Bitlocker Recovery issues

Question

Hi Experts,

We have a Windows 11-based domain joined machine and we enabled BitLocker on C and D Drive with Startup PIN.

Recently due to some issues with the operating system, we clean the operating system partition through format and re-install the operating system.

Issue: After a fresh installation, D Drive remains BitLocker lock and unfortunately we do not have the recovery key both on file and Active directory as we deleted the computer from Ad and join the affected machine with the same computer name also when we ran mange-bde password command it shows incorrect password.

Recycle option on AD is not enabled and now we are feeling helpless is there any way to unlock the partition as the machine domain is same also we tried to set up the same PIN but that's not working.

Answer 1

Hello

I’m sorry to hear that you’re having trouble unlocking your BitLocker-encrypted D drive.

If you formatted and re-installed the operating system on a BitLocker-protected drive and you no longer have the recovery key or the ability to retrieve it from Active Directory, recovering the data from the locked drive becomes extremely challenging. BitLocker is designed to provide data security, and without the correct recovery key or password, accessing the encrypted data is not feasible.

Unfortunately, if you don't have the recovery key or the ability to unlock the drive using the manage-bde command, the data on the D drive may be permanently inaccessible. BitLocker encryption is strong, and without the correct credentials, recovering the data directly from the encrypted drive is not feasible.

Here are some considerations and possible actions to take:

Double-check Recovery Key Storage: Verify again if there is any possibility of finding the recovery key. Check any backup or documentation that might contain the key. In critical situations, it's essential to exhaust all possibilities.

Data Recovery Services: If the data on the D drive is crucial and there is no other way to recover it, you may consider reaching out to professional data recovery services. These services specialize in recovering data from damaged or encrypted drives. However, this option can be expensive, and success is not guaranteed.

Prevent Further Data Loss: Ensure you don't write any new data to the encrypted D drive to prevent overwriting any potentially recoverable data. If the data is essential, avoid any further actions that could jeopardize its recovery.