Unsolved
1 Rookie
•
3 Posts
0
22
July 6th, 2025 18:53
Recovery key for bitlocker
How do I get a bit locker recovery key if I don’t have it in my Microsoft account
No Events found!
Unsolved
1 Rookie
•
3 Posts
0
22
July 6th, 2025 18:53
How do I get a bit locker recovery key if I don’t have it in my Microsoft account
Top
ejn63
10 Elder
•
28.6K Posts
0
July 6th, 2025 19:03
Unless you have it backed up elsewhere, you cannot. If that's the case, your data is forever encrypted.
Tinamaggard
1 Rookie
•
3 Posts
0
July 6th, 2025 19:17
I didn’t set one up. Who would of set this up
ejn63
10 Elder
•
28.6K Posts
0
July 6th, 2025 19:31
It's only on by default when Windows 11 24H2 is installed on a system activated with a Microsoft account. Otherwise, it was set up by a user or administrator.
Tinamaggard
1 Rookie
•
3 Posts
0
July 6th, 2025 20:12
Is there a way to change it on my Microsoft account
ejn63
10 Elder
•
28.6K Posts
0
July 6th, 2025 20:21
Not unless the system was activated with an MS account, which your initial post made it sound like it wasn't.
anne_droid
3 Apprentice
•
660 Posts
0
July 7th, 2025 11:29
Hi
Sometimes it may be possible to export / recover the key, depending on the circumstances....
The recovery key grants full access to the encrypted drive. Store it securely and never keep it together with the encrypted device.
In summary, the easiest way to export/access your BitLocker key is via the BitLocker management interface in Windows or your Microsoft account if you linked the key there.
For enterprise-managed devices, recovery keys are often stored in Active Directory and can be exported with PowerShell.
If locked out, recovery depends on having previously saved the key externally.
To access or export your BitLocker recovery key, you have several options depending on your situation and Windows edition:
1. From within Windows (if you can boot into it):
Open Control Panel > BitLocker Drive Encryption.
Click Back up your recovery key next to the encrypted drive.
Choose where to save the key:
Save to your Microsoft Account (accessible at your Microsoft account online).
Save to a USB flash drive (keep it separate from your PC for security).
Save to a file on another drive or external storage.
Print the recovery key for physical backup.
Finish the wizard to complete the backup.
Alternatively, you can use Command Prompt or PowerShell to export the key to a text file:
Command Prompt:
manage-bde -protectors -get C: > %UserProfile%\Desktop\BitLocker_Recovery_Key.txtPowerShell:
(Get-BitLockerVolume -MountPoint C).KeyProtector > $env:UserProfile\Desktop\BitLocker_Recovery_Key.txt(Change the drive letter as needed).
2. If you cannot boot into Windows:
If you saved the recovery key to your Microsoft account, you can retrieve it by logging into your account at the Microsoft recovery keys page.
If saved elsewhere (USB, file, printout), use that backup.
Without a saved recovery key or password, access is not possible.
3. For enterprise or Active Directory environments:
BitLocker recovery keys can be stored and exported from Active Directory using PowerShell scripts or management tools.
Example PowerShell command to export recovery keys from AD to CSV is available, but requires appropriate permissions and setup.
4. Using third-party tools:
For Windows editions that do not natively support exporting recovery keys (e.g., Home editions), tools like Hasleo BitLocker Anywhere can export recovery keys if you know the BitLocker password.