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    - Admin Tips
      - Security
        Replacing the motherboard on a Vista computer that has BitLocker enabled.

Section(s): Troubleshooting, Security
Published on Jun 24, 2008.
Last Modified on Jun 24, 2008.
Last Modified by Mitch Tulloch.
Rated 4 out of 5 based on 1 votes.

How to replace the motherboard on a Vista computer that has BitLocker enabled without losing access to your operating system and data.

Say you have a laptop running Vista that has BitLocker enabled, and your motherboard needs to be replaced. What should you do to avoid getting locked out from your OS and data on your hard drive?

You have three choices:

Disable BitLocker (but don’t decrypt your drive), replace your motherboard, and then re-enable BitLocker.
Decrypt your hard drive, replace your motherboard, and then re-encrypt your hard drive again using BitLocker
Make sure you have your recovery password first. Then replace your motherboard and use the Recovery Console to unlock your drive. Finally, create new BitLocker new keys for the new TPM chip on your system.

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Mitch Tulloch was lead author for the Windows Vista Resource Kit from Microsoft Press, which is the book for IT pros who want to deploy, maintain and support Windows Vista in mid- and large-sized network environments. Mitch was also the author of Introducing Windows Server 2008 and technical project lead for the Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Resource Kit, both books also from Microsoft Press. For more information on these and other books by Mitch, see www.mtit.com.

About Mitch Tulloch

Mitch Tulloch is a widely recognized expert on Windows administration, networking, and security. He has been repeatedly awarded Most Valuable Professional (MVP) status by Microsoft for his outstanding contributions in supporting users who deploy and use Microsoft platforms, products and solutions. Mitch has published over two hundred articles on different IT websites and magazines, and he has written or contributed to almost two dozen books and is lead author for the Windows 7 Resource Kit from Microsoft Press. For more information, see www.mtit.com .