Windows update broke my computer?

Grant McBride 65

I was using my computer perfectly fine last night and I went to turn it off. I selected "Update and Shutdown" and walked away. When I went to use it today the computer booted and brought me to this weird Bitlocker screen (which I had never seen before). I followed the instructions and got the recovery key and put it in and after I did that it tried to repair but ended up just restarting and bringing me back to the Bitlocker screen. I have tried to use the livechat microsoft help but keep getting disconnected so anything help! Thanks!

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Answer accepted by question author

Manoel Barros 21,820 Independent Advisor

Thanks!

Now you need to determine what is causing the startup failure:

Whether it is BitLocker itself.
A third-party issue or driver.
Or if Windows itself is corrupted.

First of all, connect a flash drive or external hard drive and back up your data.

Did you install any programs recently before the problem occurred? If so, uninstall the program via Settings > Apps > Installed apps.

Also, perform a Windows repair:

Type "'Command Prompt'" in the Search Bar > Right-click on the app > Select ''Run as administrator''.
Type the following commands.

ATTENTION: Type the entire command on the first line > Press ENTER > Wait for the command to complete > Run the next command on the list.

sfc /scannow

chkdsk c: /f /x /r

# When the message "...Scan the next time the system is restarted? (Y/N)" appears, press the Y (Yes) key.

sfc /scannow

When finished, shut down the computer properly and turn it on again.

Grant McBride 65 Reputation points

2026-07-26T06:36:07.1+00:00

Ok, I think that worked! I've restarted it a couple times and everything seems to be running smoothly! Thank you so much for your help and your patience, you are amazing!!!
Manoel Barros 21,820 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-07-26T14:09:16.9666667+00:00

Thanks so much for your feedback!

Take Care!!

Answer accepted by question author

Manoel Barros 21,820 Independent Advisor

Thanks for your feedback!
Were you able to enter your password and access Windows in Safe Mode?

Safe Mode activates only the services and apps necessary for Windows; the rest are disabled. This means something is preventing startup.

Before attempting any solution, disable BitLocker:

Type "Command Prompt" in the Search Bar > Right-click on the app > Select ''Run as administrator''.
Type the commands below:

ATTENTION: Type exactly the same commands described below > When typing the first command, press ENTER > Wait for the command to complete > Run the next command in the list.

manage-bde -unlock  X: -rp <Key>

Replace the letter X with the letter of the Encrypted Drive (Usually "C") and then place the Colon.
Replace <Key> with the Recovery Key (Including Dashes).

EXAMPLE:

manage-bde -off C: -rp 123456-789012-345678-901234-567890-123456-789012-345678

Use the Command below to check the unlock status of the Encrypted Drive.

manage-bde -status C:

When the "Percentage Encrypted" option is at 0%, it means the drive is BitLocker free.

Grant McBride 65 Reputation points

2026-07-23T22:30:00.1966667+00:00

Ok, I typed it into the command prompt as you had it above (manage-bde -off C: -rp 123456-789012-345678-901234-567890-123456-789012-345678). It says this "ERROR: Invalid Syntax. "-rp" was not understood. Type "manage-bde -?" for usage."
Manoel Barros 21,820 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-07-24T16:31:57.8966667+00:00
Sorry about that; I made a mistake in the example. The -off switch is used only later. Use:

manage-bde -unlock C: -rp <Key>

Replace <Key> with your key.

EXAMPLE:

manage-bde -unlock C: -rp 123456-789012-345678-901234-567890-123456-789012-345678*
Grant McBride 65 Reputation points

2026-07-24T23:42:56.2266667+00:00

Ok, I typed it into the new command prompt as you had it above and it says "ERROR: The volume is already unlocked." Then I tried the next line and the status is still at 100%
Manoel Barros 21,820 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-07-25T01:28:16.12+00:00
This means the drive has been unlocked, but the data is still encrypted. Now you will decrypt it so that you can attempt to repair Windows or back up the data later. Run the next command:

manage-bde -off C:

The decryption time depends on the amount of data you have. You should use the following command to check the status:

manage-bde -status C:

The Encryption Percentage must be set to 0%.
Grant McBride 65 Reputation points

2026-07-25T02:57:44.5+00:00

Ok, I have it at 0%. Do I restart the computer now or are there other steps to repair Windows that I need to do?

Answer accepted by question author

Manoel Barros 21,820 Independent Advisor

Hi!

BitLocker activates automatically when you sign in with a Windows account. If you entered the key and it attempted to repair Windows, it means the key is correct, but Windows is corrupted.

You will need to try to repair Windows.

Turn off your computer during startup or repair screen until you enter the Recovery Environment.

On the Blue Screen with the "Restart" and "Advanced Options" options, click Advanced Options.

In Recovery Mode, select Troubleshooting > Here you will have several options for Windows recovery. Try the following options:

Boot Repair

Windows will try to fix the problem.

If you are not successful, proceed to the next step.

Uninstall Updates

Choose the "Uninstall Latest Quality Update" option.
If the problem persists, go back to the Menu and choose the "Uninstall Latest Feature Update" option.

System Restore

Scroll through the Restore Window until you reach the available Restore Points > Choose the latest > Advance options.

If any error occurs, skip to next step.

Command Prompt

In the terminal, type the repair commands below.

ATTENTION: Type the entire command in the first line > Press ENTER > Wait for the command to complete > Run next list command > When you execute all commands, restart your computer.


sfc /scannow

chkdsk c: /f /x /r

Proceed to next step if you do not solve your problem.

Boot Configuration

Click the option to restart the computer > Select option 4 (Safe Mode > If you access Windows, tell me for more troubleshootings.

Restore the PC

Under 'Troubleshooting', select the option "Restore PC" > "Keep my files" to completely restore your computer and keep your files.
Choose the reinstallation method "Download from Cloud". If error occurs, choose "Local Reinstallation".

Grant McBride 65 Reputation points

2026-07-23T00:46:03.3266667+00:00

Wow, thank you so much for all the different options! I restarted the computer in Safe Mode and it was able to start! If it helps when I tried to uninstall the latest Feature Update it said it was unable to.

1 additional answer

Manoel Barros 21,820 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-07-23T15:54:26.8133333+00:00
Thanks for your feedback!
Were you able to enter your password and access Windows in Safe Mode?

Safe Mode activates only the services and apps necessary for Windows; the rest are disabled. This means something is preventing startup.

Before attempting any solution, disable BitLocker:
1. Type "Command Prompt" in the Search Bar > Right-click on the app > Select ''Run as administrator''.
2. Type the commands below:
ATTENTION: Type exactly the same commands described below > When typing the first command, press ENTER > Wait for the command to complete > Run the next command in the list.
```
manage-bde -unlock  X: -rp <Key> 
```
- Replace the letter X with the letter of the Encrypted Drive (Usually "C") and then place the Colon.
- Replace <Key> with the Recovery Key (Including Dashes).
EXAMPLE:

manage-bde -off C: -rp 123456-789012-345678-901234-567890-123456-789012-345678
1. Use the Command below to check the unlock status of the Encrypted Drive.
```
manage-bde -status C: 
```
1. When the "Percentage Encrypted" option is at 0%, it means the drive is BitLocker free.
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Windows update broke my computer?

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