Bitlocker recovery issue

Question

I need help with a BitLocker issue. My BitLocker recovery key and password are no longer being accepted. I am 100% sure I’m typing in the correct password—the same one that worked the last time this happened.

Right now I have no access to my computer at all, and I can’t seem to get any support through the usual channels. Could you please help me recover access to my device or confirm why my recovery key/password is not being recognised?

Answer 1

If your BitLocker recovery key and password are not being accepted, there are a few potential reasons and steps you can take to try to regain access to your device:

1. Verify the Recovery Key: Ensure that you are using the correct recovery key. Sometimes, users may have multiple keys saved. You can check your Microsoft account for the recovery key by visiting Microsoft.com account.
2. Check for Typos: Double-check for any potential typos when entering the recovery password. It’s easy to make mistakes, especially with long strings of numbers.
3. BitLocker Recovery Process: If you are unable to unlock your drive, you may need to use the BitLocker Repair Tool (repair-bde.exe) to attempt to recover your data. This tool can help decrypt the volume at a block level, but it requires the correct recovery password to function properly.
4. Contact Support: If you are still unable to access your device, consider reaching out to Microsoft Support for assistance. They may be able to provide additional options based on your specific situation.
5. Recovery Image: If you have access to another computer, you can create a USB recovery drive using a Surface recovery image. This may allow you to troubleshoot further or recover your data.
6. Self-Recovery Options: If your recovery keys are stored in Microsoft Entra ID or Active Directory, you can access them through your account settings, which may help in recovering access to your device.

If none of these steps work, you may need to consider professional data recovery services, especially if the data is critical.

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References:

• BitLocker recovery: known issues
• BitLocker recovery process

Answer 2

Hello there,

I understand how stressful it is to be locked out of your device. This usually happens when BitLocker detects a change in your system, like a BIOS update, TPM reset, or hardware change, which makes it think the environment isn’t secure. Even if your password or recovery key is correct, the system might reject it because the validation process fails. First, make sure you’re entering the full 48-digit recovery key without spaces and that the Key ID matches what’s on the screen. If you’re using a password, check the keyboard layout. It often defaults to US English in recovery mode. If that doesn’t work, we can try unlocking the drive using the command-line tool manage-bde from the recovery environment or use repair-bde to recover data to another drive.

Can you tell me if you recently updated your BIOS, changed hardware, or reset TPM? Also, do you have access to another PC to run these commands if needed?

Regards,

Rez