Bitlocker recovery key

Question

My Bitlocker recovery key page will not load, I have been trying since 8 in the morning to access the page. I can go to the devices page normally but whenever I press manage recovery keys it does not load. And I have tried to open it from a private tab that does not work, and I have even tried to open it on my xbox, nothing will work. I have even taken naps to try and let it wait and when I get up I go back on my computer to try and open it again and it still goes through the same phases "sign into your account" and "account.microsoft.com" with that same annoying spinning circle. My week has been shit and I really just want to get my computer back.

This is also not a One Drive issue. I literally have <0.1GB used.

Answer 1

Hi Ky Ross,

I’m really sorry you’ve been dealing with this all day. I understand how stressful it is to be locked out of your computer while the page you need keeps getting stuck in a sign-in loop.

To help narrow this down, could you please confirm:

• Is this a personal computer or was it ever connected to a work or school organization?
• Are you signing in with a personal Microsoft account, a work or school account or do you have more than one Microsoft account that may have been used on this PC?
• Does the BitLocker recovery screen show an email address hint or a Recovery Key ID?
• When the recovery key page keeps loading, do you see any error message, or only the spinning circle?

In the meantime, please try the following:

• Open the recovery key page directly: From another computer or phone, open Find your BitLocker recovery key and sign in with the Microsoft account originally used to set up the affected PC.
• Try another browser and network: Since an InPrivate window did not help, try a different browser such as Microsoft Edge, Chrome or Firefox. If possible, also switch to another network, for example a mobile hotspot. Temporarily disable any VPN, proxy or strict tracking protection that could interfere with the sign-in process.
• Check other Microsoft accounts: If you have used more than one Microsoft account on this device, sign out completely and check the recovery key page with each account. Compare the first eight digits of the Recovery Key ID shown on the BitLocker screen with the Key ID listed online.

Your OneDrive storage usage is not related to whether the BitLocker recovery key page can load. A BitLocker recovery key is a separate 48-digit key used to unlock the encrypted drive.

Please do not post the 48-digit recovery key or the full Recovery Key ID publicly. If the page continues to loop on different browsers, devices, and networks, you may need to contact Microsoft Support regarding the Microsoft account page access issue. Please note that Microsoft Support and community members cannot retrieve, provide or recreate a lost BitLocker recovery key. The goal here is to locate the key that was backed up when encryption was enabled. Microsoft’s official guidance is available here: Find your BitLocker recovery key.

I hope one of these checks helps you access the page and get back into your computer soon. Thank you so much for your understanding.     

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