The writer needs to make a bootable USB for Windows 10 from a computer that has BitLocker enabled. However, whenever they plug in a USB drive, the computer asks if they want to encrypt it.
They have tried to create a bootable USB, but they keep receiving an error message saying “media is write protected” or something similar.
The writer wants to know if there is a way to create a bootable USB with BitLocker enabled, as they have already tried disabling the automatic encryption via “regedit,” but it did not work.
2 Answers
Introduction
Creating a bootable USB drive is a common task that computer users often need to do, especially when they need to install a new operating system or recover an existing one. However, when you have Bitlocker enabled on your PC, creating a bootable USB drive can be a bit tricky. This is because Bitlocker can interfere with the process and prevent you from creating a bootable USB drive. In this blog post, we will show you how to create a bootable USB drive with Rufus on a PC with Bitlocker enabled.
What is Bitlocker?
Bitlocker is a security feature that is built into Windows operating systems. It is designed to protect your data by encrypting it, which makes it unreadable to anyone who does not have the right encryption key. Bitlocker can be used to encrypt your entire hard drive or just a specific partition. When Bitlocker is enabled, it can interfere with certain tasks, such as creating a bootable USB drive.
Why use Rufus?
Rufus is a free and open-source tool that can be used to create bootable USB drives. It is a lightweight tool that is easy to use and supports a wide range of operating systems. Rufus is also compatible with Bitlocker, which means that you can use it to create a bootable USB drive even if Bitlocker is enabled on your PC.
Step 1: Download Rufus
The first step in creating a bootable USB drive with Rufus is to download the tool. You can download Rufus from the official website at https://rufus.ie/. Once you have downloaded Rufus, you can install it on your PC.
Step 2: Insert your USB drive
The next step is to insert the USB drive that you want to use as a bootable drive. When you insert the USB drive, Windows may prompt you to encrypt the drive. If this happens, select “Cancel” to proceed with the next step.
Step 3: Run Rufus
Once you have inserted the USB drive, you can run Rufus. When you run Rufus, you will see a screen.
Step 4: Select your USB drive and ISO file
In the Rufus screen, you will see a “Device” dropdown menu. Click on the dropdown menu and select the USB drive that you want to use as a bootable drive. Next, click on the “Select” button and browse to the location of the ISO file that you want to use to create the bootable drive.
Step 5: Configure Rufus settings
Once you have selected your USB drive and ISO file, you can configure the settings in Rufus. The settings that you need to configure will depend on the operating system that you are installing. However, the default settings in Rufus are usually sufficient for most installations. Once you have configured the settings, click on the “Start” button to begin the process.
Conclusion
Creating a bootable USB drive with Rufus on a PC with Bitlocker enabled is a straightforward process. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can create a bootable USB drive that can be used to install or recover an operating system. Rufus is a powerful and flexible tool that can be used to create bootable USB drives for a wide range of operating systems. We hope that this blog post has been helpful in showing you how to create a bootable USB drive with Rufus on a PC with Bitlocker enabled.
When it comes to writing data to a removable data drive, BitLocker protection is necessary by default. If the removable data drive is not protected by BitLocker, it will only be possible to mount it in read-only mode. However, if the drive is secured by BitLocker, it will be possible to mount it with both read and write access permissions.
This policy may be disabled as follows:
- Run the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)
- Navigate to:
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\BitLocker Drive Encryption\Removable Data Drives - Double-click to edit “Deny write access to removable drives not protected by BitLocker policy”
- Click Disable and OK.
Ideally, this option should not have been enabled by default. If you are using a work computer, the setting may have been configured by the administrator, and you may not have the ability to turn it off.
In such cases, making changes to the computer’s registry could be an alternative way to disable the option:
Enabling read-write access
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies\Microsoft\FVE]
"RDVDenyWriteAccess"=dword:00000000
Disabling read-write access
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies\Microsoft\FVE]
"RDVDenyWriteAccess"=dword:00000001
If you are using a work computer, this action may violate your company’s security policy, which could pose a risk. Therefore, you should proceed with caution and assume responsibility for any potential consequences.