Can't delete bitlocker recovery keys from microsoft account

Behdad 126

Hi,

I have been using my microsoft account for several years to store my bitlocker keys everytime I encrypt my C: and D: drives.
As part of the process every time I do the new encryption I first go to my microsoft account and delete the old keys.

However, suddenly today, I was not able to delete them. When I click and check the checkbox that I already have a copy of the keys and
click continue the dialog just sits there with the waiting feedback loop and never comes back. I looked in the browser console, it seems that
I get a 403/forbidden response back.

I have tried different browsers, clearing cache, logging out and in even tried it from my mobile and I still have the same problem.

Any Ideas as to why this happens? I appreciate your thoughts.

Thank you.

EDIT: 17/Jul/2022 : As of today, the issue is fixed for me. I managed to delete the old keys. I also saved my current keys and deleted them again successfully and have no further problems with this. Thanks Microsoft.

Kane S 156 Reputation points

2022-06-02T05:14:57.783+00:00

I'm having exactly the same issue, I've re-enabled Bitlocker on both my C and D Drives. When I go to my account to remove the old keys, nothing. It's just spinning with "Deleting this recovery key now..." I've tried from both Microsoft Edge, and Google Chrome, on two different computers, one with Windows 10, and the other with Windows 11.

Thanks in advance.
Behdad 126 Reputation points

2022-06-02T06:37:52.36+00:00

Thanks for your reply. Hopefully someone from MS will have some solution for us.
Kacyk-9417 6 Reputation points

2022-06-17T07:38:31.787+00:00

Same here. Nothing is deleting. It is a little more than annoying situation.

Flagship functionality and right now we have spinning dots...

Edit:

One more thing. After few days (during I tried to get some help from Microsoft to delete old keyes by them through https://widget.rave.office.net/chat?partner=SMC2&requestid= and THEY FAILED ** to give me any clue or hint what to do - except some really ridicules things from the script that could not work - because the problem is on their end, on their servers! ) I decided to make some tests on my own and had made encrypted system partition with option to save recovery key to my Microsoft account (https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey?refd=account.microsoft.com).
Then I had entered that website with backuped Bitlocker recovery keyes, to try one more time to delete that old unneeded anymore recovery keyes - still - can't do that.
**But more disturbing thing - ** like red flashing warning light** - is that already NEW FRESH RECOVERY KEY IS VISIBLE WITH -> **INVALID DATE !!!** Also - unable to delete that NEW ONE!
It like some part of the backup data of the recovery key is already corrupted! And it is done entirely in some weird way BY MICROSOFT SOFTWARE -> BITLOCKER and the way they store it (?) on their servers?!
Right now we can't relay on the security and validity of the backup information regarding Biltocker recovery keyes. THIS IS SERIOUS!
Patrick Armstrong 41 Reputation points

2022-06-20T17:02:21.103+00:00

Oh boy. Gheez. I just got off a support chat with tech support. I am shocked at the response I received...

The rep said, "Thank you for that information, Patrick. I just checked with our Microsoft Software engineers and I was able to get helpful data from them. Our Microsoft Accounts is currently having system upgrades to ensure a better user experience which affects the Bitlocker Recovery Key that cannot be deleted. Rest assured that our tech and engineering team are working hand in hand to get this done within the day. In the meantime, we need to make sure that the Bitlocker is turned off on your computer to make sure that you will not be prompt by it just in case you do majer changes on your computer. I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience that this may have caused you today, Patirck. Hoping for your kind consideration and understanding on this."

Um, pay attention there.
Turn off bitlocker on your computers
You might have to enter your bitlocker keys
WHAT???

I'm sure the rep must have been mis-speaking and I told them so. How major upgrades to the microsoft account system will negatively impact my personal computer experience.

Good luck everyone, let's hope we all get through this upgrade process unscathed.
Kacyk-9417 6 Reputation points

2022-06-20T18:16:15.01+00:00

Can't help myself...

