Help ME Help YOU!!!! Bitlocker

Question

Help ME Help YOU!!!! Bitlocker

byron Forrest 0

Who knew the very thing I tried to stay away from since its inception, has come to bite me in the rear end. Who knew that even having worked for Microsoft, that they would enable BitLocker on both my Desktop and laptop in the latest update 24H2 would deprive me of years of data. See I can rebuild my machine all day, move data off, ghost and image, back up data on a NAS. But how do you defend yourself against a company that would enable such a debilitating program in the name of security and not makes itself aware its there, to then move accordingly. You can't recover from a Microsoft account or AD if you don' t know to enable the freaking BitLocker recovery feature in stupid AD. And now I know why my friends praise Linux and despise Windows. There ought to be a class Action Mr. Brad Smith and Satya Nadella. There ought to be a warning on all Social Media platforms warning users, that if it can happen to technical people. You digital footprint, your life long family photos of passed on relatives are dead. This might as well be ransomware Microsoft.

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Neil D 31,300 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-01-09T09:26:04.3866667+00:00

This is a user forum and users here don't work directly for Microsoft. So your comment are not seen by Microsoft. Without the recovery key a clean install is the only option for the system drive.

They did announce BitLocker encryption would be enabled during install with Home edition having Device encryption from an OEM supplier.

That doesn't help you now.

The drive may be encrypted but you only find out when something goes wrong and it asked for the Recovery key.

Where are your backups of your personal documents/photos?
byron Forrest 0 Reputation points

2026-01-09T13:14:56.54+00:00

Thank you for your comment. I'm not sure what forum the annoucement came in and I'm sure whichever one it is, like regular users it wasn't main stream. I understand Bitllocker and its dangers if not configured correctly. This is why I stayed away from it. So to make lite of my situation by saying I should have known. If I had I would have secured a usb drive to keep the passwords, I would have loaded the Active Directory feature to hold my recovery key, and I would have written down and put in my safe. All of that should have been forced to do during the enabling process and that my friend is the tragedy and irresponsibility of it all. How many non technical users will this effect. Its ransomware in its most benevolent form. Also, my machine was upgraded from WIndows 10 using the Windows 1124H2.iso, not by way of OEM supplier and I run Pro edition not home. So this statement made "They did announce BitLocker encryption would be enabled during install with Home edition having Device encryption from an OEM supplier.", is not completely factual. 24H2 is effects more than home edition. Lastly, I'm fustrated about the stuff that didn't make the back-up which is still important to me.
Neil D 31,300 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-01-09T14:04:44.71+00:00

I didn't make lite of your situation I was just making the point my explanation would not help you now.

I don't know about Active directory as that is generally used in a business environment. (so far as I'm aware)

BitLocker is part of Pro edition and has been for years (and in Windows 10) but Home edition never had encryption previously.

I agree the installation process should make users aware of encryption during the setup process.

If you want to make your comments directly to Microsoft engineers then use the Feedback Hub in windows.
byron Forrest 0 Reputation points

2026-01-09T16:32:17.6466667+00:00

And another thing. It went in and encrypted all the drives not just the system drive
byron Forrest 0 Reputation points

2026-01-09T16:35:46.52+00:00

Thanks

1 answer

Your answer

Neil D 31,300 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-01-09T09:26:04.3866667+00:00

This is a user forum and users here don't work directly for Microsoft. So your comment are not seen by Microsoft. Without the recovery key a clean install is the only option for the system drive.

They did announce BitLocker encryption would be enabled during install with Home edition having Device encryption from an OEM supplier.

That doesn't help you now.

The drive may be encrypted but you only find out when something goes wrong and it asked for the Recovery key.

Where are your backups of your personal documents/photos?
byron Forrest 0 Reputation points

2026-01-09T13:14:56.54+00:00

Thank you for your comment. I'm not sure what forum the annoucement came in and I'm sure whichever one it is, like regular users it wasn't main stream. I understand Bitllocker and its dangers if not configured correctly. This is why I stayed away from it. So to make lite of my situation by saying I should have known. If I had I would have secured a usb drive to keep the passwords, I would have loaded the Active Directory feature to hold my recovery key, and I would have written down and put in my safe. All of that should have been forced to do during the enabling process and that my friend is the tragedy and irresponsibility of it all. How many non technical users will this effect. Its ransomware in its most benevolent form. Also, my machine was upgraded from WIndows 10 using the Windows 1124H2.iso, not by way of OEM supplier and I run Pro edition not home. So this statement made "They did announce BitLocker encryption would be enabled during install with Home edition having Device encryption from an OEM supplier.", is not completely factual. 24H2 is effects more than home edition. Lastly, I'm fustrated about the stuff that didn't make the back-up which is still important to me.
Neil D 31,300 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-01-09T14:04:44.71+00:00

I didn't make lite of your situation I was just making the point my explanation would not help you now.

I don't know about Active directory as that is generally used in a business environment. (so far as I'm aware)

BitLocker is part of Pro edition and has been for years (and in Windows 10) but Home edition never had encryption previously.

I agree the installation process should make users aware of encryption during the setup process.

If you want to make your comments directly to Microsoft engineers then use the Feedback Hub in windows.
byron Forrest 0 Reputation points

2026-01-09T16:32:17.6466667+00:00

And another thing. It went in and encrypted all the drives not just the system drive
byron Forrest 0 Reputation points

2026-01-09T16:35:46.52+00:00

Thanks

Answer 1

It sounds like you're experiencing significant frustration with BitLocker and its impact on your data access. BitLocker is designed to enhance security by encrypting data on devices, but it can indeed lead to challenges if recovery options are not properly configured. Here are a few points that might help clarify the situation:

Recovery Key Management: It's crucial to ensure that recovery keys are backed up, especially in environments where BitLocker is enabled. If you're using Active Directory (AD), you can configure it to automatically store recovery keys, but this requires prior setup. Without this, recovering data can be difficult if you lose access to the drive.
BitLocker Features: BitLocker is intended to protect against unauthorized access, but it does require user awareness and proactive management. If you have not enabled the recovery options, it can lead to situations where data becomes inaccessible.
Support and Resources: If you're unable to recover your data, it might be worth reaching out to Microsoft support or consulting the BitLocker recovery documentation for guidance on potential recovery options.
User Education: For future reference, educating users about the implications of enabling features like BitLocker and ensuring proper backup practices can help mitigate these risks.

While your concerns are valid, it's important to approach these issues with a focus on recovery and prevention for the future.

References:

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Help ME Help YOU!!!! Bitlocker

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