Parallels 14 don't see bootcamp Windows 10 partition encrypted by BitLocker

B

BelikovS

Bit poster
Hi!

I have 2018 MacBook Pro 15 (with T2 chip) and installed Windows 10 (with latest updates) using Bootcamp. Then, inside windows enabled BitLocker encryption without TPM (it asks password each time it is started) and waited while the disk is encrypted. I can load into windows perfectly fine and can see the partition in disk utility.
Then I installed Parallels 14 demo in my Mac OS and tried to use this Bootcamp partition, but it does not show such option and wizard and also does not show bootcamp partition when I create new VM without source and try to set hard drive.
Tried to disable and enable SIP as suggested for v13 but this did not help.
Is this scenario supported? Or I can't use Bitlocker-encrypted bootcamp partition with Parallels?
Maybe it is not available in demo mode and I should by Parallels Pro?
 
Hi Bitlocker tends to hinder a boot camp partition from mounting on to the macOS. Parallels Desktop cannot detect any such unmounted partitions.
 
I found that this is impossible and since it is critical to me (and more important than performance) I go VM route and using Parallels VM encryption. It works ok.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I also use Bitlocker in BootCamp Windows. In order to get it working i do the following. Right after Windows completes installation i enable Bitlocker inside the BootCamp mode. First time when Bitlocker is enabled Windows creates additional partition for that. Then i wait for encryption to end. After that i disable Bitlocker, wait for decryption to end and reboot to MacOS. Then i add BootCamp partition to Parallels Desktop. After that Bitlocker can be enabled again.
 
Here's an easy way to do it (combined with my instructions from Stack Overflow):
Make sure that you can boot Bootcamp natively with Bitlocker by copying the EFI binaries to the Mac's EFI partition:
  1. Boot into your Windows partition, then log in, and open up an administrative command prompt.
  2. Mount the UEFI partition to a drive letter: mountvol b: /s
  3. Copy the Microsoft EFI binaries to the UEFI partition: bcdboot c:\windows /s b: /f UEFI
  4. Unmount the UEFI partition: mountvol b: /d
Configure BitLocker to work without a TPM:
  1. Start => run => gpedit.msc
  2. Open the Local Computer Policy node
  3. Navigate to Computer Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Windows Components \ Bit Locker Drive Encryption \ Operating System Drives
  4. Double click on Require additional authentication at startup
  5. Enable the feature and check the box next to Allow BitLocker without a compatible TPM, click Apply and Ok, and close out of Local Group Policy Editor.
Next, go back to MacOS, fire up Parallels and create the VM from the Bootcamp partition.
Once you've done that, enable Bitlocker from within the VM in Parallels, set it to start with a password.

Voila! You'll now be able to unlock Bitlocker with a password either from Parallels, or booting natively with Bootcamp.
I'm going to try using Parallels Business to add a TPM and Secure Boot to see if it can auto-unlock Bitlocker without messing up the native boot unlock flow.
 
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