bitlocker retrieval

Question

i have an laptop registered and is non-operational anymore... removed the HD and wanted to extract media files though the bitlocker key is not listed on my acct... how do i get one or get it...

Answer 1

I wish I could share good news, but the truth is no one can get you the bitlocker key, including Microsoft staff/support. https://support.microsoft.com/windows/find-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-6b71ad27-0b89-ea08-f143-056f5ab347d6 The link here says:"Important: Microsoft Support doesn't have the ability to retrieve, provide, or recreate a lost BitLocker recovery key."

Is this where you looked? https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey

If you set it up with school or work account on the old computer where the disk was removed from, it is worth checking here as well https://aka.ms/aadrecoverykey sign in with your work/school email credential in that case.

Any chance the old computer 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.

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 go around it. Bitlocker means business. If it can be bypassed, then it means the encryption is not working. Your only option is to format this disk in order to use it again, but you won't be able to recover data.

Answer 2

A BitLocker recovery key cannot be generated, recreated, or retrieved by Microsoft Support if it was never backed up or is no longer available.

For a non-operational laptop with the drive removed, the supported recovery options are:

1. Check whether the recovery key was backed up to the Microsoft account used when BitLocker was activated.
2. If the device was ever managed by work or school, check with the organization’s IT department, because the key may have been backed up there.
3. If the key was saved manually, look for a printed copy or a USB flash drive where it may have been stored.
4. If the drive is connected to another Windows device as a secondary drive, Windows will still require the same 48-digit recovery key to unlock it.

If the recovery key is available, enter the 48-digit key when prompted. If the original device cannot boot, the drive can be connected to another device as a secondary drive for unlock attempts.

If the recovery key is not listed in the account and was not saved elsewhere, access to the encrypted files is not possible. Formatting the drive would remove BitLocker protection but permanently erase the data.

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References:

• Back Up Your BitLocker Recovery Key
• BitLocker recovery process
• Need Bitlocker Key for my SSD on that computer that fried - Microsoft Q&A
• unable to retrieve my bitlocker keys - Microsoft Q&A