Bitlocker code

Question

New PC has blue screen asking me to enter Bitlocker key but won’t accept letters only accepts numbers.

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Moved from: Microsoft 365 and Office | Other

Answer 1

Hello,

Bitlocker is a 48-digit number -only code.

Have you looked into the Microsoft account here to see if it is stored there? https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey

Any chance your laptop was purchased used, or already set up for you? Or was it gifted? Or have you set it up with a different account at first? The key is stored with the very Microsoft account used to set up the computer for the first time, even if you had got rid of that account and set it up with a different account. So, if your computer was set up by anyone at the store you bought it from, it would be that person's account.

If you set it up with school or work account, it is worth checking here as well https://aka.ms/aadrecoverykey sign in with your work/school email credential in that case.

Answer 2

If your PC is prompting for a BitLocker recovery key and only accepts numbers, it's likely that you are being asked to enter the recovery password, which is a 48-digit numeric code. This code is typically provided when you set up BitLocker or can be retrieved from a backup location where you saved the recovery key, such as a USB drive, printed document, or your Microsoft account if you saved it there.

Make sure you are entering the recovery password correctly, as it should only consist of numbers. If you have the recovery key saved in a different format (like a file or printed document), ensure you are using the correct numeric version of the key.

If you continue to have issues, you may need to check the BIOS or UEFI settings to ensure that USB drives are enabled for reading in the pre-boot environment, as this might affect your ability to access the recovery key stored on a USB drive.

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References:

• BitLocker FAQ
• BitLocker recovery process