Dual Window/Ubuntu boot wants windows recovery key (bitlocker key)

[willabeer]

I had a dual boot setup working nicely with Windows 11 Pro and Jammy Jelly (22.04.4). I got a upgrade notice that I could upgrade to Royal Numbat (24.04.4). I gladly updated to Royal Numbat. On the Ubuntu side everything works as expected, but if I select the Windows Boot option in Grub, then Windows asks for the BitLocker Key. It is not fun fat fingering in 48 numbers on a display that is minimal. But Windows accepts the key and works.

If I change the Boot options to place Windows as first priority, Windows will start without the BitLocker Key and will work as expected.

I tried to fix grub by doing a simple Grub Update, but that didn't work. I next ran Boot-Repair and the Paste is at https://paste.ubuntu.com/p/BzNcwkBJvt/ .

Boot-Repair didn't fix the problem. I haven't found anything on the internet to fix this problem. Not sure what to do next and some help would be appreciated.

[oldfred]

Not sure it is possible.
Can you not directly boot Windows from UEFI one time boot key. Not really different than booting from grub menu.

I have seen posts on mounting bitlocker once in Ubuntu.
But if using any encryption, you must have good backups, so if encryption breaks you still have your data.

Some discussion of bitlocker:
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread....0#post14013210

[willabeer]

Not sure if I understand your comment. I can directly boot Windows if I set it's boot priority in BIOS to first. I don't need the recovery key if I do this. It works. It doesn't work when Ubuntu's BIOS boot priority is first, and I try to switch to Windows with Grub. Did you have in mind something I could do in the BIOS?

[oldfred]

It should not matter what is default in UEFI boot.
But you always should be able to select an alternative from UEFI boot.

Select system you use the most as default in UEFI settings.
And boot other system from F12 or whatever key your system uses for UEFI one time boot.

[tea for one]

Booting Windows via grub = Bitlocker active
Booting Windows via PC boot menu = Bitlocker inactive

Assuming that you shut down Windows 11 completely and Windows is then encrypted, it would indicate that the encryption is not working consistently.
Just a guess, no real evidence.

[willabeer]

oldfred: I have thought about what you proposed, and I could do my boots like that. However, it will cause a little inconvenience, and I just like using the Grub menu to determine which operation system to use. I like the Grub approach for its simplicity and exposure to basic Ubuntu start items. How unlike the Windows approach where you need to open settings and hunt for what you need.

[willabeer]

tea for one: From my observations, I would say that BitLocker and Windows are operating as designed. It appears that something is amiss with the handoff between Grub and the boot. I would have thought that Boot-Repair would have repaired the problem. I might need to uninstall and then reinstall Ubuntu. I would like to fix the problem instead of uninstalling approach.

[oldfred]

I do not think grub can boot Windows if bitlocker is on.
It cannot pass the correct security info.

[tea for one]

nvme0n1p1	: isnotESP,	part-has-no-fstab,	no-nt,	no-winload,	no-recov-nor-hid,	no-bmgr,	notwinboot, BitLocker
nvme0n1p4	: isnotESP,	part-has-no-fstab,	no-nt,	no-winload,	no-recov-nor-hid,	no-bmgr,	notwinboot, BitLocker
sda2	: isnotESP,	part-has-no-fstab,	no-nt,	no-winload,	no-recov-nor-hid,	no-bmgr,	notwinboot, BitLocker

There are three partitions labelled BitLocker, which one has the (encryption) key when you boot Windows via Grub?

[willabeer]

nvme0n1p4 is the Windows OS, drive C:

the others are just files.