Bitlocker support

Question

Bitlocker support

Olivia 0

I'm trying to get onto an old device and the bitlocker recovery isn't working. I have logged into Microsoft the device is on my registered ones, but there is no bitlocker recovery.

I don't know what next steps to take. I have called customer service five times and the ai is not helpful at all.

Right now i'm really disappointed in Microsoft and just need to get into my surface go.

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

I wish I could share good news, but the truth is no one can get you the bitlocker key, including Microsoft staff/support. https://support.microsoft.com/windows/find-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-6b71ad27-0b89-ea08-f143-056f5ab347d6 The link here says:"Important: Microsoft Support doesn't have the ability to retrieve, provide, or recreate a lost BitLocker recovery key."

Is this where you looked? https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey

If you set it up with school or work account, it is worth checking here as well https://aka.ms/aadrecoverykey sign in with your work/school email credential in that case.

Any chance your laptop was purchased used, or already set up for you? Or was it gifted? Or have you set it up with a different account at first? The key is stored with the very Microsoft account used to set up the computer for the first time, even if you had got rid of that account and set it up with a different account. So, if your computer was set up by anyone at the store you bought it from, it would be that person's account.

I assume you don't remember opting out of not saving it in Microsoft account, and saving it to a local file instead? That's another possibility.

If you can't find it at all, there's really no way to go around it. Bitlocker means business. If it can be bypassed, then it means the encryption is not working. Your only option is to do a clean install of Windows. In that case, you do lose your files. I am very sorry.

Answer 2

If the recovery key is not shown for any Microsoft account associated with the device, there is no supported way to bypass BitLocker or recreate the missing key. Microsoft Support also can’t retrieve, provide, or recreate a lost BitLocker recovery key.

Next steps:

Check every possible place the key may have been saved:
- Another Microsoft account that may have been used when the device was first set up.
- A work or school account, if the device was ever connected to one.
- A USB drive, printed copy, text file, PDF, backup folder, or cloud storage.
- Match the Key ID shown on the BitLocker screen with the first 8 characters of any stored key.
If the device was ever managed by work or school, contact the organization’s IT administrator. Recovery keys can be stored in Microsoft Entra ID, AD DS, MBAM, Intune, or Configuration Manager BitLocker Management.
If the Surface started asking for the key after a UEFI or TPM firmware update, and the correct recovery key is available, the documented recovery path is:
- Create a Surface recovery USB from another computer.
- Boot the Surface from that USB.
- Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
- Run:
```
     manage-bde.exe -unlock -recoverypassword <Password> <DriveLetter>:
     manage-bde.exe -protectors -disable <DriveLetter>:
```
- Restart and enter the recovery password again.
If Windows still does not start but the correct recovery key is available, the drive can be unlocked from the recovery environment and data can be copied off with copy or xcopy before resetting the device.
If the recovery key cannot be found anywhere, the remaining option is to reset or reinstall Windows by using a Surface recovery image. Warning: this removes the existing data on the drive.

For a personal Surface device, support options listed include using the Surface app or Get Help. For a work or school device, contact the organization’s IT helpdesk or admin.