What to Do If Forgot BitLocker Password in Windows 11?

What is a BitLocker recovery key?

When a hard drive is encrypted with BitLocker, a unique set of 48-digit numerical passwords is generated. That is the BitLocker recovery key or password. It is crucial to retain and preserve the password in a secure location. The encrypted hard drive cannot be accessed or unlocked if the BitLocker password is lost or forgotten. Additionally, you may encounter a variety of problems, including "BitLocker Recovery Key Not Working," "BitLocker Fatal Error," and "BitLocker not showing for USB."

Is it possible to avoid the BitLocker Recovery Password Key?

Is it possible to circumvent the BitLocker recovery key? Typically, the BitLocker drive encryption does not request the recovery key during a standard startup. Nevertheless, you may be unable to exit the BitLocker recovery interface during startup as a result of a system crash or modifications to the motherboard hardware. In this scenario, you may attempt to circumvent the BitLocker recovery key by reviewing the methods outlined in this post.

After formatting the BitLocker drive, is it possible to retrieve data?

Some individuals have reported that they are still unable to locate the BitLocker password and recover the key. Therefore, they intend to format the BitLocker encrypted device. Is it possible to retrieve data following the formatting process? Regrettably, the response is "No."

BitLocker encryption is a full-disk encryption method that can only remove the password. However, the formatted data remains encrypted and requires the BitLocker recovery password to be decrypted. This is the reason. Additionally, the data that you have recovered from the formatted drive consists of a limited number of incomprehensible texts.

What is the location of the BitLocker Recovery Key?

Where can the BitLocker recovery password be located? As you may be aware, the recovery key can be stored in a variety of locations, such as a TXT file, a paper document, a USB flash drive, or your Microsoft account. If you inadvertently forget your BitLocker recovery key, you may attempt to locate it by consulting these sources.

How to fix forgot BitLocker password & recovery key

What should you do if you have forgotten your BitLocker recovery key? The following six accessible methods were summarised after an extensive analysis of technical references and user reports. Let us attempt them sequentially.

Way 1. Locate the BitLocker Recovery Key on your computer or USB drive

The BitLocker Pin recovery key can be stored in various locations, as previously mentioned. If you have backed up your BitLocker password and have forgotten it, it is feasible to retrieve it. You may attempt to locate it by accessing your Microsoft account. If it is not present here, verify that it is either written on a paper document or stored on a USB flash drive.

Furthermore, the BitLocker password may be stored on your local computer in a BEK file designated BitLocker Recovery Key. To locate it, select the Win + E keys to open the Windows File Explorer. Subsequently, enter *.bek in the search box and press Enter. Wait for the scan to conclude. Afterward, you may verify the search results to determine whether the recovery key has been located.

Way 2. Attempt to access the website using your typical passwords

BitLocker cautions users to establish a password that is both unique and robust for the encrypted drive. However, some individuals may repurpose their familiar or frequently used passwords. Therefore, if you have forgotten your BitLocker recovery key, attempt to recollect all of the standard passwords, such as your Microsoft account password, your Google login password, and your email password. If you are fortunate enough to locate the appropriate BitLocker recovery password, you will be able to decrypt the encrypted drive.

Way 3. Perform a force recovery via Command Prompt

Some users reported that they find the BitLocker Pin recovery by performing a force recovery through the CMD. Here you can try this on a local computer or remote computer. Choose one according to your situation.

1. Perform a force recovery on a local computer:

Step 1. Type cmd in the Search box, and then right-click the Command Prompt app from the top result and select Run as administrator. Then click on Yes when you are prompted to access the admin privilege.

Step 2. Type the following command in the elevated Command Prompt window and press Enter. In this instance, you must substitute the with your encrypted drive: manage-bde -forcerecovery

2. Perform a force recovery for a remote computer:

If you were a domain administrator, you may attempt to perform a force recovery on a remote computer.

Step 1. Open the elevated Command Prompt window just as we explained above.

Step 2. Type the following command and hit Enter.

manage-bde -ComputerName -forcerecovery

Way 4. Reset BitLocker Pin Recovery Key or Password

If you have forgotten the BitLocker Pin recovery or password on Windows 10, you may attempt to modify or reset it. There are two methods for modifying or resetting the BitLocker Pin recovery or password.

1. Utilise File Explorer to modify or reset the BitLocker pin

Step 1. To access the File Explorer, press the Win + E keys. Subsequently, right-click on the system drive or any other BitLocker encrypted drive and select "Change BitLocker PIN."

Step 2. Click on the "Reset a forgotten PIN" link in the pop-up window. It will enable you to establish a new password without requiring the current PIN.

2. Change/Reset BitLocker Pin via Command Prompt

Step 1. Open the elevated Command Prompt window.

Step 2. To change your current BitLocker PIN, type the following command and hit Enter. Then type the new PIN when you’re prompted and hit Enter. Here you need to replace C: with the drive letter that you encrypted with BitLocker.

Manage-bde -changepin C:

Step 3. To change the BitLocker Password, you can run the following command. Here we take E drive for example.

manage-bde -changepassword C:

Way 5. Format the BitLocker drive

If you have verified that the encrypted drive does not contain any critical data, the most efficient method of eliminating BitLocker encryption is to reformat the drive.

Step 1. Reopen the elevated Command Prompt window.

Step 2. In the elevated Command Prompt window, enter the following commands in the specified order and press Enter after each one.

diskpart

list disk

select disk * (replace * with the disk number that contains the BitLocker encrypted drive)

list partition

select partition * (replace * with the partition number of your encrypted drive)

format fs=ntfs quick

Recover the lost BitLocker recovery key

If you have forgotten your BitLocker password and the BitLocker recovery key has been accidentally deleted, what should you do? Do not be alarmed! The BitLocker recovery key can be retained as a document file on your local computer or USB flash drive, as previously mentioned. If this scenario pertains to you, you are fortunate. The deleted/lost BitLocker recovery key document file can be easily recovered using a professional data recovery tool.

AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is a potent disk and partition management tool. The “Data Recover” feature of this handy tool can effortlessly recover deleted files, partitions, and drives from the Desktop, Recycle Bin, unallocated space on various storage devices. Furthermore, it can assist in the recovery of data with, even if the system is unable to launch.

Step 1. Open the main interface of AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional and select "Recover" from the top toolbar. Then, select "Recover Data."

Step 2. At this point, the Recover Windows Data tool will appear. Choose the desired partition location where data recovery should commence, and then click on "Start Scan".

Step 3. After the scanning process is complete, you will see a comprehensive list of deleted files, including those from the recycle bin and other missing files. Simply select the data you wish to recover, and proceed by clicking on "Recover".

Step 4. Now, designate a specific folder path on your PC where the recovered data will be saved.

Step 5. Once the recovery process is successfully completed, your data will be securely saved to the designated path you selected earlier.

Conclusion

Your BitLocker password being forgotten can be a source of great frustration. Your confidential information is encrypted; however, it is not accessible. In this guide, we have examined a variety of strategies to assist you in rediscovering your motivation. If you are in quest of a user-friendly solution, especially if you are apprehensive about complex commands, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is strongly recommended. It is an exceptional tool for managing encrypted devices, although a password is lost, due to its user-friendly design, robust functionality, and emphasis on security.