Bitlocker PIN Removal

TL;DR

This guide shows you how to remove the PIN requirement from Bitlocker on your Windows computer. This is useful if you find the PIN inconvenient, but remember it reduces security. You’ll need the recovery key or administrator account.

Removing the Bitlocker PIN

1. Check Bitlocker Status: First, confirm Bitlocker is enabled and using a PIN.
   • Open Control Panel (search for ‘Control Panel’ in Windows).
   • Go to System and Security > BitLocker Drive Encryption.
   • You should see the drive(s) protected by Bitlocker, along with their status. If it says ‘PIN required’, continue.
2. Access Recovery Key (if needed): If you’ve forgotten your PIN and don’t have an administrator account, you *must* have the recovery key.
   • The recovery key is usually stored in one of these places:
     • Your Microsoft Account: https://account.microsoft.com/recovery-key
     • A USB drive you saved it to during setup.
     • Printed out and stored securely.
3. Change PIN Settings (if administrator access): If you have an administrator account, you can change the settings directly.
   • Open Control Panel > System and Security > BitLocker Drive Encryption.
   • Click ‘Manage Bitlocker’ for the drive you want to change.
   • Select ‘Change PIN’. You will be prompted for your current PIN.
   • Uncheck the box that says “Require a PIN when starting up”.
   • Click ‘Save changes’. You may need to restart your computer.
4. Remove PIN via Command Prompt (if administrator access): This is an alternative method.
   1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator (search for ‘cmd’, right-click, and select ‘Run as administrator’).
   2. Type the following command to list your Bitlocker volumes:

      manage-bde -status

   3. Identify the drive letter you want to modify.
   4. Use this command to unlock the volume and remove the PIN requirement (replace ‘C:’ with your actual drive letter):

      manage-bde -unlock C: -RecoveryPassword

      You will be prompted for the recovery key if required.

   5. After unlocking, you can disable PIN protection:

      manage-bde -protectors -remove C: -pin

5. Restart Your Computer: After making changes (either through the Control Panel or Command Prompt), restart your computer to apply them. You should now be able to boot without a PIN.
6. Verify Changes: Once restarted, check that Bitlocker no longer requires a PIN during startup.

Important Considerations

• Security Risk: Removing the PIN significantly reduces the security of your drive. Anyone with physical access to your computer can potentially access your data if it’s not protected by other methods (like TPM).
• Recovery Key is Crucial: Keep your recovery key in a safe and accessible location. If you lose both your PIN *and* your recovery key, you will likely lose access to the data on the drive.
• TPM: Bitlocker often uses a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip for added security. Removing the PIN doesn’t disable TPM; it just bypasses the need for the PIN during startup.