BitLocker Recovery Key Lost in Windows 10? Fix It Quickly!

Help! My BitLocker recovery key lost in Windows 10!

BitLocker is a full-disk encryption feature provided by Microsoft that can help protect your data and prevent unauthorized access to it. When you enable this feature, the system automatically generates a recovery key. It is often used to unlock the drive in emergency situations, such as forgetting the BitLocker password or being unable to unlock the drive normally.

Your BitLocker recovery key is typically stored in a safe location on your device. However, over time, you might forget where it was saved. Additionally, some improper actions may also cause your recovery key to lose.

How to find BitLocker recovery key on Windows 10?

When setting up BitLocker, you are allowed to store the recovery key in a Microsoft account, local file, USB drive, or other safe locations. This section outlines several places where you can find the recovery key. When you find the BitLocker recovery key lost in Windows 10, go to check these locations first.

Solution 1: Check Your Microsoft Account

While setting up BitLocker, many users choose to save the recovery key to their Microsoft accounts. If you have done this, your recovery key is stored in the Microsoft cloud service. You can effortlessly acquire it whenever needed by logging into your Microsoft account.

Follow these steps to find BitLocker recovery key:

Step 1: Visit the Microsoft website and sign in with your account.

Step 2: Navigate to the Computer section and select Devices > View details in turn.

Step 3: Click on Manage recovery keys in the BitLocker Data Protection section.

Step 4: Your recovery key details will be displayed on the interface.

Solution 2: Search through File Explorer

You may have saved the recovery key as a local file on your device. In this situation, you can easily find it through File Explorer even while offline. The file that contains the BitLocker recovery key is typically saved with the name BitLocker Recovery Key and formatted in .txt or .bek.

Here’s how to find the BitLocker recovery key lost in Windows 10:

Step 1: Open File Explorer.

Step 2: Type BitLocker Recovery Key in the search bar and press Enter.

Step 3: Find the desired file and open it. You can get the recovery key by viewing this file.

Solution 3: Search on the USB Drive

Similarly, you may have saved the BitLocker recovery key on a USB drive. Since USB drives are separated from the system, they can protect against unexpected data loss due to system failures. To retrieve the recovery key, simply plug in your drive and search for the relevant file.

Follow these steps to find the BitLocker recovery key on a USB drive:

Step 1: Insert the USB drive into your computer.

Step 2: Search a file with the name BitLocker Recovery Key.

Step 3: Open this file to view your BitLocker recovery key.

Solution 4: Check the Printout Document

If you printed your recovery key when activating the BitLocker, find the printed document to see your key. Alternatively, attempt to find the digital copy of the document on your PC. The recovery key may have been saved as a Microsoft Print to PDF file.

What if the BitLocker recovery key is accidentally deleted?

Can't find BitLocker recovery key in any of these locations? It is possible to lose the recovery key, especially if it was saved to a file. Accidental deletion, unexpected drive formatting, or system failures can all cause the file to lose. Is it possible to recover the BitLocker recovery key?

Sure! When you find your recovery key file lost, check the Recycle Bin first. If there is no result, consider recovering the file through your backups.

In addition, recovering deleted files using professional recovery software is also an excellent option for you, which can help you quickly locate and restore the desired files as needed.

Tips to Manage BitLocker

Issues like "BitLocker recovery key lost in Windows 10!" occur frequently during regular tasks, always leaving us frustrated and stressed. Rather than constantly seeking various solutions, it would be better to manage BitLocker properly.

Managing BitLocker can be challenging for users who are unfamiliar with computers, but there are some great tools. AOMEI Partition Assistant, a user-friendly disk management tool for Windows 11/10, allows you to quickly and easily encrypt BitLocker and manage BitLocker encryption on the Home and other supported Windows system versions.

Here is a comprehensive guide on managing BitLocker in Partition Assistant:

Starts by installing and launching AOMEI Partition Assistant and connecting the drive you want to encrypt. And then click the Tools tab to select BitLocker. Here you are allowed to manage your BitLocker according to your needs.

Turn on/off BitLocker

Step 1: Locate the drive you would like to encrypt with BitLocker and click Turn on BitLocker.

Step 2: Customize a password and click Next.

Step 3: If you want to turn off BitLocker, find the encrypted drive and click Turn off BitLocker.

Step 4: You can use a password or recovery key to decrypt the drive. If you select "Use password to decrypt the drive", please enter a password and click Decryption. The same goes the other way around.

Backup up Recovery Key

Step 1: Locate the encrypted drive you want to backup the recovery key and click Back up recover key.

Step 2: Input the password and click Next.

Step 3: There are two recovery ways available: Save to a file and Print the recovery key. You can choose as needed.

Lock/Unlock the Drive

Step 1: Find the desired drive and click Lock the drive to directly lock it.

Step 2: If you want to unlock it, click the Unlock the drive option.

Step 3: Similarly, you are allowed to unlock it using a password or recovery key.

Change Bitlocker Password

Step 1: Locate the encrypted drive where you want to change the password and click the Change password option.

Step 2: If you choose Use password to change drive password, enter the old password, create a new one, and then click Modify button.

Step 3: Once the modification is successful, a window writing Password changed successfully will appear.

More details about managing BitLocker can be found in How to Easily Encrypt and Manage BitLocker in Partition Assistant?

Bottom Line

BitLocker is a great way to protect your data and prevent unauthorized access to it. When you forget the password, the recovery key can help you manage BitLocker. However, it’s easy to forget where it was saved. This post outlines several common locations where you might have stored the recovery key. If you encounter the issue of a BitLocker recovery key lost in Windows 10, try retrieving it using these methods.

If the key has been deleted, consider recovering it from your backups or using third-party recovery tools. Additionally, it is recommended to use AOMEI Partition Assistant to improve the management of BitLocker.