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FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE
Where the operation stops
The value 0x8031006C, named FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE, is returned when FIPS-restricted policy disallows the password/passphrase protector path requested for the volume. For FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE, it belongs to the FIPS-restricted key management part of BitLocker rather than to generic file I/O.
For FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE, note: FIPS mode does not translate into “turn encryption off.” It constrains algorithms and key-handling paths, so the correct remedy is to select a permitted protector and escrow design. For FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE, note: FIPS-restricted operation changes which protector, export and key-derivation paths BitLocker may use. When diagnosing FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE, remember: The volume encryption algorithm and the protector workflow are separate layers, so a FIPS-related HRESULT should be traced to the exact protector or key-management call.
| Question | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Which object failed? | For FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE, the exact volume GUID, protector GUID, certificate or API target supplied by the caller. |
| Which state matters? | FIPS state, drive type, effective password-protector policy, existing protectors and the exact add/change method. |
| What is the nearest false lead? | a password that is too long, too simple or typed incorrectly; those validations occur only when password protectors are allowed. |
Build a minimal diagnostic record
- For
FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE, record FIPS state, drive type, effective password-protector policy, existing protectors and the exact add/change method. ForFVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE, keep the full HRESULT and the first method that returned it because later cleanup calls can report a different state. - For
FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE, capturemanage-bde -statusand the protector inventory for the exact volume GUID, not only the drive letter, because letters can change in WinRE, clusters and deployment environments. - Export BitLocker operational events for the
FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASEfailure and note the boot session, caller identity and management source; that evidence separates this BitLocker condition from a generic access or storage error.
Change only the failed prerequisite
select a compliant recovery or certificate-based design instead of weakening validation or storing an unapproved passphrase. For FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE, collect a fresh state snapshot and issue a single retry from the same management layer.
manage-bde -protectors -get C:\ngpresult /h bitlocker-policy.html
Do not delete all key protectors, clear a TPM, reformat a partition or decrypt the volume as a generic response to FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE; those actions affect different trust layers and can destroy the easiest recovery route.
State checks specific to FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE
| Checkpoint | How to interpret it for FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE |
|---|---|
| Before the call | Record the target identity and the pre-call FIPS-restricted key management state. For FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE, the decisive boundary is that FIPS-restricted policy disallows the password/passphrase protector path requested for the volume. |
| At failure | Preserve FIPS state, drive type, effective password-protector policy, existing protectors and the exact add/change method. This proves whether FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE came from BitLocker itself or from a wrapper translating another result. |
| After correction | Select a compliant recovery or certificate-based design instead of weakening validation or storing an unapproved passphrase. The FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE request should then advance without removing an unrelated recovery route. |
| After reboot or remount | Recheck protection, conversion and lock state for FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE; a successful management call is incomplete if the next boot cannot unlock the volume. |
Verification after the change
For FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE, success means more than the absence of a dialog. Confirm that the condition represented by FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE now matches the intended design, that the protector inventory has not lost an independent recovery route, and that the next reboot or remount can unlock the volume. If the FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE request advances to another HRESULT, record both values in order because that transition reveals the next unmet prerequisite.
Official documentation
Reference set for FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_PASSPHRASE:
- Microsoft: COM error codes for FVE
- Microsoft: BitLocker recovery password and FIPS mode
- Microsoft: Configure BitLocker policy
- Microsoft: BitLocker recovery overview
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