BitLocker Lock-Out NO RECOVERY KEY

Wendy Zellner 20 Reputation points
2026-10-19T12:39:06.37+00:00

I walked in to find my desktop on a BitLocker screen. I registered my computer to my personal Microsoft account but this computer is no longer showing on the 'device' page and there are no BitLocker keys for any of my other devices (laptop or desktop) making me question how this key was ever made. I have tried the BIOS enable/disable; removing recent update; restarting from previous backup; etc. I have 4 months of research data and photos that will cost me tens of thousands of dollars if I loose. Is there ANY way to get access to these files before I have to reinstall windows?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Recovery and backup
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Answer accepted by question author
DaveM121 949.2K Reputation points Independent Advisor
2026-10-19T13:13:08.5866667+00:00

If your drive is encrypted with Bitlocker, the only place the Bitlocker Recovery key is automatically stored is on the associated Microsoft account on the link below, be sure to check any Microsoft account that may have been used on the PC and also any work or school account that may be linked to the PC.

(Note, even if your device does not show on the Microsoft account, the Bitlocker Recovery Key may still be available on this link)

https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey

Are you able to find the Bitlocker Recovery Key on any account that may have been used or linked to the laptop?

If not, do you have a safe backup of your files, or use a cloud service like OneDrive to sync your files online.

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