Bitlocker BitLocker Recovery Key Entered Correctly but it keeps going on a loop

Question

I just turned on BitLocker on my device today and upon restarting it asks me for my Recovery Key,

Which I had printed. I then enter the Recovery Key, then it's seems load normally. However, upon waiting a moment for the system to restart , but now that load screen also

says Preparing BitLocker Recovery

at the bottom then it just returns me to the same screen that requires me to enter my Recovery Key.

Other Options

1. Clicking the button to "Skip This Drive" gets me nowhere
2. "Continue" which brings me back around again to the screen that requires me to enter the recovery key
3. "Turn Off Your PC" turns off the pc
4. "Troubleshoot" which begins the process of resetting my device, which I do not want to do.

Basically as soon as I started using BitLocker I was and still am permanently locked out of accessing anything at all on my device, a devastatingly opposite function of what encrypting was supposed to provide me.

The device has Windows 10 Pro installed on it.

I will provide any further requested details and specs if needed -- that I can but as I cannot enter the device in any way I am aware of I'm afraid I'm not really sure even how to see any further details.

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Basically it's infinite loop !! .

Please, any advice is appreciated. I will try whatever I need to in order to regain access of my computer without having to reset it and lose everything on it. Again, I have the Recovery Key, it is correct, the Identifier Key matches up, but it just keeps immediately asking me for the Recovery Key no matter how many times I enter it and press continue....

Answer 1

Hi

In order to solve this problem , we should suspend Bitlocker from within winRE.
Here are the steps which we need to follow:

1.Choose the “Skip this drive” link at the bottom of the page where you are asked to enter the recovery key. You should be presented with a menu that will let you get to a command prompt (The sequence is Advanced options -> Troubleshoot -> Advanced options -> Command prompt).

2.Once you have a command prompt, use the following command to check the BitLocker status of the C: drive:
manage-bde -status c:

3.If the status is returned as locked, you’ll need to use the following command to unlock it using your recovery password:
manage-bde -unlock c: -rp <your 48-digit recovery password>

4.Once the drive is unlocked you'll need to use the following command to suspend protection:
manage-bde -protectors -disable c:

5.Then exit and reboot. The computer should now successfully boot Windows. Once there, use the BitLocker control panel to resume BitLocker protection.

You can reset TPM lockout using tpm.msc. Note that the recovery loop can occur for other reasons such as cases where TPM is disabled or malfunctions. You can still use the above steps to suspend BitLocker and boot Windows in such cases.
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/18671.bitlocker-troubleshooting-continuous-reboot-loop-with-bitlocker-recovery-on-a-slate-device.aspx

This is a similar case who also faces this problem.
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-security-winpc/bitlocker-recovery-key-entered-correctly-but-it/f38442cc-0c89-417c-a0b7-491d67f1e057?page=2

Best Regards

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Answer 2

Hopefully its here as well
https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey

where you could double check it, also check for transposed 1 for l (lcase letter L) zeros for letter O, etc.

--please don't forget to upvote and Accept as answer if the reply is helpful--

Answer 3

Hi , Thanks you for replying (: ,

I tried @Miles suggestion

Command Line> manage-bde -status c:  

Output:

    Size:                 Unknown GB  
    BitLocker Version:    2.0  
    Conversion Status:    Unknown  
    Percentage Encrypted: Unknown%  
    Encryption Method:    XTS-AES 128  
    Protection Status:    Unknown  
    Lock Status:          Locked  
    Identification Field: Unknown  
    Automatic Unlock:     Disabled  
    Key Protectors:  
        TPM  
        Numerical Password  

Yes , as you said it shows that the drive is locked but when i enter >

Command Line> manage-bde -unlock c: -rp  <my 48-digit recovery password>  

Output:

    ERROR: The password failed to unlock volume D:.  

It's not unlocking the device -- how's the key is wrong but the identifier matches up with the drive ?

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Thanks for your suggestion @Dave Patrick -- but that windows drive installation uses offline account

Answer 4

I Think the only option now is just to reset

Answer 5

Hi

If the above methods are all out of use , resetting your PC is the only way.

Click this link:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
to download the Media Creation Tool (Click on Download Tool Now), with that you can download the latest Windows 10 ISO (Select Create Installation Media for Another PC), you can create a bootable USB flash drive (min 8GB) using that tool

Then, Boot your PC from the Installation Media you just created (change Boot Order in your BIOS) to begin installing Windows 10

Since you previously had Windows 10 installed and activated on that PC during the installation process skip the steps which ask for a product key and select the option 'I am Reinstalling Windows 10 on this PC', and activation will not be an issue, your PC will have a digital entitlement stored on the Microsoft Activation Servers

Make sure you install the same Edition of Windows 10 (Home, Pro . . . etc.) you previously had installed to avoid Activation issue

Best Regards

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