Cannot boot from external encrypted drive

[20100]

Hi

Bitlocker is turned on, so the backup disk is also encrypted.
If we boot from the backup disk on the same laptop, we have access to the recovery media menu. Great
if we boot from the backup disk on a different laptop, the boot fails with no messages
I would not expect to have access to a bitlocked disk on a different box by default, but I wonder if the recovery key should be asked to access it
I realise, it is not a Veeam issue, but perhaps someone can confirm if it should be working or not
For example, Veeam was installed and backups performed before BitLocker was turned on. Perhaps, we need to reformat the disk, re-install Veeam and re-initialise the disk once the formatted drive has been encrupted?!
Also, the installed version of Veeam might not support such operation, but the latest might?

Has anyone been able to restore on a different laptop, if the original laptop died, when the backup disk is encrypted?

Thanks in advance

[Mike Resseler]

Hi 20100,

Just to be sure. You boot the laptop on our recovery media and it fails? You cannot start a restore?

[Dima P.]

If your boot device is protected by BitLooker you can boot for it only on the original machine. The only way to check the device without typing password (which is impossible during boot) is to call TPM on the machine you are booting. Since this machine's TPM knows nothing about this boot device and it's BitLocker keys boot fails.

I'd rather protect USB storage with Bitlocker technology when it's used to store backups and do not encrypt Recover Media at all.

[20100]

Hi 20100,

Just to be sure. You boot the laptop on our recovery media and it fails? You cannot start a restore?

When booting from the external disk to another laptop, it does not recognise the disk as a bootable disk, so just skip it all together

[20100]

Not sure I understand. Bitlockers encrypts the whole disk. Are you saying there is a way to disable BL on the Recovery Media portion? Thanks.

[Mike Resseler]

Hey,

If you start the recovery media (https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/agent ... tml?ver=21) then you can unlock the bitlockered backup during restore. See here: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/agent ... tml?ver=21 (below, section Veeam Recovery Media)

Does that answer your scenario? (Or did I still misunderstood it...)

[Dima P.]

20100,

Can you please clarify how (on what type of media) Veeam Recovery Media is created? Does it share the same USB drive with your backup target (i.e. you USB device contains two partitions one for RE and another for backup files)? Thank you!