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FVE_E_KEY_REQUIRED
FVE_E_KEY_REQUIRED means that the operation would leave the encrypted volume without a required BitLocker key protector. BitLocker prevents removing the last usable protector in this situation.
How to investigate for FVE_E_KEY_REQUIRED
- List the volume protectors and identify which one the request attempted to remove.
- Add and verify an approved replacement protector before removing an obsolete one.
- Back up recovery information before any protector change and retain it outside the encrypted volume.
Diagnostic interpretation of FVE_E_KEY_REQUIRED
FVE_E_KEY_REQUIRED has the HRESULT value 0x8031001D. AllStat records the condition as “One or more BitLocker key protectors are required. You cannot delete the last key on this drive.”. For FVE_E_KEY_REQUIRED, in practice, interpret that wording at the boundary owned by the Windows component or COM interface that returned the HRESULT, rather than treating the value as a generic Windows message.
Evidence to capture for FVE_E_KEY_REQUIRED
- Record the exact COM method or Windows API, its input object, the calling thread, and the full 0x8031001D value before a wrapper converts it to an exception or Boolean result.
- Capture any IErrorInfo text, activity identifier, event-log entry, and subsystem trace that mentions FVE_E_KEY_REQUIRED or the fve / key / required operation.
- Preserve the first failure in the call chain; a later HRESULT can describe cleanup rather than the original fve / key / required condition.
Retry and recovery for FVE_E_KEY_REQUIRED
Retry FVE_E_KEY_REQUIRED only when the owning API documents a transient state or after the condition described as “One or more BitLocker key protectors are required. You cannot delete the last key on this drive.” has changed. For FVE_E_KEY_REQUIRED, configuration, policy, format, and authorization failures normally require correction first; an immediate loop can hide the original call site and add secondary errors.
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