How to fix BitLocker recovery screen during boot on Windows 11

• Windows 11 (and 10) PCs are stuck during boot because of a BitLocker bug that appeared in the October 2025 Security Update.
• Microsoft is already pushing a patch to address the issue, but if you come across the blue BitLocker recovery screen, you’ll have to enter the recovery key manually.

UPDATED 11/6/2025: If you’re getting the BitLocker recovery screen while starting up your computer, you’re not alone, and it’s probably because of the bug after installing the October 2025 Patch Tuesday Update on Windows 11.

According to Microsoft, the BitLocker prompt during boot is affecting devices running Windows 11 25H2 and version 24H2 (KB5066835), and Windows 10 22H2 (KB5066791). Usually, when this happens, it’s related to problems caused by the system TPM (Trusted Platform Module), but in this case, it’s an issue with the update.

However, the update is not causing any data loss or corruption. The company also notes that this particular problem is affecting devices with Intel processors that support the Modern Standby feature, and it’s currently rolling out a patch. 

If your device is still booting into the BitLocker recovery screen, the resolution is quite simple if you know where to find your recovery key.

In this guide, I’ll outline the easy steps to recover your device using BitLocker after installing the October 2025 Security Update.

Fix BitLocker recovery screen bug on Windows 11

To fix the issue with the BitLocker recovery screen on Windows 11, you would need another computer (or a mobile phone) with internet access, and then follow these steps:

1. Open your Microsoft account online.

2. Confirm the computer’s name from the list to find the recovery key.

   

3. Confirm the recovery key in the BitLocker recovery screen to start Windows 11.

4. Click the Continue button.

   

5. Continue with the on-screen directions.

If you can find the recovery key on your Microsoft account, it’s possible that when you enabled BitLocker, you chose a different option to save the recovery key. This includes printing the key on a physical piece of paper, or you probably saved it in a file on a USB flash drive or another storage device.

At the time of writing, if you don’t have a recovery key, you won’t be able to start your computer. Microsoft says it’s rolling out a solution for affected devices, but it may take some time for it to reach every device.

Although an update requiring an encryption key to unlock a device is rare, it shows that encryption can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can help protect your device and data, but on the other, it can lock you out without a way to access them.

Also, in this case, the recovery screen appeared due to a faulty update. However, I have experienced the same problem on other occasions where the issue was related to the TPM and problems with the motherboard’s firmware. As a result, I had to erase the hard drive and reinstall the operating system on more than one occasion. Thankfully, this happened on devices in my lab environment, so my personal files weren’t affected.

While I recommend using encryption to protect your data, you can disable BitLocker on Windows 11 if you are concerned about being locked out of your device and your data.

You always reinforce your recovery strategy by regularly creating a full Windows 11 backup to USB storage or a file backup.

Update November 6, 2025: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process. It’s also important to note that this isn’t the first time that the operating system has had a BitLocker bug. In 2024, a similar situation occurred with version 23H2 and 22H2, and it also affected Windows Server 2022, 2019, and older versions.