The company has begun rolling out the latest BIOS updates for its motherboards to fix the BitLocker recovery issues.
ASUS Releases Beta BIOS Version 2102/1642 for 600 and 800-Series Motherboards; Resolves BitLocker Recovery Problems
There have been numerous reports indicating that users were facing BitLocker recovery issues on ASUS AM5 motherboards, which was reportedly caused by the Beta BIOS update 2101. This resulted in BitLocker demanding the recovery key on every boot. Despite downgrading the BIOS and even clearing TPM, the problem persisted for many users, which suggested corruption of Secure Boot logs.
ASUS has finally released a new BIOS update to fix this issue, and as we can see, the new BIOS Version 2102 has been rolled out for both 600 and 800-series AM5 motherboards. The release notes include AGESA microcode update to 1.3.0.0a, which was already available in the previous Beta BIOS 2101. That said, the fix for the BitLocker Recovery is crucial because it was frustrating, and was also acknowledged by ASUS.
According to the official ASUS documentation, BitLocker triggers after hardware changes or BIOS setting modifications, but remember that this isn't exclusive to ASUS motherboards. However, due to a lot of users consistently complaining about this on popular forums, ASUS has released the new BIOS. For context, BitLocker is Microsoft's full-disk encryption feature that is built into Windows and can be triggered unintentionally when there are changes in critical system components like TPM or Secure Boot.
When BitLocker detects a change that it deems insecure, it forces a recovery screen, demanding the 48-digit BitLocker recovery key to unlock the drive. So, this was basically preventing users from accessing their data if they weren't able to locate the recovery key. Some users even tried to disable BitLocker before flashing the BIOS, but the message didn't go away. Troubleshooting steps such as downgrading the BIOS, reflashing the older BIOS, clearing the TPM, deleting all secure boot keys, and performing a full CMOS clear also didn't help in some cases. Hopefully, the latest BIOS update will fix this completely.
News Source: ASUS
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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