BIOS Update Through Windows Update Fails on Computers with a Discrete Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

Dell BIOS Update Fails

Computers with integrated Unified Memory Architecture (UMA) video cards: Windows Update downloads, and install the Dell BIOS update without any issues.

Computers with discrete nonintegrated video cards: Windows Update downloads, the Dell BIOS update, then reboot, but the update fails. Windows Device Manager shows a yellow bang next to System Firmware.

This behavior happens on both Windows 10 and 11 with BitLocker enabled.

Most computers enable BitLocker during the Windows Out of Box Experience (OOBE). During this process Windows binds BitLocker Platform Configuration Registers (PCR) depending on installed hardware.

When a computer needs a BIOS update, BitLocker must be suspended to ensure that the update can be successfully applied, and the computer does not boot into Windows Recovery mode.

Dell tools like Dell Command Update and Dell Update contain integrated logic that automatically suspends BitLocker before applying the update.

Windows Update does not contain a similar integrated logic when certain PCR bindings are used.

Suspend BitLocker for BIOS Updates

Workaround:
The current workaround is to manually suspend BitLocker and then reboot the computer. Windows will then attempt the BIOS update on reboot.

Open a Command Prompt with Admin Rights (The Command Prompt: What It Is and How to Use It on a Dell System). Type the following command: Suspend-BitLocker -MountPoint "C:" -RebootCount 0
This command suspends BitLocker encryption on the BitLocker volume that is specified by the MountPoint parameter. Because the RebootCount parameter value is 0, BitLocker encryption remains suspended until you run the Resume-BitLocker cmdlet.

Once the BIOS update is successful. Type the following command: Resume-BitLocker -MountPoint "C:"

Resolution:
Microsoft is investigating the behavior and is working on a future solution that allows Windows to suspend BitLocker automatically when using all PCR bindings. (No current ETA.)

Additional Information:
Automatic Windows Device Encryption or BitLocker on Dell Computers

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