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ajdellaj

27 Posts

166488

December 19th, 2013 19:00

Dell Venue 8 Pro: Suspend BitLocker Encryption before updating BIOS?

The Dell instructions for updating BIOS include the following statement:

Note: Please make sure you suspend BitLocker encryption before updating BIOS on a BitLocker enabled system.
If you don't enable BitLocker on your system you can ignore it.  

Is this true?  If so, how do you temporarily suspend BitLocker on a Venue 8 Pro?

If not, is it safe to update the BIOS without suspending BitLocker encryption?

The Control Panel has a Device Encryption setting, but the only option available is to back up your recovery key.  I could not find an option in the Metro PC Settings world either.

dwx

25 Posts

December 20th, 2013 12:00

It's normally under the metro settings under Settings and then under "PC Info".   Some however have said the option to disable it doesn't exist for them...  

I updated to A04 without turning off BitLocker.  

I think the issue is if the BIOS settings are somehow reset it may come up with "SecureBoot" turned off and if it does Windows boots into BitLocker recovery mode.  It will ask for a key which you don't know because the device came with BitLocker enabled.   It would require you boot into the BIOS and change the setting back to SecureBoot (hold volume key down after powering on).  

ajdellaj

27 Posts

December 20th, 2013 22:00

Just found this thread on the same topic for a Venue 11

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/mobile-devices/f/4586/t/19537369.aspx

The Dell rep state as follows, but this sounds like it thurns off BitLocker, not suspend it.

Hi dsf3g,

Please follow the steps mentioned below to disable the Bitlocker and then update the BIOS on the system.

  1. Open the charms bar in the right top corner of the screen and in the search box, Start typing BitLocker and then press enter.
  2. Click on "BitLocker Drive Encription".
  3. In this step select the C drive for which you want to disable BitLocker and click on "Turn off BitLocker".
  4. In this step its asks for your confirmation; click on "Turn off BitLocker".
  5. Then the process to turn off Bitlocker will begin; wait some minute.
  6. After the process is completed click on "Close".
  7. Open the computer drive. Bitlocker will not be shown on the drive.

Please let me know if this helps.

Thanks and Regards, Ravi Chandra BC #iworkfordell

To know more about Dell products, services and drivers & downloads, click Here. For helpful Dell support videos, you may click Here

ajdellaj

27 Posts

December 20th, 2013 22:00

Thanks DWX.  I updated from A01 to A03 on 3 tablets without turning off encryption so it does not appear to matter.

I found the Device Encryption control at the bottom of the metro PC Info screen. When I click the "Turn Off" button the prompt displays:

Turn off device encryption?

If you do this, your files won't be protected, and decryption can take a long time.

It looks like this Bitlocker version may be stripped down so you cannot "suspend" encryption, just turn off and decrypt.  You can export the encryption key via the Control Panel Device Encryption which saves the recovery key to a file or print.  The help screen displayed for "What is a recovery key?" states that you can temporarily suspend BitLocker for software updates and that suspending protection is different than turning off BitLocker and decrypting. It also states that BitLocker device encryption is only available in Windows 8.1 Pro and Windows 8.1 Enterprise editions.

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