However, users have often reported that they see the following error while trying to enable BitLocker on their Windows PC: The error can occur on either Windows 10 or Windows 11. It is still uncertain why this error occurs. However, there are a few theories:
BitLocker is not supported on the current operating system.Critical system files linking to BitLocker have been corrupted.The relevant Windows service is not running.
Today we are going to show you how to mitigate this error and get BitLocker back to working normally again.
How to Fix BitLocker Error Code 0x80004005
Performing only one of these tasks may not fix the issue for you. We suggest you perform all the following mitigation methods to try and fix BitLocker.
Check if BitLocker is Supported
The first thing to do is check whether BitLocker is supported on your operating system or not. Microsoft has only made BitLocker available on the Enterprise and Professional editions of Windows. Therefore, if you are using any other edition, it is likely that you cannot run BitLocker. To check our OS edition, type in winver in the Run Command box. Follow the steps below to check if your system supports BitLocker:
Run BitLocker Device Encryption Service
As we mentioned, one of the reasons for the said error is that the dependent Windows service isn’t running, which is the “BitLocker Device Encryption” service. Perform the following steps to make sure it is enabled: If it states “Meets prerequisites,” it means BitLocker is supported. If it does not, you either need to install a supported OS or choose a BitLocker alternative. Now check to see if you can perform the task which earlier prompted the BitLocker error.
Run DISM and SFC Repairs
In case the error is caused by any missing or corrupted system files, you can attempt to repair them by running the System File Checker (SFC) and the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tools. Perform these steps to use these tools to attempt to repair BitLocker: As the computer reboot, check to see if the issue persists. The SFC command can take a few minutes to fully scan your PC and perform any repairs in case of any anomalies. We suggest that you allow ample time for the tool to perform its task.
Configure Additional BitLocker Authentication
You may need to configure additional BitLocker authentication when the computer starts up using the Group Policy editor. Here is how:
Closing Words
BitLocker can add significant protection to the PC, encrypting your data, thus only making it accessible to you. However, if it does not work, then all your content is available in plain text, making it easily accessible. We certainly hope that the methods discussed above will fix the issue for you. However, if these fail, then as a last resort, you would need to clean install a Windows edition that does support BitLocker.
