# How I Fixed Windows Installation - BitLocker, a Write-Protected USB, and the IRST Rabbit Hole

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/tech-stories-tech-brief-by-hackernoon-6365648/how-i-fixed-windows-installation-bitlocker-a-write-protected-usb-and-the-irst-rabbit-hole
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/tech-stories-tech-brief-by-hackernoon-6365648/how-i-fixed-windows-installation-bitlocker-a-write-protected-usb-and-the-irst-rabbit-hole.md
Podcast: [Tech Stories Tech Brief By HackerNoon](https://stenobird.com/podcast/tech-stories-tech-brief-by-hackernoon-6365648)
Published: 2026-04-30T16:00:54+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/7a30724b
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/7a30724b/2e1bd868.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/tech-stories-tech-brief-by-hackernoon-6365648/episodes/how-i-fixed-windows-installation-bitlocker-a-write-protected-usb-and-the-irst-rabbit-hole
Duration seconds: 784

## Resource

This story was originally published on HackerNoon at: https://hackernoon.com/how-i-fixed-windows-installation-bitlocker-a-write-protected-usb-and-the-irst-rabbit-hole . A friend's HP laptop was stuck behind BitLocker with no recovery key. Here's how I fixed the write-protected USB, missing SSD, and the 15% install freeze. Check more stories related to tech-stories at: https://hackernoon.com/c/tech-stories . You can also check exclusive content about #windows , #bitlocker , #operating-systems , #security , #cybersecurity-tips , #15percent-install-freeze , #windows-install-freeze , #troubleshooting-windows , and more. This story was written by: @vidyasagarmsc . Learn more about this writer by checking @vidyasagarmsc's about page, and for more stories, please visit hackernoon.com . Friend's HP laptop locked behind BitLocker — no recovery key, no choice but to reinstall Windows. Three things broke in sequence: USB write-protected — FAT32 format was the culprit. Fixed with diskpart clean and reformatting as exFAT. SSD invisible to the installer — HP's 11th-gen Intel processor needs IRST drivers the Media Creation Tool doesn't ship with. Downloaded from HP Support, extracted the F6 folder, loaded iaStorVD.inf during setup. Install froze at 15% — FAT32's 4 GB file size limit chokes on install.wim. Reformatted the USB as exFAT, reran MCT, repeated the IRST steps. Done. The fix that solves all three upfront: always format your USB as exFAT before running Media Creation Tool, and keep the IRST F6 folder on the same drive.

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