[Bug] System Encryption Pretest fails with "Invalid parameter" / Elevator::ReadWriteFile:415 on Windows 11 25H2 (Dell Precision PW716260)

[HappyMan4]

When attempting to set up System Encryption on the primary NVMe storage drive, the VeraCrypt Volume Creation Wizard proceeds normally until the pretest (test boot process). At this point, the wizard fails persistently with these two sequential error popups:
This might be a bug related to this specific model of mobile workstation, Dell Pro Precision 7 16 PW716260.

1. First error message: "Invalid parameter. Source: VeraCrypt::Elevator::ReadWriteFile:415"
2. Second error message: "Cannot initiate the system encryption pretest."

Expected behavior

The pretest should successfully write the required boot loader parameters / volume headers to the physical drive.

Actual behavior

Elevator::ReadWriteFile fails at line 415, likely due to strict volume lock requirements, missing I/O share flags, or handle creation parameters required by the Windows 11 25H2 stornvme.sys driver stack when opening physical disk handles.

Diagnostic & isolation results

1. Sector Alignment: Verified native 512-byte logical sector size on both system partition C: and ESP via fsutil fsinfo sectorinfo
2. VBS/HVCI: Hypervisor launch explicitly turned off (bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off), VBS disabled in registry & local group policy, confirmed as "Not active" in msinfo32
3. BitLocker: Fully disabled via autounattend.xml (windows iso install media) and confirmed unencrypted via manage-bde -status
4. ESP Partition Status: 350 MB FAT32 EFI System Partition, healthy, correct GPT Type GUID (c12a7328-f81f-11d2-ba4b-00a0c93ec93b), plenty of free space
5. Manual ESP file injection: Manually created \EFI\VeraCrypt\ on the ESP and copied DcsBoot.efi, DcsProp, and DcsBcd.efi from the rescue disk. The error at Elevator::ReadWriteFile:415 still occurs identically. This confirms that the failure is not related to writing files onto the FAT32 filesystem of the ESP, but rather happens during direct raw sector write / volume header initialization on \.\PhysicalDrive0
6. Hardware locks: Disabled Secure Boot, Dell Firmware Protection, Microsoft Pluton Processor and SED Block SID Authentication in UEFI

Steps to reproduce

1. Run system volume creation wizard / encrypt system drive
2. Complete wizard to the end where pretest boot is asked
3. Errors will be displayed

Screenshots

Your Environment

• VeraCrypt Version: 1.26.29 (tested both .exe and .msi installers)
• OS: Windows 11 25H2 (v2 ISO build from Microsoft, clean install)
• Hardware: Dell Pro Precision 7 16 (PW716260)
• Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD (Physical Logical Sector Size: 512 bytes confirmed via fsutil fsinfo sectorinfo)
• Storage Controller Mode: Native AHCI/NVMe (Intel VMD/RAID explicitly disabled in UEFI)
• Firmware: UEFI mode, TPM 2.0 active, Secure Boot disabled for testing, Microsoft Pluton Security Processor disabled, SED Block SID Authentication disabled