Control use of BitLocker on removable drives
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 12, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\BitLocker Drive Encryption\Removable Data Drives Description
This policy setting controls the use of BitLocker on removable data drives. This policy setting is applied when you turn on BitLocker. When this policy setting is enabled you can select property settings that control how users can configure BitLocker. Choose "Allow users to apply BitLocker protection on removable data drives" to permit the user to run the BitLocker setup wizard on a removable data drive. Choose "Allow users to suspend and decrypt BitLocker on removable data drives" to permit the user to remove BitLocker Drive encryption from the drive or suspend the encryption while maintenance is performed. Consult the BitLocker Drive Encryption Deployment Guide on Microsoft TechNet for more information on suspending BitLocker protection. If you do not configure this policy setting, users can use BitLocker on removable disk drives. If you disable this policy setting, users cannot use BitLocker on removable disk drives.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\FVE Value name: RDVConfigureBDE
Enabled: RDVConfigureBDE = 1
Disabled: RDVConfigureBDE = 0
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Control use of BitLocker on removable drives
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\FVE]
"RDVConfigureBDE"=dword:00000001
"RDVAllowBDE"=dword:00000001
"RDVDisableBDE"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Control use of BitLocker on removable drives
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\FVE'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'RDVConfigureBDE' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'RDVAllowBDE' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'RDVDisableBDE' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
No direct Policy CSP / OMA-URI mapping for this policy. Use the Intune Remediation tab, or ingest the ADMX in Intune.Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Control use of BitLocker on removable drives
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\FVE' -Name 'RDVConfigureBDE' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\FVE' -Name 'RDVAllowBDE' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\FVE' -Name 'RDVDisableBDE' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Control use of BitLocker on removable drives
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\FVE'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'RDVConfigureBDE' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'RDVAllowBDE' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'RDVDisableBDE' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Control use of BitLocker on removable drives
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Control use of BitLocker on removable drives
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\FVE' -Name 'RDVConfigureBDE' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\FVE' -Name 'RDVAllowBDE' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\FVE' -Name 'RDVDisableBDE' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Control use of BitLocker on removable drives
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\FVE'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'RDVConfigureBDE' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'RDVAllowBDE' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'RDVDisableBDE' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.