How to suspend BitLocker Encryption

Steps to Suspend BitLocker Encryption

You can suspend BitLocker encryption using either the Windows interface or the Command Prompt. Here’s how to do it both ways:

Method 1: Using Windows Settings

1. Open the Control Panel:
   • Press Win + S to open the search bar, type “Control Panel,” and hit Enter.
2. Navigate to BitLocker Settings:
   • In the Control Panel, select System and Security, then click on BitLocker Drive Encryption.
3. Select the Drive:
   • You will see a list of drives with BitLocker enabled. Find the drive you want to suspend (usually the C: drive) and click Suspend protection.
4. Confirm Suspension:
   • A confirmation window will appear. Click Yes to confirm. BitLocker will now be suspended, and the drive will be temporarily unprotected.
5. Complete Your Task:
   • Perform the necessary updates, hardware changes, or troubleshooting steps.
6. Resume BitLocker Protection:
   • Once you’ve completed your task, go back to the BitLocker settings in the Control Panel and select Resume protection to re-enable BitLocker encryption.

Method 2: Using Command Prompt

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
   • Press Win + X to open the Power User menu and select Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows Terminal (Admin) if you’re using Windows 11.
2. Check BitLocker Status:
   • Type the following command to check the status of BitLocker:luaCopy codemanage-bde -status
   • This command will show you the current encryption status of your drives.
3. Suspend BitLocker:
   • Use the following command to suspend BitLocker on the desired drive (replace C: with the appropriate drive letter if needed):bashCopy codemanage-bde -protectors -disable C:
   • This command disables the BitLocker protection temporarily.
4. Complete Your Task:
   • Perform the necessary updates, hardware changes, or troubleshooting.
5. Resume BitLocker Protection:
   • Once you’ve completed your task, re-enable BitLocker with the following command:bashCopy codemanage-bde -protectors -enable C: