Bitlocker+Unable to factory reset+Boot device not found?

Question

Hello, I am having a few problems occurring at the same time and seriously need some help. I will list out the problem one by one below.

1. it was about 2 days ago, my computer had a bitlocker lockdown, and i went into my microsoft account to find my recover key. however, the key seem to be dated around in May yet the tag stated on the computer is in October.... that was my first problem. So then i thought i had a backup and decide to factory reset this thing..... which caused my second problem.
2. I try click reset through cloud or online, however it was called [it was in other language than english so that is how i describe it] if i choose to reset via cloud with erasing all data, it fails and tell me to do it local. if i choose local it just jumps back to the menu...... and if i choose to keep my data, it simply jumps back too. [this describes the 2 choice X 2 choice = 4 possible cases to click in it] so now that this won't work, I thought to use my usb drive to do the installation media.... then it made the third issue.
3. when i use installation media on my backup external drive, it switched my main drive to that and tried to install win11, then tell me none of the storage can install win11, including this backup drive cause it had section of MBR existing..... and it can only be installed into GPT disk..... So now that if i pull my backup disk out, it can't find the original disk and menu.....

I tried to contact Microsoft to find phone and email.... and it direct me right back to the website.... I am helpless right now, please help.... also I will have to try close the bitlocker function when i do end up getting my computer that is locked working again, bitlocker is killing me......

Answer 1

Hi @Jackie2000_June

Without recovery key , you cannot unlock the disk. Try to open contact Microsoft support from this link :

https://support.serviceshub.microsoft.com/supportforbusiness

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Answer 2

Hello I’m sorry to hear about the issues you’re experiencing with your computer. Let’s address each of your problems one by one:   BitLocker Recovery Key: The BitLocker recovery key is a unique 48-digit numerical password that can unlock your system if BitLocker is triggered. If you can’t find the correct recovery key in your Microsoft account, it might be because the key was not backed up properly or the drive was encrypted using a different key. You can check other places where the key might be stored, such as in a printout, a USB flash drive, or a file in another device. If you still can’t find the key, unfortunately, there’s no way to recover it, and you might need to reset your device.   Windows Reset Not Working: If the reset function is not working, it could be due to system file corruption, a bad system image, or permissions issues. You can try running Automatic Startup Repair, performing an SFC and DISM scan, or performing the reset operation in Clean Boot state. If these steps don’t work, you might need to perform an In-place Upgrade Repair or a clean install of Windows. Reset This PC not working; Can’t Reset PC on Windows 11/10 (thewindowsclub.com)   Windows 11 Installation Issue with MBR Disk: Windows 11 requires a disk with a GUID Partition Table (GPT) partition style. If your disk is using the Master Boot Record (MBR) partition style, you’ll need to convert it to GPT. You can do this using the Windows Command Prompt with the commands diskpart, select disk <disk number>, clean, convert gpt, and exit. Please note that this will erase all data on the disk, so make sure to back up any important data before proceeding. Windows Setup: Installing using the MBR or GPT partition style | Microsoft Learn   Disabling BitLocker: If you decide to disable BitLocker, you can do so through the Control Panel. Open the Start menu, type “manage BitLocker”, and select “Manage BitLocker”. Next to the drive where you’ve enabled BitLocker, click "Turn Off BitLocker". Please note that disabling BitLocker will decrypt your drive, which can take some time. How to Disable BitLocker Encryption on Windows 10 and 11 (howtogeek.com)   Please remember to back up all important data before making any major changes to your system.   Best Regards, Wesley Li

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