Windows 11 Support Thread

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Windows 11 April 2026 Update Triggers BitLocker Recovery on Some PCs

It has been a while since one of Microsoft's Windows 11 updates wreaked havoc among PC enthusiasts, and the April update seems to be another in line for IT administrators. In an updated support document on the Windows 11 KB5083769 cumulative update, Microsoft officially confirms that some users...
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Someone I know had her laptop (yes Dell) crashing after an update. And then after a few crashes it would no longer boot at all. I opened it and removed the cmos battery and re-inserted it to reset bios.
After that it tried to boot into windows but asked for bitlocker recovery key.
She had no idea where to find it. Luckily we figured out that it was stored on an outlook.com email account that she doesn't really use or know the password for but luckily it was linked to a phone number and we were able to get the key. I disabled bitlocker and explained the risk to her...

Some people have no idea that bitlocker is a thing and that it may be enabled by default. Some people will lose their data, no doubt.
 
RedViking said:
The same people will moan if their data has been stolen. I am not going to lock my front door because I can't keep track of where I put my keys.
Click to expand...
Not sure that analogy works. How about: “Your house door automatically locks itself, and the only spare key is placed in a safe deposit box you were never told about and if you disturb the door frame, it won’t open unless you retrieve that key.”
 
That's exactly why MS don't like local accounts ... they want you to have a MS account so that when they "force" bitlocker into the ON status via an update your key gets backed up to THEIR servers, so that THEY will have access to YOUR home(data) whenever they feel like it. Fncking bullshit if you ask me ...

There's already way to many people that lost valuable data with this crap.
 
Park@82 said:
Someone I know had her laptop (yes Dell) crashing after an update. And then after a few crashes it would no longer boot at all. I opened it and removed the cmos battery and re-inserted it to reset bios.
After that it tried to boot into windows but asked for bitlocker recovery key.
She had no idea where to find it. Luckily we figured out that it was stored on an outlook.com email account that she doesn't really use or know the password for but luckily it was linked to a phone number and we were able to get the key. I disabled bitlocker and explained the risk to her...

Some people have no idea that bitlocker is a thing and that it may be enabled by default. Some people will lose their data, no doubt.
Click to expand...
I'm a registered BitLocker specialist. The scenario above is easy to remedy. Just insert a USB drive with the latest windows ISO and boot from that. Navigate through the menus and delete all partitions. Then select a fresh install and boom, your PC has booted to Windows
 
Dimpie (JIGSAW) said:
That's exactly why MS don't like local accounts ... they want you to have a MS account so that when they "force" bitlocker into the ON status via an update your key gets backed up to THEIR servers, so that THEY will have access to YOUR home(data) whenever they feel like it. Fncking bullshit if you ask me ...

There's already way to many people that lost valuable data with this crap.
Click to expand...

I rest my case .....


 

Latest Rufus update debloats and installs Windows 11 silently - How To Geek​

1777006578116.png

Rufus has always been one of the best apps to create a bootable USB drive for installing Windows 11. The latest version of the app now includes even more features to significantly de-bloat Windows 11 and remove Microslop before installing the operating system. The update even introduces a new “Silent” mode for unattended installation.

Rufus allows removing even more "Microslop" from Windows 11​

Eliminate Teams, Outlook, Copilot, and other Microsoft bloatware
Rufus has been one of the most popular tools to quickly create a boot disk. The latest stable version of Rufus is 4.13. However, its latest update, which is still in beta, packs several new features, particularly for Windows 11 users.

Moving forward, Windows 11 users can disable Teams, Outlook, Copilot, and other Microsoft bloatware. Previous versions of Rufus allowed disabling all the hardware requirements Microsoft mandated. The latest version kicks things up a notch.

Rufus now allows Windows 11 users to turn off BitLocker. If that’s not impressive enough, Rufus can also tweak the installation media to allow local (offline) profiles. Microsoft has been steadily making it difficult to run Windows 11 without a Microsoft account.

The new update clearly includes an as-yet unpatched method that allows Windows 11 users to set up an offline and local account.
Click to expand...

www.howtogeek.com

Latest Rufus update debloats and installs Windows 11 silently

New 'unattended' mode, tooltips, enhanced Bazzite support, and more included
www.howtogeek.com www.howtogeek.com
 
HAL 9000 said:

Latest Rufus update debloats and installs Windows 11 silently - How To Geek​

View attachment 1903129



www.howtogeek.com

Latest Rufus update debloats and installs Windows 11 silently

New 'unattended' mode, tooltips, enhanced Bazzite support, and more included
www.howtogeek.com www.howtogeek.com
Click to expand...

This is a bit of a worry ... I see many people doing it wrong and losing data :

It is important to note that the installation media is programmed to detect the first disk and install Windows 11 without a single prompt. Hence, users will have to ensure there are no other internal storage drives on their computer.
Click to expand...
 

Microsoft's Promises for 2026 - Microsoft’s Vision for Windows 11 - Hands-On Windows​

Microsoft has finally pledged to tackle the biggest Windows 11 pain points in 2026, from letting you move the Start menu to eliminating those endless Copilot icons. Could long-requested fixes turn everyday users into fans again?
Click to expand...

 
I don't know what all the noise is, Win 11 has some downside but it's still a solid OS.
Only thing that still gets me is the forced updates/restarts.
Granted I disabled all the bloat many years ago but that was a once off and it's been plain sailing since.
 
My latest issue with Windows is that Network Discovery doesn't work anymore. Reset Network. Check Private Network. Check sharing settings blah blah blah....

Back to using Advanced IP Scanner it seems.
 
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