Working around Bitlocker.

[Kevin B.]

I know we've got a couple computer savvy folks on the board and I could use some help.

Bought a new laptop last November from a seller on Newegg. It's been fine until a couple days ago, when HPs setup forced some kind of BIOS or firmware update which triggered Bitlocker and the thing is bricked unless I have the key. I don't have the key, I didn't turn it on. I doublechecked my Microsoft account just to be sure, it ain't there. The seller insists they didn't turn it on and don't have the key either, so here I am.

I'm resigned to losing everything currently on the laptop, which is fine, there's nothing I can't do without that I don't already have copies of. But I'm struggling to do a clean install. I DLd a W11 ISO and used Rufus to create a boot stick, and got this far:



I'm pretty sure I want to utterly wipe this drive, but this installer won't let me. It's telling me to disable Bitlocker from the control panel, which of course I can't do because I can't boot the dang computer, and I'm stuck. I am computer-dumb and have gotten this far entirely on the strength of Youtube University and I'm running out of ideas. Any suggestions?

 

[Brad J]

Delete every partition and then it should go.

 

[DAA]

I get bitlockered semi regular on my work laptop. By unplugging everything including dongles, then holding down the power button for a timed, not approximate but timed 30 seconds it gets past bitlocker and boots up fine every time.

- DAA

 

[The_Lobbster]

I had this problem with a former work computer, and IT’s “solution” was similar to DAA’s. They told me to just unplug it, and hold the power button for like 30 seconds or something to (as they put it) discharge any capacitors. Plug it back in, and away it went. Pretty strange, but for some reason it worked?

 

[Kevin B.]

I get bitlockered semi regular on my work laptop. By unplugging everything including dongles, then holding down the power button for a timed, not approximate but timed 30 seconds it gets past bitlocker and boots up fine every time.

- DAA

I had this problem with a former work computer, and IT’s “solution” was similar to DAA’s. They told me to just unplug it, and hold the power button for like 30 seconds or something to (as they put it) discharge any capacitors. Plug it back in, and away it went. Pretty strange, but for some reason it worked?

Well shoot. These worked, but since I'd already tried to run the boot stick I couldn't boot to my old OS.

WTF is this Bitlocker for if you can bypass it with a trick like that anyway?

Delete every partition and then it should go.

Thanks, this helped. I was hesitant because I wasn't sure if the installer would let me create new ones.