Fix TPMAPI_E_ENCRYPTION_FAILED (0X80290110) Fast

1. Corrupted TPM Firmware or State (Most Common)

This error pops up most often after a Windows update, a sudden power loss, or when you try to enable BitLocker and the TPM just says "nope." I've seen it on Dell OptiPlex 7080s and HP EliteBooks running Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11 23H2.

The real fix here: clear the TPM and let Windows reprovision it. Don't worry, you won't lose your data. But you will need to re-enable BitLocker if it was on. Plan for that.

1. Press Windows Key + R, type tpm.msc, hit Enter. This opens the TPM Management console. You should see "The TPM is ready for use" if it's working. If you see an error here, that confirms the problem.
2. If the TPM management console shows "Compatible TPM cannot be found" or similar, skip to the driver fix below. Otherwise, proceed.
3. Close that window. Now press Windows Key + I to open Settings.
4. Go to Update & Security > Recovery (Windows 10) or System > Recovery (Windows 11).
5. Under Advanced startup, click Restart now. Your machine will reboot into a blue screen with options.
6. On that blue screen, click Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings > Restart. This boots you into BIOS/UEFI.
7. In BIOS, look for a setting called TPM, Security Chip, or AMD fTPM (on Ryzen systems). It's usually under Security tab.
8. Select the option to Clear or Reset the TPM. On HP systems it's often "Reset to factory defaults." On Dells, it's "Clear TPM." On Lenovo, "Clear Security Chip." Each vendor labels it slightly differently.
9. Confirm the clear. The machine will reboot. Watch the screen carefully — you'll likely get a prompt saying something like "TPM will be cleared. Press F1 to confirm, F2 to cancel." This is easy to miss. If you don't press the key, the clear doesn't happen.
10. Once the clear completes, boot back into Windows. Open tpm.msc again. You should see "The TPM is ready for use."
11. If you still see the error, run this in an elevated Command Prompt: tpmtool.exe reset. Let it run, then reboot.

After this, the TPM will be fresh. If you had BitLocker on, it'll ask for the recovery key. Have that ready. If you don't have it, don't clear the TPM — you'll lose access to the drive.

2. Outdated or Corrupt TPM Drivers

The second most common cause: Windows Update or a driver installer messed up the TPM driver. I've seen this happen after a Windows feature update (like going from 22H2 to 23H2) or after a chipset driver update from the motherboard manufacturer.

1. Open Device Manager. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Security devices. You should see Trusted Platform Module 2.0 listed. If it has a yellow exclamation mark, that's your problem.
3. Right-click Trusted Platform Module 2.0 and select Update driver.
4. Click Browse my computer for drivers.
5. Click Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
6. If you see multiple drivers, pick the one from Microsoft (it'll say "Microsoft" in the provider column). Avoid third-party drivers here unless you know they're from the system manufacturer.
7. Click Next, let it install, then reboot.

If that doesn't work, try uninstalling the driver entirely:

1. Back in Device Manager, right-click Trusted Platform Module 2.0 and select Uninstall device.
2. Check the box that says Delete the driver software for this device if it shows up (sometimes it doesn't).
3. Click Uninstall.
4. Reboot the machine. Windows will auto-detect and reinstall the driver on boot.

I've seen this fix work on Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbons running Windows 11 where the TPM error appeared after a BIOS update. The BIOS update changed the TPM firmware version, and the old driver couldn't talk to it. Reinstalling the driver forced Windows to fetch the right one.

3. BIOS/UEFI Settings for TPM Are Wrong

Sometimes the TPM gets disabled in BIOS, or the settings get reset to defaults. This happens more than people think — especially after a BIOS update or a CMOS battery swap.

1. Reboot your PC and enter BIOS/UEFI (usually F2, F10, Del, or Esc depending on the brand).
2. Find the Security or Advanced menu.
3. Look for TPM State or Security Chip. Make sure it's set to Enabled.
4. Also check TPM Device or TPM Availability — it should be Available or Enabled.
5. On some systems (like ASUS or MSI), there's a setting called TPM Device Select. Set it to Firmware TPM (for AMD) or Intel PTT (for Intel). Do NOT set it to "Discrete TPM" unless you actually have a physical TPM chip plugged in.
6. Save and exit. Boot into Windows.
7. Open tpm.msc. If it still shows an error, go back to BIOS and try Disabling the TPM, saving, rebooting into Windows once, then going back into BIOS to Re-enable it. This forces a full re-initialization.

On some older Dell Precision workstations (like the T3600), the TPM setting is buried under System Configuration > Miscellaneous Devices > TPM Security. It's one of those "who would think to look there" spots.

Quick-Reference Summary Table

One last thing: if none of these work, you might have a failing TPM hardware chip. On desktops, you can often replace the TPM module (they're usually a small daughterboard). On laptops, you're stuck — you'll need to replace the motherboard. But 9 times out of 10, the fixes above will get you sorted.