Installing BitLocker on Sony Vaio Duo 11

[jon__jon]

I purchased a Sony Vaio Duo 11 - hybrid laptop / tablet to eval Windows 8 pro for our business. The IT department require all laptops are encrypted. As windows 8 has Bitlocker built in, this would be the suitable choice.

But it does not appear to work with the Sony Vaio, so it looks like the laptop will need to be sent back to Sony. Unless someone can provide a method of doing it.

--------------------------------------------------

Firstly, i go to enable BitLocker and get the message "This device cant use a TPM".

So, after looking around a lot of forums including MS Windows ones. I enable "Require additional Authentication at startup" in the Group Policy for the OS Platform Drive. This setting says it will "allow BitLocker without a compatible TPM (Requires password or a startup key on a USB flash drive)". I then click on Enable and restart the laptop.

With USB key in , i 'turn on bitlocker' : Save to USB Flash Drive : Select "Encrypt entire Drive". Then select

"Run bitlocker system check" then restart.

Then i get the message once the Vaio restarts saying that "BitLocker could not be enabled" and "The BitLocker encryption key cannot be obtained - Verify that the USB drive is insterted and available". Which of course it is, but the Vaaio does not recognise this.

I have tried this many times now without success.

I even tried not doing the system check and then the Tool installs. But the Touchscreen stops working and it still does not recognise the USB drive and asks me to enter the full key each time i reboot.

Can this laptop be encrypted with BitLocker on Windows 8 Pro ? If not, then i will have to send back to Sony, as it is not fit for a corporate environment.

Message was edited by: jon__jon

[jon__jon · Accepted solution]

Fixed !!!

I went into the BIOS and enabled USB as a startup device.

I also amended the boot sequence to USB first, then hard disc (Although not sure if required i wont be changing now the hard disc is encrypted).

That was it.

Then went into the Group policy to ensure that it will allow Bitlocker without TPM. Clicked Apply. Then went into Bitlocker, it even ran the system check successfully, then encrypted my drive.

When the Vaio came back up (with USB inserted) everything just worked as expected.

regards

Jon.

(I am just a little surprised that no one on this forum or MS forum managed to come up with this simple solution to a problem that has been doing my head in for over a week.)

[Thalamus.]

Hi jon__jon,

welcome to Questions & Answers..:smileyhappy:

I'm glad to read that you have amanged to solve your problem & thanks for posting your solution hopefully it will help others with a similar issue..:smileythumbsup:

jon__jon wrote:
(I am just a little surprised that no one on this forum or MS forum managed to come up with this simple solution to a problem that has been doing my head in for over a week.)

We are all Sony product users like yourself & unfortunately last week a lot of the regular forum members who reply in the vaio section were busy with other life duties, sorry we were not on hand to assist..:smileysad: