Bitlocker and clean windows 11 install

Question

Bitlocker and clean windows 11 install

Anonymous

I have a client who has an HP laptop who originally couldn't get into the laptop due to a teacher changing the password and the teacher not letting higher ups know what the password was changed to before they left.

So when i asked to come in and get the laptop unlocked I planned on using kali linux usb side boot to reset the computers password. Turned off secure boot in bios to boot up kali linux but when I tried to go the the OS hard drive I was locked out. Turns out i need a bitlocker key to get access to the hard drive. I checked to see if the microsoft account that would have been on this laptop had a bitlocker key in their microsoft profile but it doesn't have one.

After not being able to find a key for the bitlocker I decided i would just do a clean install of windows 11 and basically factory reset the computer. But when going through system recovery options and going to the troubleshoot option i am only given the options to:

startup repair (option doesn't do anything but lead back to troubleshoot options)
command prompt
uninstall updated (option doesn't do anything)
UEFI Firmware Settings
System Restore (option doesn't do anything)
System Image Recovery (options doesn't do anything)

I have tried to boot up windows 11 setup from usb to try to get a clean install going but when i start up that process and it ask where to install windows it can not find the hard drive in the laptop.

I wouldn't think getting a factory reset on a laptop would be this hard.

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3 answers

Answer 1

Hi, I am Dave, I will help you with this.

None of the options, including a Windows reset will remove the Bitlocker encryption, you do need to boot from a USB and at the start of the process, delete all partitions from the drive to remove the encryption and that will result in loss of all data on the drive.

If you cannot see the target drive at the beginning of the installation, that usually means you need to go to the support page for that PC on the manufacturers website, to download the Intel RST chipset drivers installer, then extract the drivers out of that installer and put them in a new folder on your bootable USB.

Answer 2

No need to use a Linux disk, you just need to Windows bootable USB you created with the Media Creation Tool.

The intel RST drivers need to be extracted from the installer provided by the PC manufacturer, then put into a folder on your Windows bootable USB and when you reach the window where you cannot see the target drive to install Windows onto, click the option to load a driver from that folder.

Answer 3

Hi, I am Dave, I will help you with this.

None of the options, including a Windows reset will remove the Bitlocker encryption, you do need to boot from a USB and at the start of the process, delete all partitions from the drive to remove the encryption and that will result in loss of all data on the drive.

If you cannot see the target drive at the beginning of the installation, that usually means you need to go to the support page for that PC on the manufacturers website, to download the Intel RST chipset drivers installer, then extract the drivers out of that installer and put them in a new folder on your bootable USB.

When you say i need to boot from a USB to delete the partitions, Should I boot kali linux or a different boot method? And as for the intel RST chipset should that go on its own usb or should it go onto the WIndows 11 bootable usb?

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Bitlocker and clean windows 11 install

3 answers