I lost my BitLocker backup key. I am unable to unlock my D Drive. How can I disable my Drive Encryption?

Unfortunately, retrieving a lost Bitlocker recovery key isn't possible.

You can check by signing into your Microsoft account online and looking for the recovery key.

Finding your BitLocker recovery key in Windows

Hi Deepti Tripathi,

Thanks for your post. Based on my research, the answer is No. A BitLocker password or recovery key is mandatory for iBoysoft BitLocker recovery software or any other data recovery software to access a BitLocker encrypted drive. BitLocker is designed to render data inaccessible when unauthorized users who don’t have the correct password or recovery key try to take advantage. If data recovery software can recover data on a BitLocker-encrypted drive without a password or recovery key, you probably need to worry about your data security.

BitLocker likely ensured that a recovery key was safely backed up prior to activating protection. There are several places that your recovery key may be, depending on the choice that was made when activating BitLocker:

1. In your Microsoft account: Open a web browser on another device. Go to https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey to find your recovery key. 

Tip: You can sign into your Microsoft account on any device with internet access, such as a smartphone.

2. On a printout: You may have printed your recovery key when BitLocker was activated. Look where you keep important papers related to your computer.

3. On a USB flash drive: Plug the USB flash drive into your locked PC and follow the instructions. If you saved the key as a text file on the flash drive, use a different computer to read the text file.

4. In a work or school account: If your device was ever signed into an organization using a work or school email account, your recovery key may be stored in that organization's Azure AD account. You may be able to access it directly or you may need to contact the IT support for that organization to access your recovery key.

Tip: During COVID we have seen a lot of customers who were suddenly working or attending school from home and may have been asked to sign into a work or school account from their personal computer. If that was your experience too, then it's possible your work or school has a copy of your BitLocker recovery key.

5. Held by your system administrator: If your device is connected to a domain (usually a work or school device), ask a system administrator for your recovery key.

Best Regards,

Ian Xue

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