Bitlocker key is not appearing on Microsoft account after upgrade to Win 11

Question

Upgraded to Windows 11. Updated a driver and rebooted. Now asking for a bitlocker key. I logged into my the Microsoft account on a different PC and the recovery key is not there. The user does not use a Microsoft account to log into her PC, just a local account.

This is a personal, and not a school or work account. Are you telling me that I will now lose EVERYTHING on the PC because the upgrade did not produce a bitlocker key? Really?

Darren

Answer 1

If you are unable to find the Bitlocker Recovery Key on any account that may have been used on that device, then I am sorry for the bad news, the only way to access that device is to create a bootable Windows 11 USB on another working PC and use that to clean install Windows and at the start of the installation, delete all partitions on the drive to remove the encryption, which will sadly result in loss of all data on the drive.

Answer 2

The user tried both of her email accounts, and neither on had the key. She doesn’t have a current backup, so I guess she’s screwed.

Answer 3

If your drive is encrypted with Bitlocker, the only place the Bitlocker Recovery key is automatically stored is on an associated Microsoft account on the link below, be sure to check any Microsoft account that may have been used on the PC and also any work or school account that may be linked to the PC in Settings - Accounts - Access Work or School.

https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey

Are you able to find the Bitlocker Recovery Key on any account that may have been used or linked to the PC?

If there was never any kind of Microsoft account linked to that device, and only a Local account was used, do you have a safe backup of your files, or use a cloud service like OneDrive to sync your files online.

Answer 4

UNNACEPTABLE.

I shouldn't have to lost ALL my files just because I did an upgrade to 11.

Answer 5

If your device is asking for a BitLocker recovery key after upgrading to Windows 11 and you are using a local account, it's important to note that the recovery key may not be automatically saved to your Microsoft account. Since you mentioned that you do not use a Microsoft account to log into your PC, the recovery key might not be available online.

In this situation, if you do not have the recovery key saved elsewhere (such as on a USB drive, printed out, or in another secure location), it can be challenging to regain access to your data. BitLocker is designed to protect your data through encryption, and without the recovery key, it cannot be bypassed. Unfortunately, if the key isn’t available in any of the usual places, it cannot be retrieved by anyone, including Microsoft support.

To prevent data loss in the future, it is advisable to save your BitLocker recovery keys in multiple secure locations, such as Microsoft Entra ID or printed copies stored safely away from the device.

If you have further questions or need assistance with recovery options, please let me know.