Windows Patch Tuesday update might send a user to the BitLocker recovery screen

Some Windows devices are presenting users with a BitLocker recovery screen upon reboot following the installation of July's Patch Tuesday update.

Microsoft confirmed the issue overnight with an update to its Windows Release Health dashboard. The issue effects versions of Windows from Windows 10 21H2 to Windows 11 23H2 on the client side and Windows Server 2008 to Windows Server 2022 on the server side.

This is quite different from the CrowdStrike issue that caused global chaos at the end of last week. However, affected users will need their BitLocker recovery key to start their device. After the excitement at the end of the previous week, we're pretty sure most administrators have a handle on where their keys are. Alternatively, Microsoft directed users to the BitLocker recovery key portal, although you'll need a Microsoft account to get into it.

Microsoft said: "This screen does not commonly appear after a Windows update. You are more likely to face this issue if you have the Device Encryption option enabled in Settings under Privacy & Security -> Device encryption."

However, it will be enough to trigger a nervous tic or two in administrators still recovering from the recent IT outage.

Windows updates are perfect candidates for staggered rollouts and deployment rings, so the impact of the issue will be minimal for users who do not immediately take every update Microsoft offers. The company has form when it comes to broken patches.

In January, Microsoft attempted to deal with a BitLocker vulnerability, but some Windows 10 users ran into difficulty as the company's legendary quality control struck, and threw up a generic error message during installation.

As for this latest problem, Microsoft said: "We are investigating the issue and will provide an update when more information is available."

For Windows users left somewhat rattled by recent events, the warning confirms mutterings in various forums that something was amiss with the update rather than anything to do with the CrowdStrike fiasco.

The timing, however, could not be more unfortunate. ®