Disable Bitlocker

[DrmStrmr]

I have an Omen35 desktop running Window 11 Home with 2 1GB SSD. How can I disable bitlocker on the C: drive? I searched around and tried repeatedly but no luck.

[Hawks_Eye · Accepted solution]

Hi @DrmStrmr 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

Thanks for laying that out clearly. Since you're running Windows 11 Home on your HP Omen35 desktop, it's important to note that BitLocker isn't officially supported in Home editions. 

However, some HP systems ship with device encryption, which is a simplified version of BitLocker and can still prompt for recovery keys and restrict access.

Let’s walk through how to disable it properly:

How to Disable BitLocker or Device Encryption on Windows 11 Home

 

Step 1: Check if Device Encryption Is Enabled

1. Press Win + I to open Settings
2. Go to Privacy & Security > Device Encryption
3. If you see Device Encryption is On, click Turn Off

If this option isn’t visible, your system may be using full BitLocker via OEM provisioning.

Step 2: Use Control Panel (if BitLocker is active)

1. Press Win + S and search for Control Panel
2. Navigate to System and Security > BitLocker Drive Encryption
3. If BitLocker is enabled on the C: drive, click Turn Off BitLocker
4. Wait for decryption to complete—it may take time depending on SSD size

Step 3: Use Command Line (Advanced)

If the GUI options don’t appear, try this:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator

Type:

1. manage-bde -status

This shows if BitLocker is active on any drive

To disable it on C: drive:

1. manage-bde -off C:

You’ll need to wait for the decryption to finish before BitLocker is fully disabled.

If You Still Can’t Disable It

Some HP systems use automatic encryption tied to your Microsoft account. If you’re repeatedly prompted for a recovery key:

• Visit Microsoft’s Recovery Key Portal to retrieve it
• Consider backing up your data and performing a clean install of Windows 11 Home, which will remove encryption

You’re not alone—this issue has been discussed on the HP Support Community. If you'd like help locating your exact product number or preparing for a clean install, I can guide you through that too. 

Let’s get your system fully unlocked.

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye

[DrmStrmr]

Hi Hawks_Eye,

Thanks for your helpful reply. Would like to avoid doing clean install of Windows 11 Home. NEW INFO: Bitlocker lockout only appears after 1) I connect an external DAS Raid 1 device (after booting), 2) shutdown and disconnect DAS USB cable, 3) and then reboot without DAS. I give it my recovery keys and all’s well. If I do not attach my DAS I can boot and shutdown repeatedly with no bitlocker lockout.

I get an error/warning when using manage-bde to remove bitlocker. Here’s excerpts from my command line session.

C:\Windows\System32>manage-bde -status
Shows both C: and 😧 SSDs have bitlocker on.

C:\Windows\System32>manage-bde -off C:

BitLocker Drive Encryption: Configuration Tool version 10.0.26100
ERROR: This volume stores external key(s) that can automatically unlock other volumes. Before you can decrypt this volume, you must remove such keys.
ACTIONS REQUIRED:
1. To prevent data loss, check that a recovery password or a recovery key
   exists for associated data volumes.
2. Type "manage-bde -autounlock -ClearAllKeys Volume" to remove stored
   external key(s).

Here's my question. After backing up everything on C: and 😧 is it reasonable to run manage-bde -autounlock -ClearAllKeys 😧 and then run it again for C:? Then try running manage-bde -off 😧 and then run it again for C:?

Thanks for your help

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @DrmStrmr 

You’ve done a great job digging into the details here 👍 and your reasoning makes sense. Let’s unpack what’s happening and the safe way forward.

Why you’re getting the error

BitLocker is telling you that your C: (system) drive stores external keys used to auto-unlock your other BitLocker volumes (in this case 😧).

That means before you can decrypt, you need to clear those stored relationships — otherwise Windows thinks you might lose access to one drive if the other isn’t present.

Your proposed steps

Yes, your plan is essentially correct:

Back up everything on both C: and 😧 (critical step ✅).

Run:

1. manage-bde -autounlock -ClearAllKeys 😧
   manage-bde -autounlock -ClearAllKeys C:

(this just clears the “auto-unlock” associations, it does not erase the data).

Then attempt to turn off BitLocker:

1. manage-bde -off 😧
   manage-bde -off C:

A few additional tips

Recovery keys: Make absolutely sure you have recovery keys exported and saved to a safe location (USB, cloud, printed copy).

Order: It’s usually safer to decrypt data drives (😧) first, then the system drive (C:).

Time: Decryption can take hours depending on drive size. Don’t interrupt it. Keep the laptop plugged in.

Alternative GUI route: You can also do this from Control Panel → BitLocker Drive Encryption, where it will prompt you about auto-unlock keys as well.

Why the DAS triggers lockout

Your external DAS may change how Windows enumerates drives at boot. BitLocker interprets this as a “hardware change” → which triggers the recovery screen. Clearing auto-unlock and/or decrypting removes that dependency.

So yes — after backing up, clearing auto-unlock keys and then decrypting is the right path.

Regards,

Hawks_Eye