Windows 11 July Update Breaks Bitlocker, Forces Recovery

The July 2024 update for Windows 11, identified as KB5040442, has caused significant issues with Bitlocker, Microsoft's disk encryption feature. This update affects Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2, leading to a situation where Bitlocker forgets its own password. Users are prompted to enter a disk decryption password at startup, but due to the update, many are forced into the Bitlocker Recovery process. When a volume is encrypted with Bitlocker, users receive a recovery key that is meant to be securely stored. Those with Microsoft accounts can retrieve their recovery keys online, allowing them to create a new Bitlocker password on affected machines. However, Microsoft has acknowledged that this recovery process is merely a workaround and that the update will continue to disrupt Bitlocker functionality. The company is currently working on a fix for this issue. Users are advised to keep their recovery keys accessible, especially if their machines have been updated to KB5040442. This incident adds to a series of recent problems with Windows updates, raising concerns among users about the reliability of Microsoft's software updates and prompting some to consider alternatives to Windows.