The problem with BitLocker: forgot the password/lost the recovery key - what should I do?

Question

Hello!
I ran into a problem: I have an SSD drive with the Windows 11 operating system installed, which is encrypted with BitLocker. When I start the computer, I need a recovery key or password, but I have lost or forgotten it.

I tried to find the key through my Microsoft account using the key ID and my device information, but I couldn't find it. I was informed that the only way to disable encryption is to format the drive completely.

On the one hand, this may be a solution to the problem, and I will be able to use the disk for longer. On the other hand, I don't want to lose important files when formatting, and there's no point in restoring the disk because the software may not be available.

Can you tell me what to do in this situation? Is it possible to restore access to BitLocker or extract files from an encrypted disk? If I format the hard drive, will I be able to recover the lost files? Thanks!

Example of a screen at Windows startup:

Answer 1

Hello,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Q&A.

Based on the description, I understand your question is related to bitlocker.

Generally, we can refer to the following path to find out the BitLocker recovery key, because this is a personal information and will not be collected by Microsoft, so please kindly try to find carefully if the key was saved in below places:

In your Microsoft account: Sign in to your Microsoft account on another device to find your recovery key:

If the device was set up or BitLocker protection was activated by another user, the recovery key may be in that user’s Microsoft account.

On a printout you saved: Your recovery key may be on a printout that was saved when BitLocker was activated. Look where you keep important papers related to your computer.

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.

In an Azure Active Directory account: If your device was ever signed in to an organization using a work or school email account, your recovery key may be stored in that organization's Azure AD account associated with your device.

If you are unable to locate a required BitLocker recovery key, I am afraid you cannot access that drive.

Have a nice day.

Best Regards,

Molly

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