How to Enable BitLocker Automatic Unlock in Windows 10/11

Overview of BitLocker Auto-Unlock

BitLocker protects the Windows operating system and your data by locking your hard drive, making it extremely effective for data and disk security.

However, with BitLocker turned on, you will be required to enter your password every time you access the drive. Not only does this slow down drive access, but it can also be frustrating if you forget your password.

So, here we want to show you how to enable BitLocker automatic unlock for drives that do not have a Windows system installed.

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How to Enable BitLocker Automatic Unlock

Method 1. Turn on BitLocker Automatic Unlock From Control Panel

The easiest way to enable BitLocker automatic unlock is to use the BitLocker Drive Encryption feature in the Control Panel. The major steps are as follows.

Step 1. Open the Control Panel by using the Windows search box.

Step 2. In the Control Panel, click System and Security > BitLocker Drive Encryption.

Step 3. Expand the options of the drive you want to enable BitLocker or that has BitLocker enabled. If the BitLocker is enabled, click Unlock drive and type the password in the pop-up box. Here you may be interested in this article: Forgot BitLocker Password & Recovery Key? Try the 6 Ways Now!

After that, click the Turn on auto-unlock option as depicted in the picture below.

To disable BitLocker auto-unlock, just click the Turn off auto-unlock button.

Method 2. Turn on BitLocker Automatic Unlock From BitLocker Unlock Window

If BitLocker auto-unlock is not available in the Control Panel, you can choose another way to achieve this goal.

Step 1. Press the Windows + E keyboard shortcut to open File Explorer. Then move on to the This PC section and double-click the BitLocker locked drive.

Step 2. In the new window that asks you to input the password, click More options.

Step 3. Check the option of Automatically unlock on this PC. Then you can input the password and unlock the drive.

Best Fixes: BitLocker Is Missing or Not Showing on Windows 10/11

In this post, we will introduce the methods you can try to fix BitLocker is missing or not showing on Windows.

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Method 3. Turn on BitLocker Automatic Unlock Using CMD

CMD, also known as Command Prompt, can be used to execute entered commands and perform advanced management functions. If BitLocker auto-unlock not working on the BitLocker drive management page or the BitLocker drive unlock page, you can enable BitLocker automatic unlock with the help of the command line. Simply follow the steps below.

Step 1. In the Windows search box, type cmd and right-click Command Prompt from the best match result to select Run as administrator.

Step 2. In the User Account Control window, click the Yes button. If you cannot see the Yes option, find the solutions from this article: How to Fix UAC Yes Button Missing or Grayed Out?

Step 3. In the command line window, type manage-bde -autounlock -enable H: and press Enter. You need to replace H with the actual drive letter of your disk.

If you receive an error message saying “The operation cannot be performed because the volume is locked”, go to File Explorer and decrypt the drive. Then type the command line again and press Enter.

Step 4. Next, wait for a few seconds until you see the “Automatic unlock enabled” message.

Bottom Line

In a word, this article explains how to enable BitLocker automatic unlock from the Control Panel, the BitLocker unlock page, and using CMD.

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Should you have any questions about BitLocker auto-unlock or MiniTool Power Data Recovery, do not hesitate to contact us via [email protected].