Full Disk Encryption (FDE) installation hangs at the FDe Loading Screen after reboot.
On newer PCs with the Intel Series 6 chipset, FDE may fail to load when the BIOS setting for SATA Operations is set to a value other than AHCI. This problem will manifest after the installation as the unit may hang at the FDE Loading screen. The version of Linux used in the current version of FDE may have an issue in loading when SATA Operation is not set to AHCI.
To confirm the issue, access the BIOS and change SATA operations to AHCI. This will allow FDE to boot. If Windows boots normally, the machine will encrypt and should be fully operational.
If the Windows fails to load, do the following:
- Access the recovery console and select the Restore Boot option.
- Restart the PC.
- Access the BIOS and reset the SATA operations to the original value.
- Boot into Windows and run the Armoruninstall.exe.
To properly install FDE given this constraint, the BIOS setting will need to be set to AHCI and Windows will need to be reinstalled.
From a development perspective, the fix requires an update of the FDE Linux kernel. We have an early test build in QA that loads FDE with all values for SATA Operation. This release has an updated Linux kernel, combined management of hardware (SED) and software encryption (FDE), and establishes the required foundation for internationalizing and rebranding the product for a wider market base.
