BitLocker Drive Encryption Is Enabled on the Selected Partition - How to Fix

How to fix BitLocker drive encryption is enabled on the selected partition error? This post covers 2 cases to introduce how to install or reinstall Windows 10/11 on BitLocker encrypted drive with or without BitLocker recovery key.

Is it possible to reinstall Windows on a BitLocker drive? Got an error message saying "BitLocker drive encryption is enabled on the selected partition" or "Windows cannot be installed to this hard disk space, BitLocker drive encryption is enabled"? No Worry! EaseUS describes two ways to reinstall Windows 10/11 on a BitLocker drive with or without a recovery key.

Quick Fix:

• If you have your recovery key and the system boots normally, pause BitLocker via "Settings" or "Control Panel" before proceeding with the installation. If you've forgotten the key, no worries; professional key finders like EaseUS Partition Master can help retrieve it.

✔️Automatically searching for BitLocker recovery key from local disks and Microsoft accounts.

✔️Unlock BitLocker without formatting, wiping, or lose any data.

• If your system fails to boot normally or you plan to perform a clean Windows installation, you can boot from the installation disc and use Diskpart or a third-party tool to completely erase the drive.

BitLocker is a widely used drive encryption utility that can be used to encrypt different storage devices on Windows with BitLocker recovery keys or passwords. However, when you intend to do a fresh installation of Windows 11/10 on a BitLocker-encrypted drive, you may receive the error "Unable to install Windows to this hard disk space. BitLocker drive encryption is enabled on the selected partition." We noticed that many users were stuck when they reinstalled Windows on a BitLocker-locked laptop:

Received the error message during Windows installation saying "BitLocker drive encryption is enabled on the selected partition"? No worry!

This post aims to help install Windows 11/10 on a BitLocker-encrypted drive. If this article was helpful to you, please share it with more users.

How to Reinstall Windows on BitLocker Encrypted Drive

How to reinstall Windows on a BitLocker encrypted partition with or without the recovery key and password? This part covers both of the two situations. Select one based on your situation.

• Case 1. Reinstall Windows on BitLocker Encrypted Drive Without Recovery Key
• Case 2. Reinstall Windows on BitLocker Encrypted Drive With Recovery Key

Here, we will discuss both of the cases in detail; please read on.

Case 1. Reinstall Windows on BitLocker Encrypted Drive Without Recovery Key

To reinstall Windows on a BitLocker-encrypted drive without a recovery key, you can completely wipe the BitLocker partition and then reinstall Windows.

Method 1. Use EaseUS Partition Master

Using third-party disk wipe software is the easiest way to wipe a BitLocker encrypted partition. EaseUS Partition Master allows you to wipe the BitLocker partition with simple clicks. Without typing any command lines, you can remove BitLocker.

Here is how:

Note that, if Windows can boot normally, you can directly wipe the disk encrypted by BitLocker without creating a bootable USB.

Step 1. Correctly connect a USB drive, flash drive, or a CD/DVD disc to your computer. Then, launch EaseUS Partition Master, go to the "Bootable Media" and click "Create bootable media", click "Next".

Step 2. You can choose the USB or CD/DVD when the drive is available. Once made the option, click "Proceed".

If you do not have a storage device at hand, you can also save the ISO file to a local drive, and later burn it to a storage media.

Step 3. Connect the WinPE bootable disk to the computer. Restart your computer and press F2/Del at the same time to enter BIOS. Set to boot the PC from "Removable Devices" (bootable USB disk) or "CD-ROM Drive" (bootable CD/DVD) beyond Hard Drive. Press "F10" to save and exit.

Step 4. Install and launch EaseUS Partition Master. Select the HDD or SSD which you want to wipe. And right-click to choose "Wipe Disk".

Step 5. Set the number of times to wipe data. You can set to 10 at most. Then, click "OK".

Step 6. Click "Execute 1 Task(s)" and then click "Apply" to start wiping data.

You have unlocked the BitLocker without password and recovery key. Now, you can continue reinstalling Windows.

Method 2. Use Windows Installation Media

You can also choose to use CMD to erase the BitLocker-encrypted partition during the installation process. However, this is relatively difficult for beginners, so make sure you are typing in the correct commands.

Step 1. Create a Windows Installation USB

Use the Windows Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB for Windows 10/11. Microsoft offers a full guide on how to do it.

Step 2. Boot from the USB

Insert the USB, restart the PC, and press the BIOS key (usually F2, Delete, or a manufacturer-specific key) to enter BIOS/UEFI. Set the USB as the first boot device. 

Step 3. Open Command Prompt

Restart your PC. During the startup, press Shift and F10 at the same time to launch the Command Prompt. Then, type the following commands in order and press Enter after each command, which will help you remove BitLocker.

• diskpart
• list disk
• select disk x (Replace X with the number of the correct disk where the BitLocker encrypted partition is)
• clean
• exit

🚩Alternative option: If you want to format the BitLocker partition only and keep other partitions, run the following command lines:

• diskpart
• list disk
• select disk 1 (Replace 1 with the encrypted disk)
• list partition
• select partition 1 (Replace 1 with the number of the BitLocker partition)
• delete partition override

Step 4. Continue Reinstalling Windows

• Reboot from the Windows installation media again. Then in the Windows Setup menu, click Next > Install Now, select I don't have a product key, and accept the license agreement.
• Select Customize: Windows Only (Advanced), select the partition where you want to install Windows 11/10, and click Next. Then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the Windows installation.

