Startup gets stuck in never ending loop for Bitlocker recovery/ Windows stop code

[PGD55]

Brand new laptop delivered 17th October 2025. Changes made is downloading Office 365 with key to use (working fine) requested if I wanted to upgrade from Win10 to Win11. Completed the upgrade and now on startup the laptop goes in to a never ending loop. On startup HP initial screen I get after a few seconds the message at the bottom of the screen ‘Preparing BitLocker recovery’ this lasts for about 5-10 seconds and then reverts to a Windows blue screen with the Stop code 0xc000021a…. After 5 seconds the laptop is then restarted and does exactly the same loop. The only way to stop this is to power down the laptop.

I have tried the many tips and advice to get to the root menus/ HP boot screens such as on startup tapping repeatedly ‘Esc’, ‘F9’, F11’ or ‘F12’ on startup and immediately shutdown by pressing the on key for 10-15 seconds. Doing this 3 times then on the 4th startup it should go in to recovery mode -  no joy. I have made a Recovery drive from another HP laptop and tried with this plugged in on startup.

The only other operation tried, other than powering down, that stops the cycle is by continually tapping F2 in the cycle and this takes the laptop to the HP PC Hardware Dignostics UEFI… I can run all the diagnostics fine. But can not do anything else in this screen, I.e press F9/ F11 to get to the Boot menus. Similarly tapping. F10 his takes me to the BIOS Setup Facility, but again cannot move anywhere from here to get to the Startup/Recovery/ Boot options.

I have raised this to Microsoft on 22nd October and they took me through all these steps and nothing worked. I am waiting on the 2nd level assistance.

I have my BitLocker code but cannot get to the BitLocker screen to unlock and disable.

Any ideas how I can resolve this issue and use the brand new Laptop?

[PGD55]

I have just tried boot up and keeping the Start button depressed. After about 15 seconds I get the following HP black screen…

Windows Boot Manager

Windows failed to start. a recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem:

1. Insert your Windows installation disc and restart your computer.

2. Choose your language settings and click ‘Next’

3. click ‘Repair your computer’

If you do not have this disc, contact your system administrator or computer manufacturer for assistance.

File: \Windows\system32\winload.ef1

Status: 0xc000000d

Info: The application or operating system couldn’t be loaded because a required file is missing or contains errors.

which I believe is BitLocker programme that could not cope with the update to Win11

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @PGD55,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

I understand your brand-new HP laptop is stuck in a restart loop after upgrading from Windows 10 to 11, showing “Preparing BitLocker recovery” followed by Stop code 0xc000021a. Let’s go through steps to try and get the laptop back to a working state.

a. Use the BitLocker Recovery Key via USB
    • On a separate working PC, create a BitLocker recovery USB with your recovery key saved as a text file.
    • Insert this USB into the affected laptop.
    • Power on and attempt to boot; Windows should detect the key from USB and allow you to unlock the drive.

b. Access Advanced Startup via Forced Interrupt
    • Power on the laptop, and as soon as the HP logo appears, press and hold the power button to force shutdown.
    • Repeat this process 3 times in a row. On the 4th power-on, Windows should try to enter Automatic Repair / Recovery Environment.
    • If the laptop still boots into the loop, try F11 immediately after powering on to reach the Recovery Environment.

c. Use Windows Recovery USB for Repair
    • On another working PC, create a Windows 10 or Windows 11 installation USB using the Media Creation Tool.
    • Insert the USB, power on the laptop, and repeatedly tap F9 to select the boot device.
    • Choose Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.

d. Repair Boot Files via Command Prompt
    • Once in Command Prompt, try these commands step by step:
        1. bootrec /fixmbr
        2. bootrec /fixboot
        3. bootrec /scanos
        4. bootrec /rebuildbcd
    • Restart the laptop and see if it boots.

e. Disable BitLocker Temporarily via Command Prompt
    • If you can unlock the drive using your BitLocker recovery key, run:
        manage-bde -off C:
    • This will decrypt the drive so the upgrade or repair can complete without BitLocker interfering.

f. Last Resort – Reset or Clean Install
    • If repair commands don’t work, and you cannot access Recovery Environment, you may need to:
        – Boot from Windows installation USB
        – Choose Install Windows, and select Custom > Format C: to reinstall Windows.
        – You can recover your files if BitLocker is unlocked first.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Let me know how it goes.