Share via

Clear the TPM

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

Clearing the TPM resets the TPM to an unowned state. After clearing the TPM, you need to complete the TPM initialization process before using software that relies on the TPM, such as Windows BitLocker™ Drive Encryption.

Important

Clearing the TPM could result in the loss of data. To avoid data loss, make sure you have a backup or recovery method for any data protected or encrypted by the TPM.

After the TPM is cleared, it is also turned off.

To temporarily suspend TPM operations, turn the TPM off instead of clearing it. For more information, see Turning the TPM on or off.

Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure.

To clear the TPM

  1. Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, and then click Run.

  2. Type tpm.msc in the Open box, and then click Enter.

  3. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.

  4. The TPM Management console is displayed.

  5. Under Actions, click Clear TPM. If the TPM is off, follow the procedure in Step 1: Initialize the TPM to reinitialize it before clearing it.

Warning

Clearing the TPM resets it to factory defaults and turns it off. You will lose all created keys and data protected by those keys.

  1. From the Clear the TPM Security Hardware dialog box, select a method for entering your password and clearing the TPM:

    • If you have the removable media onto which you saved your TPM owner password, insert it and click I have a backup file with the TPM owner password. From the Select backup file with the TPM owner password dialog box, use Browse to point to the .tpm file saved on your removable media. Click Open, and then click Clear TPM.

    • If you do not have the removable media onto which you saved your password, click I want to type the TPM owner password. From the Type your TPM owner password dialog box, enter your password (including dashes) and click Clear TPM.

    • If you do not know your TPM owner password, click I don't have the TPM owner password, and follow the instructions provided to clear the TPM without entering the password.

Note

You can clear the TPM and perform a limited number of management tasks without entering the TPM owner password by just being present at the computer. 

The status of your TPM is displayed under **Status** on the TPM Management console.