One more time -> "Have You Tried Turning It Off And On Again?" ;)
Sakhr Al-Hendawi 1 Reputation point

2022-06-21T17:08:50.72+00:00

Might sound stupid, but where can you access support chat? I’ve been searching everywhere it only leads to the ‘Search Help’
Kacyk-9417 6 Reputation points

2022-06-21T18:19:38.527+00:00

You could try there -> https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/home/contact?SourceApp=smc2&ContactUsExperienceEntryPointAssetId=
Іван Пазенко 1 Reputation point

2022-06-29T03:36:27.47+00:00

Jun 28nd - still not working. Keys can’t be added and deleted
Guy Dye 1 Reputation point

2022-07-02T17:55:02.397+00:00

I'm glad I found this thread. And I'm extremely uncomfortable that the issue is still a thing after more than a week. If we were talking about anything other than BitLocker encryption keys, I wouldn't be as concerned. But, uh...mismanagement of BitLocker keys could be the difference between a working computer and a useless $2000 brick. So, what gives? Why is this so hard?
Cy 'kkm' K'Nelson 11 Reputation points

2022-07-08T22:42:07.85+00:00

Hi 244, if you don't mind my asking, are you positively certain that the keys cannot be added too? Another comment down below says they can. That makes a difference.
Cy 'kkm' K'Nelson 11 Reputation points

2022-07-08T23:09:28.273+00:00
I would save the recovery key on a USB stick or the numeric password into a password manager in addition to Account if I were you. I in fact do both. If you do not want unencrypted recovery material to ever be on an unencrypted USB storage, you can see the numeric password using elevated command line and copy it from there:

C:\> manage-bde -protectors -get C: . . . . Numerical password: ID: {1234CDEF-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxxx} Password: NNNNNN-....-NNNNNN

The first 8 of the ID, 1234CDEF in this example, is the same number as the Key ID on the Account website, and NNNNNN-....-NNNNNN is the 48-digit unlock password. Copy both from console into your password manager secure note or something, repeat for every encrypted drive letter, and then close command prompt window.

A recovery key is saved to USB stick as a hidden system file with the .BEK extension (the above command will display its name as "External key"). Use 'X:\> attrib -H -S *.BEK' in a command prompt on the USB drive (X: here) root to make them visible if you want. You can have as many saved on the same drive, they have GUID names, and Windows will pick the one it needs to decrypt a drive (the key protector GUID is stored unencrypted). The numeric password is saved as a normal text file.

For an ultimate security, a keypad-secured USB stick from a reputable vendor goes a long way. Whether you need one is your call based on the value of the BitLocker-encrypted data to the malicious party.
Patrick Armstrong 41 Reputation points

2022-07-13T20:04:39.41+00:00
TO EVERYONE, THIS IS A RESPONSE TO SakhrHendawi and NOT related to the BitLocker key issue.

Sorry SkahrAlHendawi, I only just saw your question. Getting chat to open is tricky. You have to select the topic of your trouble and dig down until chat finally appears. Sometimes you even have to select a topic unrelated to your issue to get the chat to open. As an example, there is no support chat option for any BitLocker issue.

On multiple occasions, Microsoft support told me the same thing to get a chat window to open for ANY issue:

Go to Outlook

Click on Help (?)

type in "cannot send/receive email"

Go to the VERY bottom of all the suggestions

Say Yes to "Still need help?"

Now you can open the Chat option and type in your true issue

Do not be surprised if you go to the wrong support team in the beginning. I often did.
Sakhr Al-Hendawi 1 Reputation point

2022-07-13T20:11:53.437+00:00

Thanks, that would be useful in the future

23 answers

S.Sengupta 24,476 Reputation points MVP

2022-06-02T07:13:09.267+00:00

See if it helps:

How to delete BitLocker Recovery Key from OneDrive in Windows 10
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Behdad 126 Reputation points

2022-06-03T09:42:45.623+00:00

Thanks for the reply however, those were the exact steps I followed, which I also have been doing for past several years but it just stopped working.

