HRESULT 0x803100A8 (FVE_E_NO_EXISTING

Status / error code:

Category:

Constant name:

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Facility:

Operating System:

Description:

This drive isn't protected with a password.

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FVE_E_KEY_LENGTH_NOT_SUPPORTED_BY_EDRIVE	FVE_E_PROTECTOR_CHANGE_PASSPHRASE_MISMATCH

FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE

The failed prerequisite

FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE / 0x803100A8 marks a rejected BitLocker transition: a password change was requested but the volume has no password-based key protector.

For FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE, note: A change operation authenticates the old protector and creates replacement wrapping data. When diagnosing FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE, remember: An administrator reset follows a different trust path, which is why change and reset errors must not be merged.

Diagnostic map

Layer	key-protector lifecycle
Proof to collect	protector inventory, target volume type, requested change/reset method and whether recovery or certificate protectors exist
Different condition	an incorrect current password; there is no applicable protector to authenticate
First safe change	select the correct password protector or add one only if policy and volume type permit it

For FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE, note: A BitLocker key protector wraps access to the volume master key. When diagnosing FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE, remember: TPM, TPM+PIN, startup key, recovery password, password, certificate and Network Unlock protectors have different volume and policy rules; changing one is not the same as decrypting the volume.

A focused verification sequence

For FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE, record protector inventory, target volume type, requested change/reset method and whether recovery or certificate protectors exist. For FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE, keep the full HRESULT and the first method that returned it because later cleanup calls can report a different state.
For FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE, capture manage-bde -status and 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_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE failure and note the boot session, caller identity and management source; that evidence separates this BitLocker condition from a generic access or storage error.

Recommended operational response

For FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE, select the correct password protector or add one only if policy and volume type permit it.
After correcting the FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE prerequisite, refresh protection, conversion and lock state before one controlled retry; a cached UI message is not proof that the FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE condition is still active.
Before a FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE remediation deletes protectors, changes firmware mode, resizes partitions or decrypts a production drive, verify that an independent recovery method is available and escrowed in the intended directory or account.

manage-bde -protectors -get C:\npowershell -NoProfile -Command "Get-BitLockerVolume C: | Format-List KeyProtector,ProtectionStatus,VolumeStatus"

Interpretation checkpoint

FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE identifies a condition but not every owner of the surrounding state. Preserve the original caller, volume GUID and event sequence so the correction is applied at the right layer.

State checks specific to FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE

Checkpoint	How to interpret it for FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE
Before the call	Record the target identity and the pre-call key-protector lifecycle state. For FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE, the decisive boundary is that a password change was requested but the volume has no password-based key protector.
At failure	Preserve protector inventory, target volume type, requested change/reset method and whether recovery or certificate protectors exist. This proves whether FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE came from BitLocker itself or from a wrapper translating another result.
After correction	Select the correct password protector or add one only if policy and volume type permit it. The FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE request should then advance without removing an unrelated recovery route.
After reboot or remount	Recheck protection, conversion and lock state for FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE; a successful management call is incomplete if the next boot cannot unlock the volume.

Verification after the change

For FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE, success means more than the absence of a dialog. Confirm that the condition represented by FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_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_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE request advances to another HRESULT, record both values in order because that transition reveals the next unmet prerequisite.

Official references

Reference set for FVE_E_NO_EXISTING_PASSPHRASE:

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