What does HRESULT 0x80310036 (FVE_E_FIPS_RNG_CHECK_FAILED) mean?

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The random number generator check test failed.

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FVE_E_INVALID_PASSWORD_FORMAT	FVE_E_FIPS_PREVENTS_RECOVERY_PASSWORD

FVE_E_FIPS_RNG_CHECK_FAILED

Where the operation stops

The value 0x80310036, named FVE_E_FIPS_RNG_CHECK_FAILED, is returned when the cryptographic random-number generator failed the self-check required by the active FIPS-restricted path. It belongs to the FIPS-restricted key management part of BitLocker rather than to generic file I/O.

Note: The same volume can remain strongly encrypted while a recovery-password, passphrase or export operation is rejected. When diagnosing this result, remember: Report the protector operation, not simply “BitLocker failed.” for it, note: FIPS-restricted operation changes which protector, export and key-derivation paths BitLocker may use. When diagnosing it, 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?	The exact volume GUID, protector GUID, certificate or API target supplied by the caller.
Which state matters?	FIPS policy state, boot session, cryptographic provider events, system health, exact protector operation and whether the failure repeats after a clean boot.
What is the nearest false lead?	a policy prohibition on a protector type; this code says the approved RNG path itself did not pass its validation.

Build a minimal diagnostic record

record FIPS policy state, boot session, cryptographic provider events, system health, exact protector operation and whether the failure repeats after a clean boot. Keep the full HRESULT and the first method that returned it because later cleanup calls can report a different state.
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 result failure 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

treat this as a platform cryptography failure, collect CNG and BitLocker events, and avoid creating replacement protectors until the RNG health issue is understood. 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 this result; those actions affect different trust layers and can destroy the easiest recovery route.

State checks specific to the result

Checkpoint	How to interpret it for it
Before the call	Record the target identity and the pre-call FIPS-restricted key management state. The decisive boundary is that the cryptographic random-number generator failed the self-check required by the active FIPS-restricted path.
At failure	Preserve FIPS policy state, boot session, cryptographic provider events, system health, exact protector operation and whether the failure repeats after a clean boot. This proves whether this result came from BitLocker itself or from a wrapper translating another result.
After correction	Treat this as a platform cryptography failure, collect CNG and BitLocker events, and avoid creating replacement protectors until the RNG health issue is understood. The request should then advance without removing an unrelated recovery route.
After reboot or remount	Recheck protection, conversion and lock state for it; a successful management call is incomplete if the next boot cannot unlock the volume.

Verification after the change

Success means more than the absence of a dialog. Confirm that the condition represented by this result 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 request advances to another HRESULT, record both values in order because that transition reveals the next unmet prerequisite.

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