If you use full-volume encryption and are stuck on the BitLocker recovery screen, punching your recovery key should resume the boot process. Microsoft says a fix is underway.

The problem is blamed on the July 2024 Windows security update, released on July 9, 2024, for Windows 11 (23H2, 22H2, and 21H2) and Windows 10 (22H2 and 21H2). However, not everyone who installed the update saw their PC boot into the BitLocker recovery screen.

As Microsoft acknowledges, enabling Windows encryption in Settings > Privacy & Security > Device is hte main culprit here. "Resulting from this issue, you might be prompted to enter the recovery key from your Microsoft account to unlock your drive," it reads. Entering your BitLocker recovery key should resume booting. The company suggested that affected customers retrieve the recovery key by logging into the BitLocker recovery portal with their Microsoft account and following the instructions on this Microsoft page.

Microsoft automatically saves all recovery keys, but manually backing up your BitLocker recovery key is always wholeheartedly recommended as a precautionary measure. The Windows maker is "actively working" on a fix, which should be released "in the coming weeks."

The upcoming 24H2 update will change the Windows 11 encryption policies significantly. Instead of being an optional feature, the update will enable BitLocker encryption for both new installations of Pro and Home editions and system resets. Having encryption enabled by default should better protect user data from prying eyes and safeguard it in case of data theft.

Microsoft recently hinted it might restrict kernel access inside Windows 11 in the aftermath of the Crowdstrike incident, which knocked out millions of government and enterprise machines around the world after a botched overnight security update broke things. Linux and macOS don't enable apps to mess with the kernel, so those systems were unaffected.

The company argues it cannot just wall off the Windows kernel like Apple has done with macOS because of its 2009 deal with the European Commission giving developers the same level of access to the system that Microsoft gets. While Microsoft allows third-party kernel drivers, system extensions on macOS run in user space, meaning they don't have system-level privileges that could take down the whole system if something breaks.

Source: Microsoft