Method 3. Find BitLocker Recovery Key

EaseUS Partition Master automatically searches for the BitLocker recovery key from local disks and Microsoft accounts. If your PC can't boot and you don't want to erase the disk, you can find the BitLocker recovery key in WinPE.

Step 1. First, connect a USB to the PC running properly. Launch EaseUS Partition Master, navigate to "Bootable Media" section, and click "Create bootable media" option. Click "Next" to continue.

Step 2. Select the target USB drive and click "Create" to continue. Please back up your data in advance since this will erase all data on the USB drive. Then, click "yes" to confirm when you see the warning. Do not exit EaseUS Partition Master until it's done.

Step 3. Connect the bootable USB to the BitLocker encrypted PC and restart PC. During the reboot, press the BIOS key (F2/F8/F12/DEL/ESC) to access BIOS and set the bootable USB as the boot drive. This PC will automatically boot from the USB disk.

Step 4. EaseUS Partition Master will automatically unlock the BitLocker encrypted drive and you can see a "unlock" icon.

Step 5. Hover the mouse on the BitLocker partition; you can see more info of this partition and manage the BitLocker partition such as locking it or turning off BitLocker.

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Case 2. Reinstall Windows on BitLocker Encrypted Drive With Recovery Key

If you have a BitLocker recovery key or password, things will be much easier. You just need to disable BitLocker first before you install Windows. This part of the tutorial helps to keep the other partitions on your hard disk when reinstalling Windows operating system on the BitLocker encrypted partition, so there won't be any data loss.

Stage 1. Disable BitLocker

EaseUS Partition Master is a reliable Windows disk manager that allows you to manage BitLocker with flexibility. Also, if you do not remember the BitLocker recovery key, it can retrieve it for you.

Here is how to disable BitLocker with EaseUS Partition Master:

Step 1. Open EaseUS Partition Master and right-click on the BitLocker-encrypted drive.

Step 2. Select "BitLocker Manager," and you will see a new window that allows you to perform BitLocker-relevant ops.

Step 3. Click on "Turn Off" for your target drive and wait patiently till it's done.

Stage 2. Reinstall Windows 

After disabling BitLocker on the encrypted partition, you can continue to reinstall Windows. You can click the link to learn the instructions from Microsoft.

Stage 3. Turn on BitLocker

For your data security, you can re-encrypt your drive even after reinstalling Windows 10/11. Follow the guide below to enable BitLocker encryption for the drive.

Step 1. Open File Explorer, then right-click the drive you want to encrypt and select Open BitLocker.

Step 2. Select how you want to unlock this drive and click Next. Then select a way to back up your BitLocker recovery key and click Next. (It is very important that you keep your recovery key safe.)

Step 3. Set the size of the drive to be encrypted and the encryption mode to be used. For these settings, you can leave the defaults in place. Then click Start Encryption to confirm the operation and wait for the process to complete. Finally, restart the computer to make the operation take effect.

New to BitLocker? Here's a beginner-friendly guide covering everything from setup to recovery.

Conclusion

How to reinstall Windows 10/11 on a BitLocker drive? It depends on whether you remember the BitLocker recovery key or not. This article shares different ways to reinstall Windows on a BitLocker-encrypted drive with or without a recovery key. Before trying each method, it is recommended that you backup your data to avoid data loss. Hope it can help.

FAQs About BitLocker Drive Encryption Is Enabled on the Selected Partition

1. Can I install Windows 11 on a BitLocker drive?

Yes, you can install Windows 11 on a BitLocker-encrypted drive, but there are a few key points to keep in mind:

• If you are upgrading from Windows 10, the upgrade installer typically works with BitLocker; however, it may prompt you to temporarily suspend BitLocker to avoid installation errors.
• If you're doing a clean install, the process will format the partition, which removes BitLocker encryption. So, make sure you back up your files and decrypt or suspend BitLocker beforehand.

After installation, you can re-enable BitLocker for protection on Windows 11.

2. How to know if BitLocker encryption is enabled?

Just open Control Panel > BitLocker Drive Encryption, or right-click the drive in File Explorer and select Manage BitLocker. You can also run manage-bde -status in Command Prompt to check each volume's protection status. 

3. Is BitLocker encryption automatically enabled?

Yes, on many modern Windows 10/11 devices, BitLocker—or device encryption—is enabled automatically if the device supports Modern Standby and you sign in with a Microsoft account. On other devices, it must be turned on manually.

4. How do I remove BitLocker encryption from a partition?

Before everything, make sure to back up your important data before decrypting, just in case. To remove BitLocker encryption from a partition, follow these steps. 

• Open Control Panel > System and Security > BitLocker Drive Encryption.
• Find the drive you want to decrypt, and click "Turn Off BitLocker."
• Confirm the action. BitLocker will begin decrypting the drive. This process may take time, depending on the drive size.
• Once complete, the drive will no longer be encrypted, and you can use it without entering a BitLocker password.