Microsoft's latest SNAFU sees July security update throwing Windows users into BitLocker recovery mode

Microsoft has managed to do it yet again. With the security update released earlier this month for Windows, the company has delivered a buggy patch which is causing problems for a lot of users.

The problem has hit users of not only Windows 10 and Windows 11, but also various editions of Windows Server. As the update in question is a security update, it was automatically installed on a large number of systems; the unwanted payload is being dumped into a BitLocker recovery screen. Microsoft says that it is aware of the issue but does not currently have a fix.

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Microsoft admits to releasing another dodgy update by saying: "After installing the July 2024 Windows security update, released July 9, 2024 (KB5040442), you might see a BitLocker recovery screen upon booting your device. This screen does not commonly appear after a Windows update. You are more likely to face this issue if you have the Device Encryption option enabled in Settings under Privacy & Security -> Device encryption. Resulting from this issue, you might be prompted to enter the recovery key from your Microsoft account to unlock your drive".

The good news is that Home users are not likely to be affected by the issue. While this reduces the number of impacted systems somewhat, those that may have been hit are almost certainly of high importance.

While Microsoft has acknowledged the issue, the lack of a proper solution is frustrating -- although one should be made available in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the company says:

Your device should proceed to start up normally from the BitLocker recovery screen once the recovery key has been entered. You can retrieve the recovery key by logging into the BitLocker recovery screen portal with your Microsoft account. Detailed steps for finding the recovery key are listed here: Finding your BitLocker recovery key in Windows.