How to get the recovery key.

Question

Windows 11 pro can't restart on my computer. Bitlocker is asking for the key.

Answer 1

To retrieve the BitLocker recovery key for your Windows 11 Pro computer, follow these steps:

1. Access the Company Portal: Sign in to the Company Portal website using your work or school account.
2. Navigate to Devices: Go to the Devices section.
3. Select Your Device: Find and select the PC that is locked.
4. Get Recovery Key: Click on Get recovery key and then select Show recovery key.
5. Use the Key: Your recovery key will appear. Write it down or copy it, and enter it on the BitLocker recovery screen of your computer.

If you cannot find the recovery key, contact your IT support for assistance. Remember that recovery keys are only available for devices encrypted by your organization, not for personally encrypted devices.

Answer 2

Have you looked into the Microsoft account here to see if it is stored there? https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey

Any chance your laptop was purchased used, or already set up for you? Or was it gifted? Or have you set it up with a different account at first? The key is stored with the very Microsoft account used to set up the computer for the first time, even if you had got rid of that account and set it up with a different account. So, if your computer was set up by anyone at the store you bought it from, it would be that person's account.

If you set it up with school or work account, it is worth checking here as well https://aka.ms/aadrecoverykey sign in with your work/school email credential in that case.

I assume you don't remember opting out of not saving it in Microsoft account, and saving it to a local file instead? That's another possibility.

If you can't find it at all, there's really no way to crack it. Bitlocker means business. If it can be cracked, then it means the encryption is not working. Your only option is to do a clean install of Windows. In that case, you do lose your files. I am very sorry. I hate to share this kind of information, but I rather give you the correct info.