Updating BIOS on a computer with BitLocker enabled

Before updating BIOS on a computer that has BitLocker enabled, make sure you suspend BitLocker encryption before you update the BIOS.

If BitLocker was not suspended, the computer will not accept your BitLocker key the next time your computer boots and the only way you can start your computer is with a recovery key. You will be asked to enter the recovery key every time you restart your computer unless you suspend and resume BitLocker.

In order to avoid having to get into this dilemma, you can suspend BitLocker before you run the BIOS update utility for you computer. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Go to Control Panel > System and Security > BitLocker Drive Encryption

   
   

2. Choose Suspend Protection and confirm it by responding Yes.

   
   

3. Go ahead and update the BIOS. Restart your computer.
4. Resume BitLocker after the reboot, by click Resume Protection

   

While we are on the subject of BIOS updates – a point worth noting – there is no need to update the BIOS if there is nothing wrong with your computer. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.