I'm attempting to enable BitLocker on Windows 10 Pro using Bootcamp on an Apple MacBook Pro [2016]. I am following well-documented guides, however after going through the setup process and rebooting Windows, I receive error:
- What does
The data drive specified...mean?
(Where is the specified drive and drive letter exactly? What settings, where?) - I would have thought the drive I am trying to use BitLocker on is the operating system drive, not the
data drive? ...is not set to automatically unlock
Where is the setting to automatically unlock it? Why would I want to do this?
(I expected to type in the password I set for BitLocker at boot)
Guides followed:
- How-To Geek: How to Use BitLocker Without a Trusted Platform Module (TPM)
- How-To Geek: How to Set Up BitLocker Encryption on Windows
- How to prepare a single partition drive for BitLocker (MBAM)
(I already have an additional WinRE partition, so these steps don't seem required) - StackExchange: Enabling BitLocker without TPM on MacBook Pro with Bootcamp
(Steps don't work, as explained in my comment there)
Further references I already looked at, that were also in user JW0914's search resuts. I clicked their link and found several results in purple which showed I had already visited them and didn't find them to work, here they are with my annotaton:
WindowsReport: What to do if BitLocker fails to encrypt drive(solution mentioned there specific to my problem was a USB setting in the BIOS - with bootcamp I don't have that option to change the BIOS)
TenForums: Can't get Bitlocker to encrypt C: drive (mentions Anti-Virus, Secure Boot, neither of which seem relevant to me in the way they have explained)
Microsoft Technet: Trying to turn Bitlocker on for C: drive (USB solution mentioned again, also TPM which my Mac doesn't have, not relevant)
Microsoft Technet: BitLocker Failure to Encrypt Operating System Drive (ditto)
Fujitsu Support Form: SOLVED: BitLocker could not be enabled. (ditto)
1 Answer
Issue solved by me, so answering my own question, which I will assign as the accepted answer:
Solution summary:
- Untick the box "Run BitLocker system check" which is on the under the headings "Bitlocker drive encryption" and "Are you ready to encrypt this drive?" bitlocker dialog box.
- Then click "Start Encrypting" button that then appears.
BEFORE (ticked - original default setting):
AFTER (unticked/unchecked):
Further detail
With this box now unticked/unchecked to disable "Run Bitlocker system check" - so that won't now happen, the "Continue" button changes to "Start Encrypting", which I clicked.
I then left the machine for a little while say 30mins (but maybe not necessary) and then restarted and got the bitlocker enter password screen as required.
So concluding, for some reason, there appears to be a bug in that dialog stage that has those headings I mentioned. I will therefore consider raising a bug with Microsoft e.g. via their technet/social forums and/or other method.
It could be that this bug is something that only occurs in the Bootcamp situation, which might not have been tested as much compared to "mainstream" Windows setups.
I will accept this as the answer, as although it does not explain the terms I queried with regard to the error message, which itself is unhelpful, it does stop that message happening and I can proceed to completing and running bitlocker.
Also posted my answer here: Ask Different: Enabling BitLocker without TPM on MacBook Pro with Bootcamp
