How to Get BitLocker Recovery Key from CMD in Windows 11/10

What is BitLocker recovery key?

First let's understand the BitLocker recovery key. BitLocker recovery key is a unique sequence of 48-digit numbers required to access the encrypted drive, in case you forget your password or encounter a problem that prevents normal access (such as a hardware change or system failure).

Why is your computer asking for BitLocker recovery key? BitLocker keeps an eye out for modifications to the boot settings on the system. For security purposes, BitLocker asks for the key whenever it detects a new device in the boot list or an external storage device that is attached. This is normal behavior.

Then you may ask how do I find my BitLocker recovery key? This post will mainly tell you how to use CMD method. But some other convenient methods will also be shown in the post.

How to get BitLocker recovery key from CMD Windows 11/10

It should be clear to those who know more about computers that CMD is a command-line interpreter application available in most Windows operating systems. It's used to execute entered commands. Most of those commands automate tasks via scripts and batch files, perform advanced administrative functions, and solve certain kinds of Windows issues.

You can quickly and easily solve the problem just by using some basic command lines, so when you don't know how to get BitLocker recovery key from CMD Windows 11/10, you can operate in this way.

The advantages of the command line interface are: better control over the operating system or application; faster management of many operating systems; the ability to store scripts to automate routine tasks.

The following will introduce you to the detailed steps to get the BitLocker recovery key:

Step 1. Press Win + R keys to open the Run box.

Step 2. Type cmd, then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run Command Prompt as Administrator.

Step 3. Click Yes to confirm.

Step 4. Type manage-bde -protectors H: -get (Example shows H disk). Then press Enter. Then you should see the recovery key on screen.

These are the steps of how to get BitLocker recovery key from CMD Windows 10/11. It is not complicated. For those who are familiar with CMD, this method is indeed convenient and fast.

Alternative 5 ways to get recovery key on Windows 11/10

After learning how to get BitLocker recovery key from CMD in Windows 11, it's essential to explore alternative methods. Here, we present five different ways of getting the recovery key.

Way 1. Access your Microsoft Account

Important information is stored in your Microsoft account, which also acts as the hub of a flawless Microsoft experience. Accessing this account with ease is among the most practical and effective methods for obtaining the Windows 11 recovery key.

Step 1. Go to your Microsoft profile.

Step 2. Enter your credentials and Sign in.

Step 3. Go to Devices and select View details under Computer.

Step 4. Find the BitLocker Data Protection segment and click Manage recovery keys.

Step 5. You may view the information on your recovery key there.

Way 2. Retrieve from your USB flash drive

It is possible to save the BitLocker recovery key that is generated on a USB flash drive. This procedure will result in a text document with the recovery key on your USB stick.

Step 1. Insert the USB containing the recovery key into the computer.

Step 2. Access the drive's contents and locate the BitLocker file.

Step 3. To save it for later use, open the text file that contains the key and transcribe it.

Way 3. Search a txt file in File Explorer

Follow these steps on the same computer to locate the BitLocker recovery key that you forgot. Depending on whether you used the Save to a file option on the same computer or another device or network, you can choose to store your recovery key in a ".txt" or ".bek" format.

Step 1. Double-click This PC/My Computer to open the File Explorer.

Step 2. Search BitLocker recovery key in the search bar. Windows will find this file automatically.

Step 3. Find a file named BitLocker Recovery Key in your directory and format it in ".txt" or ".bek".

Step 4. Open the file and you can see the actual Recovery Key.

Way 4. Retrieve from your Printout

Another technique for retrieval is to print the BitLocker recovery key. Locate the physical copy of Windows 11's BitLocker recovery key if you've decided to use this technique. Look through your computer's notes or any other secure place you might have kept this crucial data.

Way 5. Use your Azure Account

You may have accessed your Azure Active Directory (AD) account with an email address linked to an institution to which you belong, such as a school or workplace account. If you have an AD account and may have saved BitLocker keys, you may retrieve them by following these steps:

Step 1. Open the Azure Portal.

Step 2. Go to Azure Active Directory.

Step 3. Choose Devices from the left panel.

Step 4. Select All devices.

Step 5. Identify the device linked to BitLocker.

Step 6. Visit its Properties and scroll down to find the recovery key.

Step 7. Click Show Recovery Key to access recovery key details.

Manage BitLocker with AOMEI Partition Assistant

About all the methods we introduced above may be more suitable for people who are more familiar with computers, if you are a beginner in computer, you may not understand BitLocker encryption, in addition, if you are a Windows Home user, you don't even have BitLocker on your computer.

But don't worry, instead of going to the Internet to collect various system tutorials, we recommend you use a reliable third-party software AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional to help you solve these problems so that you can easily manage your BitLocker better, with no worry about forgetting or losing the recovery key.

Why choose AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional?

✔ Compatibility: Almost all Windows 11/10/8/7 versions, including Windows 11/10 Home Edition, are supported.

✔ Extensive features: BitLocker off/on, disk lock/unlock, password changes, and recovery key backup are all provided from a single interface.

✔ Easy to use: Designed with simplicity of use in mind for users of all skill levels, particularly novices.

✔ Security: Adheres to Microsoft BitLocker's stringent security requirements by using the AES encryption technique.

The following is a detailed guide on using AOMEI software to manage BitLocker:

1. Enable/disable BitLocker

Select the destination drive and select Turn on BitLocker or Turn off BitLocker from the software's menu to enable or disable BitLocker. It is possible to identify someone using both a recovery key and a password.

2. Back up your BitLocker recovery key

It might be difficult to find your keys again if you misplace or lose them. AOMEI software allows you to print or export the key to a file for backup.

3. Change BitLocker password

To ensure data security, change or update your BitLocker password on a regular basis. With AOMEI software, you may change your password using either the current password or the recovery key.

4. Lock/unlock the drive

When a disk is locked, protected data on a BitLocker volume cannot be accessed. Use a recovery key or password to unlock the disk in order to reclaim ownership of any sensitive data.

BitLocker preservation and encryption are made easier with AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. It also provides a readily available option that is especially useful for Home users of Windows 10 and 11.

FAQs

Q: How to unlock BitLocker by cmd?

A: Open Command Prompt as an administrator and type one of the following commands: manage-bde -unlock X: -Password or manage-bde -unlock X: -RecoveryPassword. Remember to replace the letter “X” with the drive letter of the BitLocker encrypted drive.

Q: How to check BitLocker using cmd?

A: Press and hold the Windows button and R on the keyboard, type cmd and press Enter. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator. In the command prompt, type manage-bde -status and press Enter. View the status of BitLocker on the drives in the computer.

Q: What do I do if I don't know my BitLocker recovery key?

A: 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.

Conclusion

Learning how to get BitLocker recovery key from CMD Windows 11 is essential, regardless of whether you're dealing with a forgotten password or a system problem.

For those less familiar with computer operations or using Windows Home computers, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional Edition presents a user-friendly solution. With its comprehensive features and simplicity, it's a reliable choice for managing BitLocker encryption efficiently.

In addition to supporting BitLocker encryption, this multipurpose software may also be used to clone disk for disk upgrade and allocate free space from one drive to another. For Windows server users, there is also a Server Edition available.