Trying to open Bitlocker drive results in BSOD

[timeshifter]

Client has a newer Dell PC, won't boot, crashes, etc. Hardware tests OK so gonna try to backup and nuke and pave. It's running 11 and the drive is Bitlockered. I've gotten the key from his Microsoft account.

Every time I've entered the key to unlock the drive the system will crash:
- on the original PC in the recovery mode I plugged in the key and it crashed, not BSOD, but crashed, don't remember specifics.
- on the original PC booted from a WinPE disk, I tried to view the drive, plugged in the key and it took a long time and crashed, as before it paused for a few moments after entering the key, then crashed.

I imaged the whole drive and plugged the imaged drive into another Windows PC
- in Windows Explorer in Windows 10 I tried open drive, BSOD, couldn't read the message as the relevant information was displayed below the overscan of the display
- in Windows 11, same thing. I did see the BSOD cause, page fault in non paged area

Luckily, when I picked up the PC the customer wasn't too concerned about getting the data. I think he can take it or leave it. I'll have to confirm.

What do you guys think is going on?
- corrupted bits on the drive
- virus
- I'm not loading the drive correctly

 

[GTP]

page fault in non paged area

This usually indicates a ram problem, either not seated correctly or failed.
I would take the ram out and reseat it.
Or try another stick of ram.

 

[nlinecomputers]

This usually indicates a ram problem, either not seated correctly or failed.
I would take the ram out and reseat it.
Or try another stick of ram.

Yeah but he imaged the drive and tried the image on totally different hardware.

This appears to be a corrupted drive.

 

[GTP]

Yeah but he imaged the drive and tried the image on totally different hardware.

Thanks, I missed that bit reading too fast.

@timeshifter do you have the STOP Code Error by any chance?

 

[timeshifter]

Thanks, I missed that bit reading too fast.

@timeshifter do you have the STOP Code Error by any chance?

But I typed it very slowly

Don't have the specific STOP error.

At this point the discussion is academic, as I've already fixed the computer, sans data, and returned it. I think he'd been using OneDrive and a lot of stuff came back that way.

I wish I knew more than just to say it's a corrupted drive exacerbated by encryption. Without encryption it would have been simpler.

 

[Porthos]

I think he'd been using OneDrive and a lot of stuff came back that way.

That is what it is for and I encourage it since it is so difficult to get users to backup.

Without encryption it would have been simpler.

Everyone should prepare for way more of this as time goes on when Windows 11 is as wide spread as 10 is now.

 

[nlinecomputers]

I wish I knew more than just to say it's a corrupted drive exacerbated by encryption. Without encryption it would have been simpler.

There's nothing more to tell. It is an accurate description. Encryption requires ALL THE BITS, miss one and it can be all lost. Bitlocker encrypts at a file level but it also encrypts the partition information. If that gets messed up then the whole drive is lost.

 

[HCHTech]

I imaged the whole drive and plugged the imaged drive into another Windows PC
- in Windows Explorer in Windows 10 I tried open drive, BSOD, couldn't read the message as the relevant information was displayed below the overscan of the display

There should be an entry in the system log on this working PC, then. If you're curious.