Instructions
BitLocker may fail to unlock when the key is entered. When the key is entered (even when registered in Active Directory), BitLocker reports the key was accepted and the unlock was successful, but then prompts you to reenter the key again. This behavior then loops.
Work around To Unlock
To terminate this BitLocker recovery loop, BitLocker must be suspended from within WinRE. To do so, follow these steps:
- On the page where you are asked to enter the recovery key, select the Skip this drive link at the bottom. You should be presented with a menu that will let you get to a command prompt. The sequence is Advanced options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command prompt.
- In the command prompt, use the following command to check the BitLocker status of the C: Drive:
- If the status is returned as locked, you mustuse the following command to unlock it using your recovery password:
- Once the drive is unlocked, you must use the following command to suspend protection:
- Exit and reboot.
- The computer should now successfully boot Windows. Once there, use the BitLocker control panel to resume BitLocker protection.
Helpful Links
Additional Information
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Affected Products
Alienware, Inspiron, OptiPlex, Vostro, XPS, G Series, G Series, Alienware, Inspiron, Latitude, Vostro, XPS, Fixed Workstations, Mobile Workstations
FAQs
Sometimes the correct BitLocker recovery key not working issue is related to the encrypted drive itself. If the drive gets corrupted, BitLocker may stop accepting the recovery key or password even if it is correct. In this case, reformatting the drive can help you fix the problem.
How to unlock drive locked by BitLocker without recovery key? ›
If you do not have the BitLocker password and recovery key, you need to format the encrypted drive to remove the encryption or turn to third-party tools, such as Passware Kit, Elcomsoft Forensic Disk Decryptor, or Elcomsoft Distributed Password Recovery. EaseUS will provide detailed guides on how.
How do I force BitLocker to unlock? ›
To unlock their drives, users must open “This PC” (or “My Computer”, depending on the version of Windows), right-click on the encrypted drive icons with the locked yellow padlock icon, click "Unlock Drive" and provide the Password.
How do I get my BitLocker recovery key when locked out? ›
If your system is asking you for your BitLocker recovery key, there are several places that your recovery key may be located, depending on the choice that was made when activating BitLocker. If you saved the key to your Microsoft account, you can access it by going to https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey.
What to do if my recovery key is not working? ›
If the recovery key does not work the only option is to reset the computer back to factory defaults. This will erase all of your data however.
How do I get out of BitLocker Loop? ›
How to bypass BitLocker recovery screen on startup?
- Method 1: Suspend BitLocker protection and resume it.
- Method 2: Remove the protectors from the boot drive.
- Method 3: Enable the secure boot.
- Method 4: Update your BIOS.
- Method 5: Disable the secure boot.
- Method 6: Use legacy boot.
Perform the steps below: 1. Navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings 2. Press Restart 3. Skip the first Bitlocker recovery key prompt by pressing Esc 4.
What is the command for BitLocker unlock? ›
If the status is returned as locked, you must use the following command to unlock it using your recovery password: manage-bde -unlock c: -rp your 48-digit recovery password.
How do I recover a locked drive with BitLocker? ›
To recover BitLocker, a user can use a recovery password, if available. The BitLocker recovery password is unique to the device it was created on, and can be saved in different ways. Depending on the configured policy settings, the recovery password can be: Saved in Microsoft Entra ID, for Microsoft Entra joined.
What triggers a BitLocker lockout? ›
The BitLocker recovery key prompt can be triggered by a variety of reasons, including hardware changes, software updates (especially if BIOS update is involved), etc. It is not necessarily alarming. The recent security update can be definitely a trigger here as well.
BitLocker Frequently Asked Questions.
- Start/Restart the computer, and press F2 to enter the bios setup.
- Click unlock and give the standard BIOS password.
- Navigate to Settings > Security > TPM Security.
- Note if it says "TPM" or "TPM 2"
- Click the "Clear" radio button or checkbox.
Can I unlock bitlocker without password and recovery key? If you don't have the BitLocker password and recovery key, you may need to format the drive to remove the encryption, or use the third-party tools, such as Passware Kit, Elcomsoft Forensic Disk Decryptor, and Elcomsoft Distributed Password Recovery.
How to get computer out of BitLocker mode? ›
To exit the BitLocker recovery screen, you will need to enter the recovery key. The recovery key is a 48-digit code that was provided to you when you first enabled BitLocker on your device. If you don't have the recovery key, you can't enter the drive.
Why is BitLocker recovery not letting me type letters? ›
1 answer. BitLocker Recovery Keys are all numeric. If you are unable to type letters in the recovery key box, it is because BitLocker recovery keys consist of 48 numbers and do not contain characters. If you are still unable to type in the recovery key box, try pressing the fn+num lock key at the same time.
How do I resolve a BitLocker recovery key? ›
The simplest option is to save it to a text file.
- Save the text file in a place that will be easy for you to remember, such as My Documents.
- You can also save a copy onto another secure computer as a backup to the backup.
- Open the text file after saving it, then scroll down to look for the recovery key.
Navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings 2. Press Restart 3. Skip the first Bitlocker recovery key prompt by pressing Esc 4. Skip the second Bitlocker recovery key prompt by selecting Skip This Drive in the bottom right 5.
Why is the BitLocker recovery key asking again and again? ›
Whenever you connect a drive to your PC and it is detected in the boot list, BitLocker will ask for the recovery key. If you're not connecting any devices and it keeps asking for the recovery key, it is because the boot support for Preboot for TBT and USB-C/TBT is turned on by default.
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