FIX: You'll no longer be able to use Windows Recovery Environment if you turn on BitLocker. (Solved)
If you encounter the BitLocker error "You'll no longer be able to use Windows Recovery Environment if you turn on BitLocker" while trying to turn on BitLocker on Windows 10/11, then continue reading below to fix the issue.
A few days ago I tried to enable BitLocker drive encryption on a Windows 11 HP laptop, but during the process I faced the error "You'll no longer be able to use Windows Recovery Environment if you turn on BitLocker". At this point, I aborted the process and tried to find out why I was getting this particular error.
After investigating what might be causing this particular problem, I found that the error is caused because for some reason WinRE is stored and executed from the main OS drive/partition (Disk C:) and not from the "Recovery" partition as is should be. The steps I followed to reach this conclusion were as follows:
1. First of all in Command Prompt (admin) I issued the following command to find out if the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE), is enabled (or not) on the system and if so, in which partition it is located:
- reagentc /info
2. After running the above command, I saw that the WinRE is Enabled and located in "partition3" on the main disk, as you can see in the screenshot below.
3. I then opened the DISKPART tool, to see the existing partitions on the disk using the following commands:
- list disk
- sel disk 0
- list partition
4. From the reported size of the "Partition 3" (237 GB), I realized that for some reason the WinRE is located in the "Primary" partition which is the main Operating System (OS) drive (aka "drive "C:"), and not as it should be, in a separate "Recovery" partition, which did not exist at all!
After finding the cause of the problem, that the recovery partition is missing and the Windows RE is located at the wrong partition/drive (C:), I followed the steps mentioned in this guide to resolve the issue.
Therefore, if you are experiencing the error "You will no longer be able to use the Windows Recovery Environment if you enable BitLocker" during the BitLocker activation process, with the same symptoms listed above, apply the steps below to move the Windows Recovery Environment (aka "WinRE" or "Windows RE), from the C: drive to the Recovery partition to fix the problem(s).
How to FIX BitLocker error 'You'll no longer be able to use Windows Recovery Environment if you turn on BitLocker' on Windows 11/10 (BIOS/UEFI).
Step 1. Create the missing 'Recovery' Partition.
Follow the steps below to create a new partition on the disk and set it as the "Recovery" partition.
1. Press the Windows 
+ RÂ keys to open the 'Run' command box.
2. In run command box, type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter to open Disk Management.
3. In Disk Management, right-click on drive C: and select Shrink Volume.
4. At Enter the amount of space to shrink in MB, type 1024 (1 GB) and then press Shrink.
5. Now right-click on the Unallocated space and select New Simple Volume.
6. On the 'New Simple Volume Wizard', continually click Next & Next in the first two (2) screens.
7. When asked to assign a drive letter, choose Do not assign a drive letter or path (Important) and click then click Next.
8. Then choose Next again to Quick Format the volume and then click Finish.
9. After formatting the volume, right-click on "Disk 0" and choose Properties.
10. Then, select the Volumes tab and notice* if the Partition Style is "GUID Partition Table (GPT)" or "Master Boot Record (MBR)". When done, close this window and the 'Disk Management' and go to next step.
* Note: The information you get from here will be needed in the next steps.
11. Open Command Prompt as Administrator and then run the following commands in order:
- diskpart
- list disk
- select disk 0
- list partition
12. Now notice the partition number of the new partition you created with size 1024 MB {e.g. the partition "4" in this example (Partition style: GUID Partition Table (GPT)}.*
* Note: If the partition style is "Master Boot Record (MBR)", usually the partition number is "3".
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13. Then give the following command to select the new partition, using its partition number.*
- select partition number
* Note: Replace the partition number, according your case. In this example with "GPT Partition style", the command is:
- select partition 4
14. Now, according to the partition style [GUID (EFI systems) or MBR (Legacy Systems)] you noticed above, give the corresponding commands (or command) below to set the selected partition as the "Recovery" partition:
A. If you have GUID Partition Table (GPT), give these two (2) commands:
- set id=de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac
- gpt attributes=0x8000000000000001
B. If you own Master Boot Record (MBR) table, give this command:*
- set id=27 override
15. When done, type "exit" to close the DISKPART utility and continue to next step.
Step 2. Force Windows to move WinRE to "Recovery" Partition.
Now proceed and force Windows to move the Windows Recovery Environment from the drive C: (Primary partition) to the "Recovery" partition you created. To do that:
1. Issue the following command, to disable the WinRE.
- reagentc /disable
2. Now go to Control Panel > BitLocker Drive Encryption and Turn on BitLocker protection on Drive C:
3. You should now see the following window, which tells you that "when you turn on BitLocker, your computer performs the following steps:" Click Next to continue.
- Prepare your drive for BitLocker
- Encrypt the drive.
4. At the next screen you should informed that Windows will prepare your drive for BitLocker, by moving the Windows Recovery Environment to Recovery drive. Click Next again to continue.
5. When the operation is done, you should see that the "Prepare the drive" process is successful, but you'll be informed that "You'll no longer be able to use Windows Recovery Environment unless it is manually enabled and moved to the system drive". At this point click Cancel to abort the encryption process (for now) and proceed below to re-enable the WinRE.
6. In Command Prompt (admin), issue the following command to re-enable the Windows Recovery Environment:
- reagentc /enable
7. Then issue the following command to verify that the WinRE is enabled and located at the "correct" * partition (the "Recovery" partition you created in previous step) and if so, proceed to final step:
- reagentc /info
* Notes:
1. At this example the Windows RE is located at "partition4" (GPT)
2. In "MBR" systems, the Windows RE is usually located at "partition3")
Step 3. Enable BitLocker Protection.
1. Go to Control Panel > BitLocker Drive Encryption and Turn on BitLocker protection on Drive C:
2. Now, BitLocker should start normally and without displaying error "You'll no longer be able to use Windows Recovery Environment if you turn on BitLocker". If so, follow the on-screen instructions to encrypt the drive.
That's it! Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes the BitLocker error 'You'll no longer be able to use Windows Recovery Environment if you turn on BitLocker'?
This error typically occurs because the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) is stored on the main OS drive (Disk C:) instead of a separate 'Recovery' partition.
How can I check where the Windows Recovery Environment is located on my system?
You can check the location of the Windows Recovery Environment by opening Command Prompt as an administrator and entering the command 'reagentc /info'. This will provide details on whether WinRE is enabled and its partition location.
How do I fix the BitLocker error related to the Windows Recovery Environment?
To fix this error, you need to create a 'Recovery' partition on your disk and move the Windows Recovery Environment from the C: drive to this new partition. Steps involve using Disk Management to shrink drive C: and create a new partition.
What is the purpose of shrinking volume C: during the process of fixing the BitLocker error?
Shrinking volume C: is necessary to create space for a new 'Recovery' partition where the Windows Recovery Environment can be relocated, enabling the proper functioning of BitLocker.
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September 24, 2026 @ 3:37 pm
Still useful today!!
25H2 Windows 11 no longer makes a statement about "preparing your drive", but if you go through the whole process, even generate a recovery key, and then nope-out at the last second on the page that asks about performing a check upon reboot… then you can reenable reagentc, and it will be in partition 4 (GPT).
Then go back to bitlocker, and do ANOTHER key, and click begin encryption at the end.
Super stuff.. Thanks! About once a year this issue comes up, and I am always back to this article