Why does Bitlocker engage every time I turn on the laptop

BitLocker may prompt for the recovery password at every startup due to several reasons. One common cause is that the system's Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is not configured correctly or is unable to validate the boot process. This can happen if there are changes to the BIOS settings, hardware configurations, or if the TPM itself has been reset or updated. Additionally, if the device is using TPM 1.2 with features like Device Guard or Credential Guard enabled, it may also lead to BitLocker prompting for the recovery password every time the device starts up.

To resolve this issue, you may need to check the TPM settings, ensure that Secure Boot is enabled, and verify that the BIOS settings haven't changed. If necessary, you can also remove the TPM protectors temporarily to regain access to the system without entering the recovery password each time.

References:

• BitLocker recovery: known issues
• How Windows uses the Trusted Platform Module

How are changes to the BIOS settings, hardware configurations, or if the TPM itself has been reset or updated

You can type cmd in the search on the taskbar, make sure you use "run as administrator" to launch Command Prompt, then run this command:

manage-bde -off C:

Let it run through. When it is done, the command prompt will return to the new row. Then you can run this command to verify status:

manage-bde -status

If you want to use bitlocker encryption again, you can then go to Windows settings to turn it back on. Then make sure the key is generated in your Microsoft account. See if it still asks every time.