Windows 8.1 Update - 'A TCG Command has returned an error' - Automatic Encryption Involved?

Anonymous

I've got a desktop system which has been showing error messages in the Event Viewer ever since the upgrade to Windows 8.1 Update. It's an error in EnhancedStorage-EhStorTcgDrv that says "A TCG Command has returned an error". The error is with the "AuthenticateSession" command.

Doing a bunch of research shows that this error involves SSD encryption. However, this is for a gaming PC with no personal information on it. There's no need for Bitlocker or anything of that sort on it. So I'm not entirely sure why it's sending that command in the first place other than if it's using the "Opal" / Microsoft eDrive spec for automatic encryption. The SSD I'm using (Plextor PX-M5M) does fully support the Opal specification, but I do not have a TPM, and as this is a desktop PC it doesn't support Connected Standby, two features that previously were requirements for automatic encryption on Windows 8.1. Did something change with regards to these requirements in Windows 8.1 Update?

I guess the really important question is... is this actually a message I should be worried about? It's listed in Event Viewer as critical. Can it just be ignored instead?

For what it's worth, my first thought was actually that the SSD or the mSATA slot it is installed in were the cause. However, both of those have been swapped out as part of my troubleshooting, and that hasn't solved anything.

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Anonymous

Hello,

Thank you for your response.

Did you try performing clean boot?

Sometimes, "A TCG Command has returned an error" message appears because the device encryption is turned on.

I would suggest you to turn off the device encryption and check if it helps. Device encryption is turned on by default. Please use these steps.

a. If you have performed a clean install of Windows 8.1, device encryption is turned on by default. If you have upgraded a previous Windows installation to Windows 8.1, you can turn device encryption on by using PC info.

b. To open PC info, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap "Settings", and then tap "Change PC settings". (If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, click "Settings", and then click "Change PC settings".)

c. Tap or click "PC & devices", and then tap or click "PC info". The "Device Encryption" section appears at the bottom of the PC info page.

d. In the "Device Encryption" section, select "Turn On".

To opt out of automatic device encryption:

If you do not want the devices you are deploying to be automatically protected with device encryption, you can configure the unattend file to enforce the following registry setting:

• Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BitLocker

• Value: PreventDeviceEncryption equal to True (1)

• Type: REG_DWORD

Note: Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756

For reference:

What's New in BitLocker for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn306081.aspx

I hope this information helps.

Thank you

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47 additional answers

Anonymous

2014-10-25T16:29:06+00:00

I have this issue.

HP Microserver N36L, TPM Chip, Windows 2012 R2.

Crucial MX100 256GB boot drive, 1 partitiion (C:), bitlocker encrypted.

I get a single eventlog entry on every boot:

A TCG Command has returned an error.

Desc: AuthenticateSession

Param1: 0x1

Param2: 0x60000001C

Param3: 0x900000006

Param4: 0x0

Status: 0x1

Otherwise runs OK. It doesnt seem to happen again after boot.

Not quite sure how creating a new user can make any difference, its a device error. Could be corrupt susyem files, but this happens ona freshly built server.
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Anonymous

2014-10-25T17:40:46+00:00

Hello Steve,

Thank you again for the update.

It is unfortunate that the issue still persists.

I would suggest you to perform check disk and see if it helps. Please follow these steps:

a. Press Windows + X keys and click command prompt(admin).

b. Type the following command in the command prompt and pres Enter.

chkdsk /f /r

Check disk will take some time to complete.

Note: While performing chkdsk on the hard drive if any bad sectors are found on the hard drive when chkdsk tries to repair that sector if any data available on that might be lost.

I hope this information helps.

Thank you
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Anonymous

2014-11-02T19:11:28+00:00

Hello,

It appears I have the same problem as described above. I just run chkdsk /f /r yesterday but right 5 minutes ago BSoD appeared again, so it did not resolve the problem. Any other ideas how to stop it from appearing? Mine SSD is Crucial M500 240 GB.
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Anonymous

2014-11-04T23:39:14+00:00

Interesting, I have the same problem with a Crucial MX100 512Gb. I'm using default SATA AHCI standard controller, but Intel RST doesn't work better (maybe worse), because ICH10R controller is no more supported on Windows 8.1. This is a Shuttle H7 5800 (SX58H7), last bios (2012) but no more supported by Shuttle of course. It's running i7 990x (QTI 6,4). The drive is connected port 1, and second drive is a hard drive connected port 2. Optical drive connected port 3. All controlled by ICH10R.

It looks the crash happens while surfing in Google Chrome, with cache disk on my hard drive, so the two drives are working together.

Are you sure Microsoft standard AHCI works correctly with this controller + SSD ?

I heard I can disable TGC feature in regedit, but I'm afraid my system can't boot anymore because the SSD is my system drive.

Is it a Crucial-relative problem, bad communication between Win 8.1 and firmwares/SSD ?

I've regular crash (PFN List Corrupt, Memory Management, ...), so I checked the RAM with your Windows Memory Diagnostic, but even in extented mode after 6-7 passes, no problem... BUT it fails memtest86+, and always in Test #5, consisting to moving 8 bits patterns. Do you have a technical idea why it fails only on this test ?

TGC errors status are 0x1 and 0x12.
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