There is no recovery key attached to my device

Question

Hello I recently had to reinstall all my drivers and things because I had some issues with the bitlocker recovery key. After reinstalling everything I am attempting to make sure the same issue doesn't arise and even though I have signed in with my personal microsoft account and the device is linked to it there I'd still no recovery key attached and I am unsure why as I did not use or attach my school account to the device yet I am unable to even find the recovery key on my main. Us there a way I can forcibly put my keys through my personal account or something since my device isn't even linked to the school account I can not access keys there either.

*** Moved from Windows / Windows 11 / Recovery and backup ***

Answer 1

Hello Tejas Koduru1，

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community forum.

If you're encountering issues with your BitLocker recovery key and need to ensure it is properly backed up, you can follow these steps to manage your recovery key and store it safely using your personal Microsoft account.

Check Existing BitLocker Key Storage Locations

BitLocker recovery keys can be backed up to various locations, including:

• Your Microsoft account
• A USB flash drive
• A file on your device
• A printed document

Verify If Your Current Key is Backed Up to Your Microsoft Account

1. Check Online:
   • Go to the Microsoft account Recovery Key page.
   • Sign in with your personal Microsoft account.
   • Check if any of your devices and recovery keys are listed.

Manually Back Up Your BitLocker Recovery Key

If the key is not backed up, you can manually save it using these steps:

1. Open BitLocker Management:
   • Type Manage BitLocker in the Windows search bar and press Enter.
   • Alternatively, you can find BitLocker settings in the Control Panel under "System and Security" > "BitLocker Drive Encryption."
2. Backup the Recovery Key:
   • In the BitLocker Management window, look for the drive that is encrypted.
   • Click on "Back up your recovery key."
   • Choose where you want to back up the recovery key:
     • Save to your Microsoft account: This option will upload the key to your Microsoft account.
     • Save to a file: Save the recovery key to a secure location on your device or another device.
     • Print the recovery key: Print the key and store it in a secure place.

Ensure BitLocker is Configured Properly

Sometimes BitLocker policies can prevent the key from being saved to a Microsoft account. Here’s how to check:

1. Open Group Policy Editor:
   • Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to BitLocker Policies:
   • Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > BitLocker Drive Encryption.
3. Check Policies:
   • Ensure that policies related to "Store BitLocker recovery information in AD DS" are not configured in a way that prevents saving to a Microsoft account.

Re-encrypt the Drive (if necessary)

If you’ve reinstalled drivers and want to ensure everything is correctly set up:

1. Disable BitLocker:
   • Go to BitLocker Management
   • Turn off BitLocker for the drive you want to manage.
   • Wait for the decryption process to complete.
2. Re-enable BitLocker:
   • Once the drive is decrypted, re-enable BitLocker.
   • During the setup process, choose to save the recovery key to your Microsoft account.

By following these steps, you should be able to ensure your BitLocker recovery key is properly backed up and linked to your personal Microsoft account.

I hope the information above is helpful.

If you have any question or concern, please feel free to let us know.

Best Regards,

Haijian Shan