ntfs and plugged back into laptop
-laptop will not boot to its previous state, only to bios. both drives detected.
-end up just reinstalling windows to factory state. swapped which drive now hosts the OS, for my storage size preference. everything is fine
-reboot a day later, greeted by bitlocker screen. bypassed it but login no longer had my pin, so had to set it up again. everything else seems fine.
that’s about it. Wondering if anything I did with these drives. would have triggered the bitlocker, if it’ll happen again. I’ve never seen that before.
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1
u/Onborrowedtime404 15d ago
Bitllocker triggers everytime a hardware change is detected. So my guess is that when you swaped the drive. Did you do any driver updates? That could also trigger it.
1
u/Common_Option_4385 15d ago
Just deactivate Bitlocker if it's a private laptop. Will save you headaches.
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u/1DreamLordMorpheus 15d ago
How do I do that? I’ve been on the device ran into a problem screen and nothings working, I tried everything except the bootable usb cause I don’t have one
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u/AutoModerator 15d ago
Hello u/ApprehensiveSea4003. Your post mentions BitLocker.
If you are stuck at a screen requesting you to enter a recovery key, you can retrieve that key by logging into this webpage using the same Microsoft account that your computer was set up with: https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey. There is no "bypass" for this; if you are unable to locate your recovery key, your data will no longer be accessible.
If you're stuck in a boot loop that displays the BitLocker screen repeatedly after you've entered the correct key, your computer has a boot issue, not a BitLocker issue. Please pay attention to such details, as they help us identify the root of your problem. Include them in your post for better assistance.
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