Kane S 156 Reputation points

2022-06-04T06:42:12.793+00:00

I've done that in the past also, but not working at this point. There's something happening at Microsoft's end.

Behdad 126 Reputation points

2022-06-04T10:57:13.647+00:00

Just contacted Microsoft Support through their chat and they kindly notified me that they are working on this as we speak and should be resolved shortly(estimated 24~48 hours). I thought I let you know.

Kane S 156 Reputation points

2022-06-05T05:59:34.883+00:00

wonderful, thanks for the follow-up.
Cheers :)

Al 6 Reputation points

2022-06-05T21:32:09.49+00:00

I have the same issue.

I have been able to delete the BitLocker encryption keys many times before but this time - it's getting stuck on that pop-up like mentioned on this thread.

I'm not that much of a genius to say the following:
I think this is a glitch of some sort because it only happened after I 'deleted' the registered device on my account before deleting the BitLocker encryption keys. In other words - when I now try to delete the BitLocker encryption keys - it is probably searching for the device to which these keys were registered to - but since it does not have said registered device on the account - it gets stuck on the that pop-up message and does not delete.

The above is just a wild guess - but could be true...

I'm glad that Microsoft said they are working on this.

Sakhr Al-Hendawi 1 Reputation point

2022-06-10T13:56:57.17+00:00

Did you get any reply from microsoft? I’m facing the same issue

Patrick Armstrong 41 Reputation points

2022-06-10T22:29:26.647+00:00

Like others, I am having exactly the same issue. I've been working with Bitlocker for many years and am quite familiar with how to do things. We need an answer to the problem, not the basic instructions.

Kane S 156 Reputation points

2022-06-11T20:23:21.683+00:00

I've tried again, nothing is deleting, come on Microsoft, this can't be that difficult to resolve!

Kane S 156 Reputation points

2022-06-18T04:45:19.057+00:00

Well here we are, two plus weeks (June 4th, 24 - 48 hrs. according to Microsoft) after Microsoft said the issue would be resolved, nothing, still broken....
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S.Sengupta 24,476 Reputation points MVP

2022-06-29T04:24:32.527+00:00

Thanks for the update.
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Patrick Armstrong 41 Reputation points

2022-07-01T02:06:09.507+00:00

I tried Tech Support today again. I am presently on my fifth case #. Boy the things I was told that were oh so totally work. One rep insisted my keys were stored in OneDrive and I insisted otherwise. They tried everything to help me find where the keys were stored in OneDrive, even sending me different links. All of the link redirected to accounts.microsoft.com/devices. So YES, tech support, I DO know how my keys are stored and where. LOL Another rep said I had to contact Microsoft Account Support and to do that, I had to open a case with Outlook support. I've been on hold for an hour.
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BorealG 1 Reputation point

2022-07-02T20:42:03.697+00:00

I've had the exact same experience and have not been able to delete bitlocker keys from my account as well. Tech support has been useless and the problem has persisted for greater than a month.
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Patrick Armstrong 41 Reputation points

2022-07-02T22:42:03.797+00:00

A continuation of my post yesterday. I argued repeatedly and got a supervisor (FINALLY!). The supervisor had the gall to say, "We have never heard of this issue." WHAT??? The supervisor claimed they escalated the issue and recommended I also use the Feedback hub on my computer. Honestly, we might all try using that. Complain on a daily basis through the feedback hub.
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Francois RUNAVOT 1 Reputation point

2022-07-03T13:38:57.097+00:00

I have the same problem, i can't delete old keys and i can't save any new key...

The problem has existed for several weeks.
Unable to save or delete keys on the microsoft account.
It's a shame that it's so long!
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Can't delete bitlocker recovery keys from microsoft account

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