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I have mirror RAID based on Intel Rapid Storage Technology. I want to use BitLocker on RAIDed, non-system partition.

The general BitLocker rule is "Hardware RAIDs are supported, software RAIDs are not supported".

There are contrary statements:

  • Intel RST is a hardware RAID
  • Intel RST is a software RAID. Because:
    • almost everyone considers so.
    • "the RAID calculations are done on the CPU."
    • I migrated my RAID cluster from other PC and (as I could remember) it was detected without any configuration. That's not a typical scenario for HW raid.

Question: Could we use BitLocker on Intel Rapid Storage Technology?

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4 Answers 4

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The "general rule" is a bit different. Bitlocker supports all RAID system, BUT: it does not support dynamic disks. If you use windows' own software Raid, which relies on dynamic disks, you cannot use Bitlocker. If you use the more modern method "storage spaces", which does not use dynamic disks, Bitlocker is supported. On any other (non-OS) RAID like yours, Bitlocker IS supported :-)

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I did this for years so that Linux could read-only mount my large bitlocker Intel RST raid.

This week after a Windows 10 update to [Version 10.0.19044.1889], Windows suggested I format it, as it has lost the ability to recognize the bitlocker on Intel RST. Could still see the disk fine in disk management but didn't understand the format and wanted to 'fix it'. Now it sees only:

C:\WINDOWS\system32>manage-bde -status
BitLocker Drive Encryption: Configuration Tool version 10.0.19041
Copyright (C) 2013 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

ERROR: There are no disk volumes that can be protected with BitLocker Drive Encryption.

Disk properties raid device name is "Intel Raid 5 Volume"

Luckily Linux still sees it fine and can read my files. So, my answer is unsupported, may work, may break without warning.

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  • Which update exactly? It unlikely was a cumulative update that broke this functionality? This answer really could use additional details.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Nov 13, 2022 at 16:44
  • @Ramhound, machine finally came back up, still exhibits behaviour, updated answer with Win10 version.
    – rsaxvc
    Commented Nov 14, 2022 at 4:43
  • There are some pretty serious compatibility issues dealing with Windows 10 22H2 you should avoid it. That is probably the reason Windows wanted to format the drive.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Nov 14, 2022 at 6:36
  • What I'm seeing doesn't seem to match the widely reported bitlocker on 22H2 issues. But it seems something may have updated my Intel driver's unexpectedly past support for my chipset. This might explain it, but doesn't explain how it can still see the raid at all.
    – rsaxvc
    Commented Nov 14, 2022 at 20:24
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YES.

BitLocker is supported on Intel RST RAID controller / VROC (Intel Virtual RAID on CPU)

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intel RST, or VROC now, is considered hybrid raid. that's because even though the raid calculations are done by the CPU (for parity) there are physical controllers present on the CPU, called VMD's (volume management device) that control the array. that said, as far as your OS is concerned, VROC is hardware raid. my VROC server is at the doctor at the moment, otherwise i'd verify it for you quick, but i am quite sure you can use bitlocker on VROC.

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