Windows Vista Forums

BitLocker key change question
  1. #1


    Dominik Guest

    BitLocker key change question

    When you change the bitlocker key, the drive does get re-encrypted?
    Sector by sector. What happens if the computer re-boots/ loses power during
    this process. Are there TWO keys active at that point?



      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  2. #2


    Zack Whittaker Guest

    Re: BitLocker key change question

    Not entirely 100% sure on this one, but I do hope to be of some help )

    When you change the key, the drive does become re-encrypted inline with the
    new key. From what I imagine, if you try and understand that the way the
    drive encrypts depends on the key you first type, so if you type in the same
    key on another machine, in theory it could be encrypted the same way (I
    think...)

    If the computer reboots, not necessarily in beta builds (so might apply to
    the public release), the encryption will either kick off from where it left
    off, or decrypt it and ask for the key again - whether it's the same key you
    used before the encryption or whether it starts the whole process off again,
    still not sure.

    I do think it'll vary on the software/hardware types of encryption though -
    you can get hardware chips with encryption stuff on it, so this may change
    how things encrypt and whether the answers I gave still apply or not. It's
    sketchy... but I hope that sheds *some* light on it ) We'll definately
    know when the public release comes out, as will a whole load of
    documentation comes with it.

    --
    Zack Whittaker
    » ZackNET Enterprises: www.zacknet.co.uk
    » MSBlog on ResDev: www.msblog.org
    » Vista Knowledge Base: www.vistabase.co.uk
    » This mailing is provided "as is" with no warranties, and confers no
    rights. All opinions expressed are those of myself unless stated so, and not
    of my employer, best friend, Ghandi, my mother or my cat. Glad we cleared
    that up!

    --: Original message follows :--
    "Dominik" <Dominik@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
    news:03D924D8-0385-4CA9-9030-9F7044AED726@microsoft.com...
    > When you change the bitlocker key, the drive does get re-encrypted?
    > Sector by sector. What happens if the computer re-boots/ loses power
    > during
    > this process. Are there TWO keys active at that point?




      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  3. #3


    Dominik Guest

    Re: BitLocker key change question

    Thanks.
    It probably keeps a sector pointer; any sector before it is encrypted the
    NEW FVE key and any sector after it will be ecrypted with the OLD FVE key.
    This pointer will be moved forward.

    Dominik

    "Zack Whittaker" wrote:

    > Not entirely 100% sure on this one, but I do hope to be of some help )
    >
    > When you change the key, the drive does become re-encrypted inline with the
    > new key. From what I imagine, if you try and understand that the way the
    > drive encrypts depends on the key you first type, so if you type in the same
    > key on another machine, in theory it could be encrypted the same way (I
    > think...)
    >
    > If the computer reboots, not necessarily in beta builds (so might apply to
    > the public release), the encryption will either kick off from where it left
    > off, or decrypt it and ask for the key again - whether it's the same key you
    > used before the encryption or whether it starts the whole process off again,
    > still not sure.



      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  4. #4


    Josh Guest

    Re: BitLocker key change question

    This isn't accurate.

    Dominik,

    the info you want is here.

    http://www.microsoft.com/technet/win...y/bittech.mspx

    They use two keys so that they don't have to decrypt/reencrypt the drive on
    a rekey.

    josh
    http://windowsconnected.com


    "Zack Whittaker" <admin@zacknet.co.uk> wrote in message
    news:OMz03x$ZGHA.5088@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
    > Not entirely 100% sure on this one, but I do hope to be of some help )
    >
    > When you change the key, the drive does become re-encrypted inline with
    > the new key. From what I imagine, if you try and understand that the way
    > the drive encrypts depends on the key you first type, so if you type in
    > the same key on another machine, in theory it could be encrypted the same
    > way (I think...)
    >
    > If the computer reboots, not necessarily in beta builds (so might apply to
    > the public release), the encryption will either kick off from where it
    > left off, or decrypt it and ask for the key again - whether it's the same
    > key you used before the encryption or whether it starts the whole process
    > off again, still not sure.
    >
    > I do think it'll vary on the software/hardware types of encryption
    > though - you can get hardware chips with encryption stuff on it, so this
    > may change how things encrypt and whether the answers I gave still apply
    > or not. It's sketchy... but I hope that sheds *some* light on it ) We'll
    > definately know when the public release comes out, as will a whole load of
    > documentation comes with it.
    >
    > --
    > Zack Whittaker
    > » ZackNET Enterprises: www.zacknet.co.uk
    > » MSBlog on ResDev: www.msblog.org
    > » Vista Knowledge Base: www.vistabase.co.uk
    > » This mailing is provided "as is" with no warranties, and confers no
    > rights. All opinions expressed are those of myself unless stated so, and
    > not
    > of my employer, best friend, Ghandi, my mother or my cat. Glad we cleared
    > that up!
    >
    > --: Original message follows :--
    > "Dominik" <Dominik@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
    > news:03D924D8-0385-4CA9-9030-9F7044AED726@microsoft.com...
    >> When you change the bitlocker key, the drive does get re-encrypted?
    >> Sector by sector. What happens if the computer re-boots/ loses power
    >> during
    >> this process. Are there TWO keys active at that point?

    >
    >




      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  5. #5


    Dominik Guest

    Re: BitLocker key change question

    Thank you very much! That good article describes it well.

    Dominik

    "Josh" wrote:

    > This isn't accurate.
    >
    > Dominik,
    >
    > the info you want is here.
    >
    > http://www.microsoft.com/technet/win...y/bittech.mspx
    >
    > They use two keys so that they don't have to decrypt/reencrypt the drive on
    > a rekey.
    >
    > josh
    > http://windowsconnected.com
    >
    >
    > "Zack Whittaker" <admin@zacknet.co.uk> wrote in message
    > news:OMz03x$ZGHA.5088@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
    > > Not entirely 100% sure on this one, but I do hope to be of some help )
    > >
    > > When you change the key, the drive does become re-encrypted inline with
    > > the new key. From what I imagine, if you try and understand that the way
    > > the drive encrypts depends on the key you first type, so if you type in
    > > the same key on another machine, in theory it could be encrypted the same
    > > way (I think...)
    > >
    > > If the computer reboots, not necessarily in beta builds (so might apply to
    > > the public release), the encryption will either kick off from where it
    > > left off, or decrypt it and ask for the key again - whether it's the same
    > > key you used before the encryption or whether it starts the whole process
    > > off again, still not sure.
    > >
    > > I do think it'll vary on the software/hardware types of encryption
    > > though - you can get hardware chips with encryption stuff on it, so this
    > > may change how things encrypt and whether the answers I gave still apply
    > > or not. It's sketchy... but I hope that sheds *some* light on it ) We'll
    > > definately know when the public release comes out, as will a whole load of
    > > documentation comes with it.
    > >
    > > --
    > > Zack Whittaker
    > > » ZackNET Enterprises: www.zacknet.co.uk
    > > » MSBlog on ResDev: www.msblog.org
    > > » Vista Knowledge Base: www.vistabase.co.uk
    > > » This mailing is provided "as is" with no warranties, and confers no
    > > rights. All opinions expressed are those of myself unless stated so, and
    > > not
    > > of my employer, best friend, Ghandi, my mother or my cat. Glad we cleared
    > > that up!
    > >
    > > --: Original message follows :--
    > > "Dominik" <Dominik@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
    > > news:03D924D8-0385-4CA9-9030-9F7044AED726@microsoft.com...
    > >> When you change the bitlocker key, the drive does get re-encrypted?
    > >> Sector by sector. What happens if the computer re-boots/ loses power
    > >> during
    > >> this process. Are there TWO keys active at that point?

    > >
    > >

    >
    >
    >


      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  6. #6


    Jamie Hunter [MS] Guest

    Re: BitLocker key change question

    Glad that article helped!
    -
    Jamie Hunter [MS]

    "Dominik" <Dominik@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
    news:9C1B34CA-C20D-4F5F-A993-CEF885BACD16@microsoft.com...
    > Thank you very much! That good article describes it well.
    >
    > Dominik
    >
    > "Josh" wrote:
    >
    >> This isn't accurate.
    >>
    >> Dominik,
    >>
    >> the info you want is here.
    >>
    >> http://www.microsoft.com/technet/win...y/bittech.mspx
    >>
    >> They use two keys so that they don't have to decrypt/reencrypt the drive
    >> on
    >> a rekey.
    >>
    >> josh
    >> http://windowsconnected.com
    >>
    >>
    >> "Zack Whittaker" <admin@zacknet.co.uk> wrote in message
    >> news:OMz03x$ZGHA.5088@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
    >> > Not entirely 100% sure on this one, but I do hope to be of some help
    >> > )
    >> >
    >> > When you change the key, the drive does become re-encrypted inline with
    >> > the new key. From what I imagine, if you try and understand that the
    >> > way
    >> > the drive encrypts depends on the key you first type, so if you type in
    >> > the same key on another machine, in theory it could be encrypted the
    >> > same
    >> > way (I think...)
    >> >
    >> > If the computer reboots, not necessarily in beta builds (so might apply
    >> > to
    >> > the public release), the encryption will either kick off from where it
    >> > left off, or decrypt it and ask for the key again - whether it's the
    >> > same
    >> > key you used before the encryption or whether it starts the whole
    >> > process
    >> > off again, still not sure.
    >> >
    >> > I do think it'll vary on the software/hardware types of encryption
    >> > though - you can get hardware chips with encryption stuff on it, so
    >> > this
    >> > may change how things encrypt and whether the answers I gave still
    >> > apply
    >> > or not. It's sketchy... but I hope that sheds *some* light on it )
    >> > We'll
    >> > definately know when the public release comes out, as will a whole load
    >> > of
    >> > documentation comes with it.
    >> >
    >> > --
    >> > Zack Whittaker
    >> > » ZackNET Enterprises: www.zacknet.co.uk
    >> > » MSBlog on ResDev: www.msblog.org
    >> > » Vista Knowledge Base: www.vistabase.co.uk
    >> > » This mailing is provided "as is" with no warranties, and confers no
    >> > rights. All opinions expressed are those of myself unless stated so,
    >> > and
    >> > not
    >> > of my employer, best friend, Ghandi, my mother or my cat. Glad we
    >> > cleared
    >> > that up!
    >> >
    >> > --: Original message follows :--
    >> > "Dominik" <Dominik@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
    >> > news:03D924D8-0385-4CA9-9030-9F7044AED726@microsoft.com...
    >> >> When you change the bitlocker key, the drive does get re-encrypted?
    >> >> Sector by sector. What happens if the computer re-boots/ loses power
    >> >> during
    >> >> this process. Are there TWO keys active at that point?
    >> >
    >> >

    >>
    >>
    >>



      My System SpecsSystem Spec

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