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Dwight Baer
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how to turn off bitlocker on a new Windows 10 machine

I want to back up my machine using Acronis.  But it says it can't back it up until I turn off Bitlocker.
When I go to Control Panel --> System and Security --> Bitlocker Drive Encryption, it says "BitLocker waiting for activation".  There is an icon to "Turn on BitLocker".  

Do I have to turn it on before I turn it off?
Windows XPWindows OSStorage SoftwareEncryptionWindows 10

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McKnife

8/22/2022 - Mon
Dwight Baer

ASKER
When I click on "Turn on BitLocker", there does not seem to be an option to leave it turned off.  It insists on an answer to the question "How do you want to back up your recovery key?"
Cliff Galiher

If that's where you are at then bitlocker is not on.  There is nothing to turn off.
Dwight Baer

ASKER
It's a new Lenovo ThinkPad E590
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rwheeler23
Kesavan Jeganarayanan

If you need to use the Bitlocker, you need to save the bit locker key in safe place.
How do you want to back up your recovery key? - Must save in USB drive or other than the OS drive.

To turn off, right click the drive (C:) - Manager Bitlocker - Turn off Bitlocker.
(this option available only when you turn on the bitlocker and save the key)
andyalder

I believe it is a bug with Acronis and it can't cope with "waiting for activation" because butlocker is neither on or off. "manage-bde c: -off" should fix it or you can activate bitlocker and turn it off.
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McKnife

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Dwight Baer

ASKER
OK, thanks, it worked.  I turned it on, then turned it off.  Then I was able to back up my drive using Acronis.  (I've never actually managed BitLocker before.)

I was being leery and over-cautious.  A few months ago, I lost all my data on my D: drive as a result of decrypting my C: drive and ignoring the warning that the bitlocker key for my D: drive was located on my C: drive, and by decrypting the C: drive I would lose that recovery key for the D: drive.  Once bit, twice shy.  :)
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McKnife

You should ask Acronis support why they think it's needed since Microsoft's own image backup does not need it nor does other imaging software like for example drive snapshot. They should revise this.