Posts Tagged ‘BitLocker’

Use BitLocker on a machine without a TPM chip

Posted by John on Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

Want to use BitLocker security on a machine without a TPM chip?

Just follow the instructions below to get around this:

  • Click on start and in the run box type “gpedit.msc” and press enter
  • Navigate Local Group Policy to require additional authentication at startup. (See below).
  • Under Local Computer Policy navigate to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Bit Locker Drive Encryption\Operating System Drives and double click on Require Additional Authentication at Startup.
  • Double click on Require Additional Authentication at startup and click Enable in the window that opens.
  • Then tick the box halfway down on the left hand side to Allow BitLocker Without a Compatible TPM.
  • Close all the windows and go back to the drive you want to encrypt and you should now be able to encrypt with only a USB pen drive, save to a file or print off the key or a combination of all three.

Cannot turn on Bitlocker on Dell Vostro 1510 with TPM chip.

Posted by Richard on Thursday, August 27th, 2009

Have you been BitLockered!!?

Axon recently had an issue enabling Bitlocker encryption on a Dell Vostro 1510 with a TPM chip and Vista Ultimate. The laptop came with the TPM Infineon software and driver installed.

However with the TPM support enabled and the chip activated in the BIOS and having completed the Infineon setup wizard which initialised the TPM chip, Bitlocker could not be turned on. The following error message was displayed:

A TPM was not found. A TPM is required to turn Bitlocker on. If your computer has a TPM, then contact the computer manufacturer for Bitlocker-compatible BIOS.

 This issue was resolved by the following steps:

 1. Uninstall the Infineon TPM Professional Package via the control panel.
2. The uninstall wizard will recommend that you disable the TPM chip. Select ‘yes’. This will take you to the Infineon Security Platform Security Settings tool. Select the advanced tab and disable the TPM chip under the Security Platform Feature.
3. Reboot the laptop and enter the BIOS. Enable and activate the TPM chip, save the configuration and let the laptop restart.
4. Confirm the Enable and Activation of the TPM chip and then continue.
5. Once logged on with local administrator rights go to Device Manager, System Devices and ensure that the Infineon driver is not listed. If it is right click and uninstall it selecting the delete driver checkbox.
6. In Device Manager scan for hardware changes. This should detect the TPM chip and load the Microsoft TPM 1.2 driver. This should appear under a Security category. If the system does not detect the TPM chip manually install it selecting security devices.
7. Go to the Bitlocker section of control panel under security. You should now see the TPM administration tab and be able to turn Bitlocker on.

Dell Vostro 1510