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Sep 16, 2022 · This video is designed to help you find your BitLocker recovery key. If you are unable to locate the BitLocker recovery key and can't revert any configuration change that might have...
- 3 min
- 643.5K
- Microsoft Helps
- Overview
- Where can I find my BitLocker recovery key?
- What is my BitLocker recovery key?
- Why is Windows asking for my BitLocker recovery key?
- How was BitLocker activated on my device?
- Related topics
If your system is asking you for your BitLocker recovery key, the following information may help you locate your recovery key and understand why you're being asked to provide it.
BitLocker likely ensured that a recovery key was safely backed up prior to activating protection. There are several places that your recovery key may be, depending on the choice that was made when activating BitLocker:
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•In your Microsoft account: Open a web browser on another device. Go to https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey to find your recovery key.
It should look something like this:
•On a printout: You may have printed your recovery key when BitLocker was activated. Look where you keep important papers related to your computer.
•On a USB flash drive: Plug the USB flash drive into your locked PC and follow the instructions. If you saved the key as a text file on the flash drive, use a different computer to read the text file.
Your BitLocker recovery key is a unique 48-digit numerical password that can be used to unlock your system if BitLocker is otherwise unable to confirm for certain that the attempt to access the system drive is authorized.
BitLocker is the Windows encryption technology that protects your data from unauthorized access by encrypting your drive and requiring one or more factors of authentication before it will unlock it.
Windows will require a BitLocker recovery key when it detects a possible unauthorized attempt to access the data. This extra step is a security precaution intended to keep your data safe and secure. This can also happen if you make changes in hardware, firmware, or software which BitLocker cannot distinguish from a possible attack. In these cases, BitLocker may require the extra security of the recovery key even if the user is an authorized owner of the device. This is to be certain that the person trying to unlock the data really is authorized.
There are three common ways for BitLocker to start protecting your device:
•Your device is a modern device that meets certain requirements to automatically enable device encryption: In this case your BitLocker recovery key is automatically saved to your Microsoft account before protection is activated.
•An owner or administrator of your personal device activated BitLocker (also called device encryption on some devices) through the Settings app or Control Panel: In this case the user activating BitLocker either selected where to save the key or (in the case of device encryption) it was automatically saved to their Microsoft account.
•A work or school organization that is managing your device (currently or in the past) activated BitLocker protection on your device: In this case the organization may have your BitLocker recovery key.
•Back up your BitLocker recovery key
•Device encryption in Windows
- 3 min
May 25, 2022 · If your computer asks for your BitLocker recovery key, this video will help you find it. BitLocker encrypts your hard drive to protect your data, but sometimes it gets a little unhappy and...
- 8 min
- 771.5K
- Pro Tech Show
May 22, 2021 · Microsoft has recently been enabling Bitlocker automatically leaving users unaware of the recovery key. This is how you find the key! Two methods are present...
- 5 min
- 912K
- Chris Titus Tech
Mar 24, 2022 · Fortunately, viewing that recovery key is easy. Just head over to account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey . For extra safety, you can make a backup of your recovery key—but...
Dec 23, 2022 · You’ll find the recovery key below your PC’s name or model number. The “Key ID” is the BitLocker recovery key identifier, not the recovery key. The 48 hyphenated digits in the “Recovery Key” column are what you need to unlock the BitLocker-encrypted drive.
People also ask
What is a recovery key and how do I use it?
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Apr 18, 2021 · If you lost or don't know your BitLocker key (ex: password, PIN, USB) but you have your BitLocker recovery key for an encrypted OS, fixed, or removable drive, you can use that recovery key to unlock your drive. The BitLocker recovery key is a 48-digit number stored in your computer.
