Surprise! A Windows BitLocker bug has returned to ruin your reboot — here's how to get around it

In what's becoming all too common of late, there's a new bug affecting Windows 11 (and Windows 10) users. And when I say a "new bug," I mean one that we've seen before a couple of times, which we thought was gone for good.

The issue has to do with BitLocker, and it arrived with Microsoft's October security updates (via Windows Latest). Microsoft has confirmed this bug as active via its Microsoft 365 Business and Windows 11 Enterprise channels, for which you need an account to see.

Microsoft says the latest BitLocker bug is affecting Windows 11 versions 25H2 (KB5066835) and 24H2 (KB5066835), as well as Windows 10 version 22H2 (KB5066791).

Should your system be affected, the next time you restart or boot your PC fresh might involve a big blue blockade standing between you and your OS. Microsoft says that some PCs "might boot into the BitLocker recovery screen, requiring users to enter the recovery key once."

Should you have your key handy, it's a fairly easy workaround, and it doesn't appear that any data is being lost or corrupted following a successful login. However, if you don't have your key, you'll be effectively locked out of your PC.

PCs using Intel hardware that supports Modern Standby seem to be the primary target of this recurring BitLocker issue. Microsoft says it is currently rolling out a fix.

It's recommended that organizations affected by the bug use the Known Issue Rollback tool to get around the problem.

What to do if you experience the Windows BitLocker recovery bug

Attempting to boot or restart your PC, only to see the BitLocker recovery screen standing in your way, can't be a nice feeling. Any time I encounter issues with BitLocker, my immediate concern is a loss of data. However, that shouldn't be the case here.

If you're currently sitting at the bugged BitLocker recovery screen, you can (fairly quickly) grab your BitLocker recovery key that's stored in your Microsoft account.

Visiting aka.ms/myrecoverykey on a separate device and ensuring you're signed in with the proper account will take you straight to a list of keys. Choose the correct PC (if you have more than one listed) and copy the code to bypass the BitLocker recovery screen.

If you're on an account managed by someone else (like your work or school), you'll want to visit aka.ms/aadrecoverykey instead.

Is AI coding hurting Windows stability?

Each time a fresh Windows bug pops up, I'm reminded of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's April 2025 boast that AI already writes between 20% and 30% of the company's code.

Whether or not that's contributing to the recent string of Windows issues, I can't say, but it's not likely helping. There have been several major bugs in recent memory.

The August 2025 security update (KB5063875) introduced a fresh bug on Windows 10 and 11 that began blocking the "Reset my PC" feature. This, of course, stopped users from wiping a PC for an OS reinstall or to sell second-hand.

Windows 11 version 25H2 launched at the end of September, and with it came two known issues involving BluRay/DVD playback and failed updates installed via WUSA.

In October, Windows 11 update KB5066835 broke localhost connections, blocking developers from running and testing websites and applications locally before pushing them live.

The same update also broke the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), resulting in a loss of USB mouse and keyboard input on the blue screen.

Microsoft has been fixing bugs in the meantime, including the "Update and shut down" issue that seemed like it'd been around for years. The company also recently fixed a bug that prevented the classic Outlook client from launching properly on the OS.

An operating system as complex as Windows is bound to have bugs, but there's extra pressure on Microsoft to release stable updates due to the end of official Windows 10 support and the CEO's comments regarding the use of AI to code.

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