No bitlocker numerical password displayed

Question

_{Monday, April 15, 2019 6:59 PM}

Hello,

I have a Levono S100 computer using Windows 10.

When I go to the recovery partition, to do a factory reinstall, I need to bring a BitLocker numerical password.

But the following command do not display it as I seen in the web for a number of other users.

I have no saved BitLocker key in USB, nor in files, nor in shared or

network, nor in Microsoft account.

What can I do to restore this computer ?

Thanks.

(I have manually recopied from the locked computer)

X:\windows\system32>manage-bde.exe -protectors -get c:

Chiifrement de lecteur BitLocker : outil de configuration version 10.0.14...

Copyright (C) 2013 Microsoft...

Volume C: [Etiquette inconnue]

    Mot de passe numérique :

       ID : {22512461-B003-44DB-9CC0-56808448B4A8}

    TPM :

      ID : {E5401084-5340-4F73-954F-6D6BDF44FF55}

      Profile de validation PCR :

          7, 11

All replies (9)

_{Tuesday, April 16, 2019 11:09 AM}

Is a factory reinstallation really needed, i mean, does it still boot? if it still boots and you can logon and you have an caccount that has administrative rights, you can read out the recovery key at any time using exactly that command that you wrote down.

If it does not boot, you will need to do a clean installation from normal setup media since the recovery process that you describe seems to require the recovery key.

_{Wednesday, April 17, 2019 5:30 PM}

Thank you for your help Ronald.

What do you mean by "boot" ?

When I switch on the laptop, I systematically get a BitLocker screen asking for a key.

Since the Windows system is installed in C: and C is locked, then no login screen.

_{Thursday, April 18, 2019 6:24 AM}

"Booting" is the procedure to start the operating system. So the question to you is: doe you still get to the windows logon mask and can you logon, or not?

_{Friday, April 19, 2019 6:35 PM}

No, Windows do not start.

So, what can I do to retrieve BiLocker key ?

Thanks.

_{Sunday, April 21, 2019 8:42 AM}

Ok.

What I would do: install clean, without using a recovery partition.

Create a setup usb stick using the so-called "media creation tool": https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 , boot from it and when at the language selection prompt, press shift-F10 ->a command line will appear. Then, launch these commands one after the other

--

diskpart

list disk

select disk x

(x will most probably need to be 0)

clean

--

Now close the command line and re-install windows. Bitlocker will not interfere.

_{Sunday, April 21, 2019 9:01 AM | 1 vote}

So, what can I do to retrieve BiLocker key ?

Thanks.

_{Sunday, April 21, 2019 11:14 AM}

When setting up bitlocker, it was mandatory to save or print the key. So if you cannot find what you saved or printed, there is nothing you can do but format the drive and reinstall.

_{Monday, January 20, 2020 11:53 AM}

In my case I can login but manage-bde -protectors -get C: only displays "TPM" as key protector. So even after login there is not a "Numeric Password" key protector for me to retrieve the recovery key. Protection is on and disk is encrypted just fine. 

command: manage-bde -on C: -RecoveryPassword -SkipHardwareTest

Strangely, same command works like a charm on all desktops. issue with lenovo ThinkPads only. Any suggestion why is there not a "Numeric Password" key protector?

_{Monday, January 20, 2020 12:06 PM}

"Normally", as in "you encrypt manually", it would be set automatically.

If however, you or another admin used commands to encrypt it, one can choose not to create a recovery key, or, to create it and later delete it.

Create a recovery key, now:

manage-bde -protectors -add c: -rp