Bitlocker decryption completely freezes pc

Question

Hey, I’ve ran into multiple issues with my pc recently which made me completely reinstall windows 11. Now the issues continued and trying to boot into safe mode I realized that bitlocker was turned on for whatever reason. I attempted to turn of bitlocker and everything seemed fine until my system completely froze aside from one command prompt window where the cursor is blinking. I cannot type or move the window, or any other window. I cannot right click or press ctrl alt delete. I can not safely put my pc into hibernation or shut it down. My mouse still works. I also don’t have a window displaying the decryption status. Can somebody help and tell me what’s going on?

***Moved from Windows / Windows 11 / Files, folders, and storage***

Answer 1

Hello

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community forum.

Here are a few steps you can try to resolve the problem:

Force Shutdown: Since your system is unresponsive, you might need to perform a hard shutdown. Hold down the power button until the PC turns off. Wait a few seconds, then turn it back on.

Boot into Safe Mode:

Restart your PC and repeatedly press the F8 key (or Shift + F8) before Windows starts to load.

If that doesn't work, try holding the Shift key while clicking Restart from the Start menu. This should bring up the Advanced Startup Options, where you can select Safe Mode.

Check Disk for Errors:

If you can get into Safe Mode, open Command Prompt as an administrator.

Type chkdsk C: /f (replace C: with the appropriate drive letter) and press Enter. This will check and fix any errors on the drive.

Pause BitLocker Decryption:

If you manage to access Safe Mode or even regular mode, open Command Prompt as an administrator.

Use the command manage-bde -pause C: (replace C: with the correct drive letter) to pause the decryption process.

Recovery Environment:

If the above steps don't work, you might need to boot from a Windows installation or recovery media. This can help you access more advanced troubleshooting options.

Best Regards,

Wesley Li

Answer 2

A force shutdown did the trick. Apparently the decryption continued throughout the time my pc was frozen and when I booted it back up my D: drive was about 34% done.

No idea why my pc froze in the first place though.

I appreciate the help.