The answer is requireTpm, as this policy setting mandates the presence of a Trusted Platform Module chip for BitLocker encryption to initiate. When a device lacks a TPM, the requireTpm requirement causes an immediate encryption failure because BitLocker cannot satisfy the hardware-based security prerequisite, effectively blocking the encryption process rather than falling back to a software-only mode. On the Microsoft 365 Endpoint Administrator MD-102 exam, this tests your understanding of how Intune BitLocker policies enforce hardware dependencies, often appearing as a trap where candidates overlook that requireTpm is a strict Boolean—if set to true, devices without TPM will simply not encrypt. A common memory tip is to think of requireTpm as “no TPM, no encryption,” contrasting with the allowTpm setting that permits encryption without the chip. Remember: requireTpm is the gatekeeper—if the hardware key is missing, the encryption door stays locked.
MD-102 Manage, maintain, and protect devices Practice Question
This MD-102 practice question tests your understanding of manage, maintain, and protect devices. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company applies the above BitLocker policy to Windows 10 devices via Intune. An administrator discovers that some devices are not encrypting. The administrator checks a device and finds that it has no TPM chip. Which setting in the policy will cause encryption to fail?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
requireTpm
The 'requireTpm' setting enforces that BitLocker will only start encryption if a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip is present on the device. If a device lacks a TPM, this policy setting causes the encryption process to fail outright, as BitLocker cannot meet the mandatory hardware requirement.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
requireTpm
Why this is correct
If requireTpm is true, devices without TPM will not encrypt.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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recoveryKeyRotation
Why it's wrong here
Recovery key rotation does not affect encryption initiation.
✗
encryptionMethod
Why it's wrong here
Encryption method is supported as long as the device supports AES 256.
✗
requireStartupPin
Why it's wrong here
Startup PIN is only relevant if TPM is present.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think 'requireStartupPin' is the direct cause of failure on a TPM-less device, but the policy's 'requireTpm' setting is evaluated first and will block encryption entirely before any PIN requirement is even considered.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
BitLocker uses the TPM to securely store the encryption key and validate system integrity during boot. The 'requireTpm' policy maps to the 'Require additional authentication at startup' group policy, which when set to 'Require TPM' (not allowing a startup key or PIN) will block encryption on TPM-less devices. In a real-world scenario, administrators can enable BitLocker on devices without TPM by using a startup key (USB) or by setting 'requireTpm' to 'false' and configuring 'requireStartupPin' or 'requireStartupKey' instead.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this MD-102 question in full detail.
Manage, maintain, and protect devices — This question tests Manage, maintain, and protect devices — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: requireTpm — The 'requireTpm' setting enforces that BitLocker will only start encryption if a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip is present on the device. If a device lacks a TPM, this policy setting causes the encryption process to fail outright, as BitLocker cannot meet the mandatory hardware requirement.
What should I do if I get this MD-102 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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