I recently encrypted my NVMe SSD with BitLocker, but after the encryption, I ran into trouble. Now, I can't save any files or open them at all. I attempted to format the SSD, but I keep encountering errors. Even trying to format it through the BIOS didn't work, as it throws an error when I try to allocate it as a new disk. My experiments with diskpart led to an error message about a non-existent device, and I have the BitLocker password handy. I also gave the Windows installation screen a shot, but it's still the same non-existent device error. I haven't tried using another PC yet.
2 Answers
It sounds like you're having a tough time with that SSD! At this stage, I’d recommend using a live session of something like GParted or any Linux distro like Ubuntu from a USB. Linux can often handle drives better than Windows. Sometimes, when a drive seems unresponsive in Windows, you can just wipe the partitions and create new ones using Linux tools. Be careful though, if you format a partition on Linux in NTFS or exFAT, Windows might not recognize it properly later. Best approach is to delete all partitions in Linux, then boot back into Windows to partition and format it anew.
Absolutely! That's what live USB means. You can run the entire OS directly from the USB drive. The first link I sent is made for that purpose, and with Ubuntu, just select the option to 'try out Ubuntu' when you boot from the USB.
Good luck with your SSD! I tried going the Windows route, but it seemed like I kept hitting the same bumps like you. I went to a friend's house to give it another shot, and after some waiting, it finally started working. Fingers crossed for you too!
Can I run Linux from a USB without installing it on my main drive?