BitLocker encryption is a feature used to prevent unauthorized access to drives to protect against data theft. However, in certain situations, manual suspension of BitLocker becomes necessary, such as updating firmware. Using a command called the “reboot count parameter”, the user can specify how many times a device can reboot before BitLocker automatically restarts.
However, Helmut Wagensner, a customer engineer at Microsoft, has released ways in which IT admins and system admins can fix a bug related to BitLocker suspension where it automatically restarts even after the reboot count parameter is full. It doesn’t happen.
In his Microsoft Tech Community blog post, Wagner explained:
.. There are some situations where you may need to temporarily suspend BitLocker, such as when you update your BIOS or firmware using the vendor’s update utility. When you suspend BitLocker, you can specify how many times your device can restart before BitLocker encryption resumes. This is called the reboot count parameter.
[..] However, there is a known issue with BitLocker that you may encounter: BitLocker does not automatically restart after being suspended if an OOBE (out-of-box experience) is not completed. OOBE is the process of setting up your device for the first time after installing Windows 10. This means your device will remain unprotected until you manually restart BitLocker.
You can find details about the fix in Wagner’s blog post on Microsoft’s official website.