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FVE_E_EDRIVE_DRY_RUN_FAILED
Where the operation stops
The value 0x803100BC, named FVE_E_EDRIVE_DRY_RUN_FAILED, is returned when the preflight test for hardware-based encryption failed before BitLocker committed the drive to eDrive mode. It belongs to the hardware-encrypted drive negotiation part of BitLocker rather than to generic file I/O.
Note: Hardware encryption is not inferred from the SSD marketing name. When diagnosing this result, remember: Verify the encryption method reported by BitLocker and the drive capability returned through the storage and volume-encryption providers. Note: Hardware-encrypted drives add firmware, storage-driver and drive-security state below the normal BitLocker volume provider. When diagnosing it, remember: BitLocker can reject the hardware path before conversion starts, and policy may or may not permit a fallback to software encryption.
| Question | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Which object failed? | The exact volume GUID, protector GUID, certificate or API target supplied by the caller. |
| Which state matters? | dry-run diagnostics, drive model and firmware, storage driver, UEFI mode, policy, security protocol status and event logs. |
| What is the nearest false lead? | a later runtime failure after hardware encryption is already active. |
Build a minimal diagnostic record
- record dry-run diagnostics, drive model and firmware, storage driver, UEFI mode, policy, security protocol status and event logs. Keep the full HRESULT and the first method that returned it because later cleanup calls can report a different state.
- capture
manage-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 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
update supported firmware/drivers or select software encryption; verify final encryption method instead of assuming fallback occurred. Collect a fresh state snapshot and issue a single retry from the same management layer.
manage-bde -status
powershell -NoProfile -Command "Get-CimInstance -Namespace root/cimv2/security/MicrosoftVolumeEncryption -Class Win32_EncryptableVolume"
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 hardware-encrypted drive negotiation state. The decisive boundary is that the preflight test for hardware-based encryption failed before BitLocker committed the drive to eDrive mode. |
| At failure | Preserve dry-run diagnostics, drive model and firmware, storage driver, UEFI mode, policy, security protocol status and event logs. This proves whether this result came from BitLocker itself or from a wrapper translating another result. |
| After correction | Update supported firmware/drivers or select software encryption; verify final encryption method instead of assuming fallback occurred. 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.
Official documentation
Reference set for it:
- Microsoft: Configure BitLocker policy
- Microsoft: Encrypted hard drives
- Microsoft: GetHardwareEncryptionStatus method
- Microsoft: BitLocker operations guide
Looking for a different code? Search another status or error code.
