How to format a BitLocker partition in Windows 11?

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Linda 

Written by

Tracy King 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

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Are you still looking for ways to format a BitLocker partition in Windows 11?

Don't worry!

In this blog, we will discuss the different methods to format a BitLocker Partition.

What is a BitLocker partition?

In Windows 11, Microsoft continues to offer an excellent feature for encrypting entire hard drives.

This is achieved using a technology called BitLocker.

A BitLocker-protected volume is a layer of protection that helps prevent unauthorized access to all the data on a system, even if the computer is stolen or lost.

All data in the BitLocker-protected partition is encrypted and protected by a password. Users will always need a BitLocker password or BitLocker recovery key to unlock, decrypt, and access data on the volume.

Unable to format a BitLocker partition in Windows 11, need help!

Let's imagine you have a computer with Windows 11 installed, and you have an encrypted BitLocker partition on the C drive.

You try to format it, but Windows displays the error, “This operation cannot be performed on a BitLocker drive.”

Should you take your computer to a repair shop?

Is there a workaround? Yes, there are several ways you can fix this without visiting a repair shop!

This is the most effective approach, which we break into two parts:

If you need to back up your data from the encrypted drive before formatting, start with Part 1. Otherwise, skip ahead to Part 2.

Part 1: Disable or turn off BitLocker, and then back up important data

There are several ways to delete, disable, or turn off BitLocker. Here's the quickest one:

Step 1: Unlock the encrypted drive

To disable BitLocker without deleting the necessary data, you need to unlock the encrypted drive first. You can follow these steps:

1. Go to Control Panel > System and Security, and click on BitLocker Drive Encryption.

Click “Turn on BitLocker”.

2. Click on Manage BitLocker.

3. Click Unlock drive.

Click on “Unlock Drive”.

3. Select the disk you want to unlock, and click Continue.

Choose one of the following options:

If you have a backup recovery key, enter a 48-digit recovery key. If you set a password, enter your password.

Step 2: Turn off BitLocker

Then, you can disable BitLocker encryption through Control Panel:

1. Open the Control Panel and click on **System and Security** and then click on **BitLocker Drive Encryption**.

Click the "Start" button, then choose "Control Panel."

2. Select the drive you want to disable BitLocker for from the list.

3. Click the Turn off BitLocker link next to the drive you chose.

Click “Turn off BitLocker”.

4. In the dialog box that appears, click Turn Off BitLocker to continue.

The next sentence only needs to be translated into American English:

Step 3: Back up important data

Once your encrypted drive is unlocked and BitLocker disabled, you can access the drive directly, move or copy files to another partition, USB, external hard drive, or wherever you want.

Part 2: Format BitLocker Partition in Windows 11 with Formatting Tools

Incorrect formatting may permanently damage your hard drive, so it is strongly suggested to use a professional partitioning tool.

Here are three formatting tools that Windows 11 users can use to format a BitLocker partition.

1. Partition Master - A professional disk partition management software

Tool Partition Master is one of the most reliable, trustworthy, and efficient software to format a BitLocker partition in Windows 11 and Windows 7/8/10.

This user-friendly partition manager comes in both free and pro versions with 100% disk partition management features.

The free Partition Master disk management utility can convert, resize, move, merge, format, and delete partitions without losing data.

The Pro version, on the other hand, comes with many extra features. It is designed to boost PC performance, merge two SSDs into one, wipe difficult disks, and safely migrate an operating system (Windows/Linux) to an SSD/HDD without reinstalling the system and apps.

- Right-click on the external drive or USB you want to format, and select "Format." - Set the Volume label, File system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT), and Allocation unit size, then click "OK." - Click "Yes" to continue. - Click the "Perform 1 task" button and hit "Apply" to format the hard drive partition.

This partition manager can also be used for system cache cleaning and many other different operations.

2. File Explorer

You can also format a BitLocker-encrypted drive through File Explorer, without a recovery key or password. However, you will lose your data.

But if you have a password or recovery key and want to back up important data, follow the instructions in Part 1 first.

To format a BitLocker partition using File Explorer in Windows 11, you'll need to:

Step 1: Open a Windows Explorer window by clicking the File menu.

Step 2: Right-click on the BitLocker drive (or the drive you want to format) and select Format.

3. Disk Management

Here are the steps to format a BitLocker partition using Disk Management in Windows 11: 1. **Launch Disk Management**: - Press the `Win + X` key combo and select "Disk Management." 2. **Unlock the BitLocker Partition**: - In the Disk Management window, locate the BitLocker-encrypted partition you want to format. It should show as "Encrypted." - Right-click on the partition and choose "Unlock Drive." 3. **Enter the Unlock Password or Use Recovery Key**: - Enter your BitLocker password, or if you've saved a recovery key, select "Use a recovery key file" to unlock. 4. **Format the Partition**: - Once unlocked, right-click the partition again and select "Format." - In the pop-up, choose the file system (like NTFS), allocation unit size, and volume label. Typically, you can keep the default settings. - After verifying the information, check the "Quick Format" box, then click "OK." 5. **Warning Prompt**: - A warning will appear, telling you that formatting will delete all data. Confirm that you've backed up important data, then click "OK." 6. **Wait for Formatting to Complete**: - Formatting may take some time depending on the partition's size. Be patient until Disk Management shows the partition as formatted. 7. **Close Disk Management**: - Once formatting is done, close the Disk Management window. Please note that this will permanently erase all data on the partition, so make sure to back up all important files before proceeding.

Step 1: First, click the "Start" menu and select " Administrative Tools," then "Computer Management." In the left-hand menu, choose "Disk Management." You can also search for "Disk Management" in the search bar at the bottom of the taskbar.

Step 2. Right-click the BitLocker partition you want to format and select Format. You will be asked to give it a name and assign a file system. Name it something that will help you remember its contents, and set the file system for all BitLocker partitions to NTFS.

Step 3: Click OK to begin formatting.

When BitLocker slows down your SSD or HDD, what can you do besides formatting BitLocker? If you have the same issue, check this link: Does BitLocker Slow Down SSD? Yes, up to 45%.

Conclusions

This article provides simple methods to format a BitLocker drive and remove BitLocker without losing important data.

Remember to turn off BitLocker and back up important data before formatting.

If you still feel confused, or want to get the job done in the easiest way, you can choose our Partition Master software for help.

By the way, if you're an advanced computer user with lots of experience in partition management, you don't really need software to format a BitLocker partition, but this article is mainly intended to help beginners.