Microsoft has resolved a known issue causing some Windows Server 2025 devices to boot into BitLocker recovery after installing the April 2026 security update.
The BitLocker security feature encrypts storage drives to prevent data theft and will typically force Windows computers to enter recovery mode after hardware changes or events, such as TPM (Trusted Platform Module) updates, to allow regaining access to protected drives that have not been unlocked via the default unlock mechanism.
"Some devices with an unrecommended BitLocker Group Policy configuration might be required to enter their BitLocker recovery key on the first restart after installing this update," Microsoft said when it acknowledged this issue after the April 2026 Patch Tuesday.
"In this scenario, the BitLocker recovery key only needs to be entered once -- subsequent restarts will not trigger a BitLocker recovery screen, as long as the group policy configuration remains unchanged."
While this issue may also affect some systems running Windows 11, Microsoft says it's unlikely to impact personal devices, as affected configurations are typically found only on enterprise systems managed by corporate IT teams.
