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BitLocker drive gone after fresh install of Windows 11

Anonymous
2024-10-13T15:24:51+00:00

I did a fresh install of Windows 11 and forgot that I had my BitLocker encrypted SSD external drive still plugged in the back of my computer. After the install I found that the BitLocker encrypted drive was no longer showing anything on it and with no lock. The drive shows no problems with the drive, but all my files are gone. I have the password and the BitLocker Encryption recovery key but showing no way to use them on that drive.

Microsoft Windows 11 Pro

Version 10.0.26100 Build 26100

ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO

Secure Boot State On

BIOS Mode UEFI

Description Disk drive

Manufacturer (Standard disk drives)

Model Samsung Portable SSD T5 SCSI Disk Device

Bytes/Sector 512

Media Loaded Yes

Media Type External hard disk media

Partitions 3

SCSI Bus 0

SCSI Logical Unit 0

SCSI Port 5

SCSI Target ID 0

Sectors/Track 63

Size 465.76 GB (500,105,249,280 bytes)

Total Cylinders 60,801

Total Sectors 976,768,065

Total Tracks 15,504,255

Tracks/Cylinder 255

Partition Disk #6, Partition #0

Partition Size 300.00 MB (314,572,800 bytes)

Partition Starting Offset 1,048,576 bytes

Partition Disk #6, Partition #1

Partition Size 464.45 GB (498,701,697,024 bytes)

Partition Starting Offset 332,398,592 bytes

Partition Disk #6, Partition #2

Partition Size 1.00 GB (1,073,741,824 bytes)

Partition Starting Offset 499,034,095,616 bytes

(Above is the one that had my files on it but now shows nothing)

*** Moved from Windows / Windows 11 / Install and upgrade ***

Windows for business | Windows Client for IT Pros | Devices and deployment | Recovery key

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-10-14T09:08:41+00:00

    Hello B C_223,

    thank you for posting on the Microsoft Community Forums.

    If your BitLocker-encrypted drive is not showing any files and doesn't appear locked, here are steps you can try to recover access to your data using the BitLocker password and recovery key:

    Step 1: Verify the Drive Status

    First, let's check the status of your BitLocker encryption on the drive. You can do this using Command Prompt:

    1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator: Press Win + X and select "Command Prompt (Admin)" or "Windows PowerShell (Admin)".
    2. Type the following command and press Enter to check BitLocker Status: manage-bde -status

    Look for the drive letter of your external drive in the output. This will show the encryption status of the drive.

    Step 2: Unlock the BitLocker Drive

    If the drive is still encrypted but not showing as locked, you can attempt to unlock it manually:

    1. Unlock with Password:
      • Type the following command, replacing X: with the drive letter of your external drive and yourpassword with your actual BitLocker password:
      manage-bde -unlock X: -password

    You will be prompted to enter your BitLocker password.

    1. Unlock with Recovery Key:
      • If you prefer to use the recovery key, type the following command, replacing X: with the drive letter and YourRecoveryKey with your 48-digit BitLocker recovery key:
      manage-bde -unlock X: -RecoveryKey "YourRecoveryKey"

    Step 3: Decrypt the Drive (Optional)

    If you successfully unlock the drive and prefer to remove BitLocker encryption to avoid future issues, you can decrypt the drive:

    1. Decrypt the Drive:
      • Type the following command, replacing X: with the drive letter of your external drive:
      manage-bde -off X:

    Step 4: Access the Drive

    After unlocking or decrypting the drive, you should be able to access your files:

    1. File Explorer: Open File Explorer and navigate to the drive. Check if your files are visible.

    Troubleshooting

    If the drive still shows no files, it might be due to file system corruption or another issue:

    1. Check Disk for Errors:
      • Use the chkdsk command to check for and attempt to repair file system errors. Replace X: with your drive letter:
      chkdsk X: /f
    2. Data Recovery Software: If the files are still not visible, consider using data recovery software to scan the drive for recoverable files.

    Hope it helps.

    Best regards,

    Lei

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-10-14T13:42:27+00:00

    here is what I found on the drive

    Volume J:

    [Data Volume]

        Size:                 464.45 GB

        BitLocker Version:    None

        Conversion Status:    Fully Decrypted

        Percentage Encrypted: 0.0%

        Encryption Method:    None

        Protection Status:    Protection Off

        Lock Status:          Unlocked

        Identification Field: None

        Automatic Unlock:     Disabled

        Key Protectors:       None Found

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-11-22T08:31:53+00:00

    Scan the drive with professional data recovery software such as Recuva, EaseUS, Disk Drill, etc., to see if you can recover your lost files. Before using these tools, make sure that no new data is written to the drive to avoid further damage to the recovery chances.

    If your data is very important to you, you can consider contacting a professional data recovery service that may have more advanced technical means to recover your data.

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