Windows 11’s latest update has a nasty little bug that’ll keep Microsoft busy following the big CrowdStrike outage
July update triggers an unexpected BitLocker recovery screen on boot-up for some Windows users
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A new bug is affecting someWindows 11andWindows 10users, and it’s been caused by the July cumulative update fromMicrosoft.
It’s an odd one, too, and what’s happening is that theBitLockerrecovery screen is being presented to some users after booting up their devices, which must come as a bit of a nasty shock to those affected.
According toWindows Central, multiple versions ofWindows 11are affected by the issue, includingWindows 11versions 23H2, 22H2, and 21H2, and alsoWindows 10versions 22H2 and 21H2, among others.
The monthly cumulative updates delivered byMicrosoft- known as ‘Patch Tuesday’ updates, as they arrive on the second Tuesday of every month - impart quality-of-life improvements and security fixes for Windows 10 and Windows 11. And, of course, bugs on occasion - as with this July offering.
BitLocker is a tool that offers drive encryption to keep your data safe and secure. It can be configured on Windows 11 Pro (or business and education versions of the OS), but Windows 11 Home doesn’t have BitLocker support - it does, however, offer a Device Encryption option (a lightweight alternative, basically).
As a result, we obviously wouldn’t expect Windows 11 Home users to be affected by this bug, but those of you out there running Windows 11 Pro may need to be watchful when applying the July update.
Microsoft is looking into the bug, but what can be done in the meantime?
Microsoft is aware of this issue andhas updatedthe Windows 11 release health dashboard with details regarding the glitch. The software giant advises that the bug is more likely to happen if you have Device Encryption enabled as well as BitLocker turned on. You can find this option in theSettingsapp, by going to thePrivacy & Securitysection, and clicking onDevice Encryption. If Device Encryption doesn’t appear for you, then it may not be available on your device.
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In any case, after applying the July update, if you are met with the buggy BitLocker recovery screen (when you’re not expecting to see it), there’s currently an available workaround - namely entering a BitLocker recovery key. This key is available through yourMicrosoft Account, and it can be retrieved by logging intoMicrosoft’s recovery screen portal. After you enter the recovery key, your PC should continue to boot up as normal.
Unfortunately, this is currently the only known workaround for the issue, but Microsoft is on the case and says it’s investigating the bug, so hopefully a fix will follow in short order. If Microsoft can find the time while still helping to firefight thebig CrowdStrike outage, that is.
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Kristina is a UK-based Computing Writer, and is interested in all things computing, software, tech, mathematics and science. Previously, she has written articles about popular culture, economics, and miscellaneous other topics.
She has a personal interest in the history of mathematics, science, and technology; in particular, she closely follows AI and philosophically-motivated discussions.
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