If BitLocker is Not Accepting BitLocker Password or Key, How do I Unlock Bitlocker and Recover Data? (2024)

FAQs

If BitLocker is Not Accepting BitLocker Password or Key, How do I Unlock Bitlocker and Recover Data? ›

In this situation, if your encrypted drive doesn't accept the old login or recovery key, then download BitLocker unlock tool to decrypt your drive BitLocker encryption. And the professionals always suggest that try BLR BitLocker recovery tool to unlock your drive.

If you do not have the BitLocker password and recovery key, you need to format the encrypted drive to remove the encryption or turn to third-party tools, such as Passware Kit, Elcomsoft Forensic Disk Decryptor, or Elcomsoft Distributed Password Recovery. EaseUS will provide detailed guides on how.

To unlock their drives, users must open “This PC” (or “My Computer”, depending on the version of Windows), right-click on the encrypted drive icons with the locked yellow padlock icon, click "Unlock Drive" and provide the Password.

If you are unable to locate a required BitLocker recovery key and are unable to revert a configuration change that might have caused it to be required, you must reset your device using one of the Windows 10 recovery options. Resetting your device removes all your files.

If your system is asking you for your BitLocker recovery key, there are several places that your recovery key may be located, depending on the choice that was made when activating BitLocker. If you saved the key to your Microsoft account, you can access it by going to https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey.

Unless you have the key there is no way to recover the data, unless you broke the encryption yourself, which if you have the time or resources to do so you probably wouldn't be posting on here! Only thing you can do is either get the password/recovery needed or wipe the drive and start over.

If the status is returned as locked, you must use the following command to unlock it using your recovery password: manage-bde -unlock c: -rp your 48-digit recovery password.

Navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings 2. Press Restart 3. Skip the first Bitlocker recovery key prompt by pressing Esc 4. Skip the second Bitlocker recovery key prompt by selecting Skip This Drive in the bottom right 5.

To recover BitLocker, a user can use a recovery password, if available. The BitLocker recovery password is unique to the device it was created on, and can be saved in different ways. Depending on the configured policy settings, the recovery password can be: Saved in Microsoft Entra ID, for Microsoft Entra joined.

BitLocker creates several recovery keys you can utilize if you don't remember the correct password. They are 48-digit alphanumeric strings stored on your computer and your Microsoft account. Just type 'BitLocker recovery key' in the explorer search bar or search it through your Microsoft account.

Where is the 48-digit recovery key for BitLocker? ›

The Bitlocker recovery key can be found in different ways depending on your Windows sign-in account. If you are signed in to your PC with a local account, it is stored on your PC. If you are signed in to your PC with your personal Microsoft account, it is stored on the Microsoft "Bitlocker Recovery Key" site.

Open Command Prompt: Press the Windows key + X and select “Command Prompt (Admin)”. Input command: Input “manage-bde -protectors -get ” in the command, replacing “ ” with the actual letter of the encrypted BitLocker drive. Find Recovery Key: Notice the 48-digit recovery key displayed on your screen.

If you don't have the BitLocker password and recovery key, you may need to format the drive to remove the encryption, or use the third-party tools, such as Passware Kit, Elcomsoft Forensic Disk Decryptor, and Elcomsoft Distributed Password Recovery.

Type and search [Manage BitLocker] in the Windows search bar①, then click [Open]②. Click [Turn off BitLocker]③ on the drive that you want to decrypt. If the drive is under locked status, you need to click [Unlock drive] and type the password to turn off BitLocker.

A key may be saved to your Microsoft Account by default (Access your Microsoft account from a different computer to retrieve the key). A key may be manually saved to a USB flash drive. A key may be manually saved as a file (Network drive or other location). A key may be physically printed manually.

Click "Manage Devices" under "Devices" on the My Account screen. Select a device from the list of devices and click "∨". The 48-digit number under the password is the BitLocker recovery key, so write it down in a memo or save it in another way.

Things You Should Know. Open the Start menu and type "manage BitLocker." Open the "Manage BitLocker" option and expand the drive you want to decrypt. Click "Turn off BitLocker." Open the Command Prompt as an Administrator and type "manage-bde -off <drive letter>:" and press Enter.