Bitlocker recovery doesn't work

Charles Rosenbaum 0 Reputation points
2026-08-01T21:09:29.0633333+00:00

Upon entering recovery key it returns asking for key again. I tried all the options suggested but none worked.

Windows for home | Other | Recovery and backup

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  1. kagiyama yutaka 4,835 Reputation points
    2026-08-04T09:16:00.2033333+00:00

    I think the key point is the Recovery Key ID on the screen matching the ID in your recovery file, and Windows does not unlock when those two differ. when the screen shows a different ID after reboot, that key cannot unlock that drive.

    and if you can, please check my comment asking for the extra info I need to look into this more.

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  2. Hendrix-V 17,185 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-08-02T03:27:17.2766667+00:00

    Hi Charles Rosenbaum,

    I understand how frustrating this can be, especially when you have the recovery key but the device continues to ask for it again. In some cases, this behavior can occur if the recovery key does not match the Recovery Key ID currently being requested, or if there is an underlying issue with the drive, TPM, or firmware configuration.

    As a next step, please verify that the Recovery Key ID displayed on the BitLocker recovery screen matches the Recovery Key ID associated with the recovery key you are using. If they do not match, the system will continue to prompt for a key. Also, if there were any recent BIOS/UEFI updates, hardware changes, or storage configuration changes, consider reverting them if possible and disconnect any non-essential external devices before restarting.

    If the Recovery Key ID matches and the correct key is still not accepted, the issue may be related to the encrypted drive itself rather than the key entry process. At that point, it may be helpful to contact your device manufacturer's support team for hardware diagnostics, particularly if the device recently experienced storage or firmware-related problems.

    I hope this helps point you in the right direction. Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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