BitLocker is failing again. Microsoft warns of possible data loss in Windows 11 and 10

The new BitLocker issue primarily affects the business version of Windows 11 and Windows 10, but as a recent incident has shown, it could theoretically affect regular users as well.

When booting, the system may suddenly ask for a BitLocker encryption key, and if it is not there, access to the data on the disk will be impossible. The bug was discovered after the October Windows updates. Usually, the BitLocker key is automatically saved to the Microsoft account, but if this does not happen, only the user can enter it. In Windows 11 Enterprise, encryption is activated automatically, although the function is also available in other editions.

“After installing Windows updates released on October 14, 2025 or later, some devices may experience problems restarting or starting,” Microsoft confirmed on the Microsoft 365 Business and Windows 11 Enterprise support page (not available to all users).

According to the company, the failure most often occurs on devices with Intel processors. The WindowsLatest edition suggests that on some Intel-based PCs with Modern Standby mode, the update incorrectly “suspended BitLocker on a single reboot,” causing the system to lose access to the encrypted drive. Reports from system administrators confirm the reality of the problem, which Microsoft has already acknowledged.

“We have three Azure virtual machines running Windows 11 24H2 that stopped booting after the update — they got stuck at the BitLocker recovery stage,” one Reddit user reported. Today, the issue was only observed on HP Pro Mini 400 G9 desktops. These same devices have previously caused difficulties when enrolling in Intune – constant TPM errors, and it seems that Intel TXT is to blame,” another added.

To check if BitLocker is enabled on your computer, open a command prompt as administrator (via the Start menu search) and enter the command: manage-bde –status

The command will show the status of all drives. If encryption is not used, the system will display a message that the drive is not encrypted.

In Windows 11 Enterprise, BitLocker is enabled by default, and in Pro and Home editions, it is often disabled. However, Microsoft recommends that you check your settings to avoid possible data loss after future updates.