Microsoft rolled out BitLocker storage encryption with Windows Vista back in 2007. At launch, it was made available only in the Enterprise & Ultimate editions with the purpose to introduce a built-in way to protect data from unauthorized access.
Over the years, BitLocker has evolved from an optional security tool into a default part of Windows. When Windows 11 came out, Microsoft notched things up further. The moment you signed in with a Microsoft account during startup, BitLocker switched on by default.
While automated encryption may sound convenient, it can also backfire, especially when recovery keys go missing or the system access fails after an update. A similar incident was reported by Reddit user u/Toast_Soup who recounted his experience in a thread,
“My PC was working fine but was getting laggy so I figured I’d reinstall Windows 11. I’ve never turned on BitLocker – no need for it. When I booted back into Windows two of my six drives – both data backups – are now encrypted! Can’t access 3TB of data!”
Windows October Security Update: When the Problem Started
Microsoft confirmed an issue impacting Windows 11 version 25H2 (KB5066835), 24H2 (KB5066835) and Windows 10 version 22H2 (KB5066791) where BitLocker Recovery can suddenly activate.
In normal circumstances, Windows gets in BitLocker Recovery Mode after hardware modifications or Trusted Platform Module (TPM) updates to regain access to protected drives.
But in this case, when your PC boots up it might suddenly ask for the BitLocker recovery key and in case you fail to provide one, your data gets locked away.
“After installing Windows Updates released on or after October 14, 2025 (the original KBs listed above), some devices might encounter issues during restart or startup. Affected devices might boot into the BitLocker recovery screen, requiring users to enter the recovery key once.” Microsoft confirmed on the Microsoft 365 Business and Windows 11 Enterprise support page.
Normally, Windows automatically backs up your BitLocker recovery key to your Microsoft Account, or Azure AD, or Active Directory so you don’t have to think twice about it. But if that doesn’t work, only the user can unlock the drive.
Intel PCs are the Ones Most Affected
In its advisory, Microsoft noticed that BitLocker recovery tends to trigger mostly on Intel-powered PCs with a feature called Connected Standby. If you’re wondering what that is, Connected Standby, also known as Modern Standby isn’t a new feature at all. Most modern PCs have it.
You can check if your device supports it by opening Command Prompt and executing the following command: powercfg /a If the result shows Standby (S0 Low Power Idle), your PC uses Modern Standby. However, Microsoft hasn’t revealed exactly how Modern Standby is linked to BitLocker recovery loops.
Find Out if BitLocker is Turned On Your PC
Go to Settings > System > Storage > Manage Disk & Volumes. Select any volume and click Properties. If you see Encrypted under the BitLocker section, that confirms it’s active.
How to Bypass BitLocker Recovery Screen?
If you too have landed on the BitLocker Recovery screen, take a breath, it’s quite fixable. In most cases, the key exists somewhere you can reach. Here’s where to check first:
- Microsoft account: Sign in to your account
- Work or School device: ask your IT or look in Azure AD/your organizations admin portal
- Local backup: a printed copy, USB drive or a .txt file you saved earlier
Enter the 48-digit recovery key when Windows asks for it and the PC should skip the recovery screen and restart into Windows normally.
Facing Data Loss After Installing the Latest Windows Update?
As of writing, Microsoft has only acknowledged the issue but did not roll out any fixes. If you can still access your machine and wish to fix the problem, try rolling back the update. Go to Settings > Update History > Uninstall updates and click the uninstall button.
Alternatively, if you’re stuck with an unbootable PC or facing a Blue Screen of Death post update and it’s stopping you from accessing your files, we recommend a professional data recovery software to reclaim your lost files. With Stellar Data Recovery Professional you can create a bootable recovery drive to retrieve data from a windows system that fails to boot or keeps crashing due to BSoD errors, corrupted system files, and more.
Bottom Line
This BitLocker issue highlights something that many of us would otherwise overlook, i.e., even built-in security features can end up doing more harm than good when system updates go wrong. For now, Microsoft has only acknowledged the bug so the safest move is to back up your data, and store a copy outside your PC.
