- Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 11 and Windows 10 PCs may face a new BitLocker bug
- Users may be stuck in BitLocker recovery mode if they don’t know their encryption key
- Windows 11 25H2, 24H2, and Windows 10 22H2 users are affected, and particularly Intel-based systems
It’s barely been a week since Microsoft confirmed that it fixed a long-standing bug affecting Windows 10 and Windows 11 systems, which would restart PCs despite the user choosing to ‘update and shutdown’, and there’s now another bug to take its place.
As reported by Neowin, Microsoft confirms that the October security updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 may cause PCs to boot into BitLocker recovery mode. If that sounds familiar, that’s because this issue has returned after occurring in a prior May 2025 update (and before that in the past, too).
The affected OS versions are Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2, along with Windows 10 22H2. If you’re running one of those, you might want to ensure you take note of your BitLocker encryption key. That’s because this bug requires you to input that key to boot back into Windows – so if you don’t have it, you could be locked out of your system and left in a very frustrating situation.
Microsoft says this bug mostly affects Intel-based devices that support ‘Modern Standby’ (which allows a device in a low-power sleep mode to stay connected to the network).
However, even if you’re using other hardware, I’d say it’s still better to remain cautious and take the necessary steps to avoid being locked out of your system – namely ensuring you have that encryption key to hand. You may even decide you want to disable BitLocker entirely, given how many recurring problems Microsoft seems to have had with the security feature.
Unlike a previous BitLocker issue, Microsoft says this bug shouldn’t corrupt your data. Even so, the reappearance of the recovery screen bug is a prime example of just how incessant and frustrating Windows bugs have been for the past few years.
Analysis: Microsoft is showing exactly why I can’t stand Windows 11
It might seem like the increasing levels of frustration with Windows 11 expressed by myself (and others online) is exaggerated sometimes, but this BitLocker issue is just one of the many annoying issues that plague the user experience.
I use Windows 11 primarily for work and gaming (not on my handheld), and run into issues in both cases. Whether it’s too many background processes running and negatively impacting game performance, or the Bluetooth audio menu locking up, there are just too many problems floating around in Microsoft’s operating system.
This is exactly why SteamOS seems a much better fit for me, as we’ve seen that game performance is better than what Windows 11 provides in many circumstances – certainly for handhelds. And Valve’s OS functions perfectly fine in desktop mode after learning a few basics in terms of file directories (although SteamOS isn’t without drawbacks, of course – online game compatibility issues, for one thing).
With a constant stream of bugs, Microsoft is only making matters worse for itself, inadvertently pushing users away from Windows 11. However, I remain hopeful that the company can turn things around from hereon out.
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