Installed new harddrive on computer, old one locked and we cant find the bitlock key anywere

Buster soderstrom 0 Reputation points
2026-10-22T10:39:23.3366667+00:00

Hey,

Yesterday i installed a new harddrive and windows on it since i needed more memory for my music production. When i got into the desktop on the new computer i saw the old one was locked. I have tried exactly everything. The "computer" is under my microsoft account and a green check on the bitlock. When i press it it says i have no bitlock keys transfered to my account.

I tried removing the new drive and booting up on the old one but im still locked out. I cant risk deleting anything on that drive since its years of work and music projects.

I've literally scanned the net and tried to get in contact with anyone at support without any luck. How can windows lock me out of my own drive and then not even help me to recover a key that i didnt even know i should have in the first place. This is why i always worked on apple products for my music stuff earlier and this doesnt help me to stay on windows in the future.

What do i do?

Windows for home | Other | Recovery and backup
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  1. AI answer

    2026-10-22T10:39:44.08+00:00

    BitLocker can require the recovery key after a hardware change such as replacing drives or other components. The recovery key is a 48-digit number, and Microsoft Support cannot retrieve, provide, or recreate a lost key.

    Use this recovery path:

    1. On the BitLocker recovery screen, note the first 8 digits of the recovery key ID.
    2. Check the Microsoft account recovery key page from another device and match that key ID to a listed key: https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey
    3. If the device was ever signed in with a work or school account, check that account as well:
    4. Check whether the key was saved somewhere else when BitLocker was enabled:
      • a printed copy
      • a USB flash drive
      • another person’s Microsoft account, if that person originally set up the device or enabled BitLocker
    5. If the drive was unlocked with a startup key on USB and that USB was lost, the drive can still only be unlocked with the recovery key.

    Important points for this case:

    • A device showing under the Microsoft account does not guarantee the recovery key is stored there.
    • If BitLocker or Device Encryption was enabled by another user or administrator, the key may be in that person’s Microsoft account or in an organization account.
    • If the correct recovery key cannot be found, there is no supported way to bypass BitLocker encryption and access the data.

    Last resort:

    • If the recovery key cannot be found, the only supported option is to reset or reformat the device/drive to use it again.
    • Warning: resetting or formatting removes files. For a drive containing years of music projects, this means data loss.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. DaveM121 946.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-22T11:15:25.9866667+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?

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