Windows 10: BitLocker asked to unlock external SSD, but is TPM protected, help!

Good evening,

My Asus Zenbook UX430 UA crashed, and before I send it out for repairs (from what I see, the motherboard is kaput), I wanted to retrieve confidential documents from my SSD. I put it in an external drive caddy, which I connected to my spare laptop, an old Samsung from a few years ago, also with Windows 10. I am asked for the bit locker key, as the drive is locked, but I don't have that info and can't retrieve it of course from the Zenbook. When I look at details of the Asus SSD in Windows Shell, using manage-bde -protectors g: -get, I am given a TPM code and a numeric password code. But of course, I cannot write anything else than numbers, and a TPM code which of course is made off a combination of numbers and letters, which I can't write on the line where I am asked for a bit locker recovery key (which would be only numbers). Looks like my old spare computer is 'confused' as is functioning under the bit locker system, but is trying to read this SSD which is in TPM.

How can I unlock this drive and be able to retrieve my confidential documents before I send the laptop out for repairs, please?

Thanks in advance for your replies, much appreciated!



:)

 

BitLocker asks for recovery key every time on boot on SSD

I did it:
How to enable Windows eDrive encryption for SSDs | Ckode.dk
(enabled encryption using TPM module and BitLocker using SSD build-in encryption)
and after that I changed BIOS to newer version. After that, BitLocker asks for putting recovery key, what I did. It is asking now every time for recovery key, but additionally system drive is not encrypted (according to BitLocker). Samsung Magician says that the third encryption option is enabled.

manage-bde -status in CMD:

Samsung Magican

Specification:

• Lenovo Y700 with TPM
  
• Samsung EVO 840 in GPT
  
• UEFI enabled
  
• Windows 10 Pro
  

When try to enable system partition, then everything is ok, until Bitlocker asks for choosing how much drive to encrypt, what is wrong, because I wanted to encrypt not using software but hardware encryption.

I don't know what I need to do. I worry about reinstalling windows, becouse I worry about losing key and possibility to use drive. There was similar problems with BitLocker askig for recovery key, but I didn't see problem with used SSD.

 

BitLocker with TPM mode protection only?


I have a laptop which is a Dell E6440 and was just wondering if it vulnerable to these DMA attacks through Thunderbolt and Firewire methods.

Reason asking, is because I have BitLocker full disk encryption turned ON with TPM-Only protection (meaning no PIN).
Would this be fine or how can I tell if my laptop is vulnerable to DMA or Memory attacks?

Overall, is it OK to use BitLocker with TPM-only protection or do I need a PIN as well?

 

BitLocker on Surface Pro 3 not working correctly

Hi JulianSchubert,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Community

TPM will lock itself out after a few incorrect authentication attempts. These could be due to incorrect PIN entry for BitLocker or incorrect PIN entry for TPM virtual smartcard PIN. For TPM version 1.2, the lockout behavior depends
on individual TPM manufacturer. For TPM 2.0, the specification states that the TPM will enter lockout after 32 incorrect attempts.

To terminate this BitLocker recovery loop, you need to suspend BitLocker within WinRE, I suggest you to follow the below steps.

Step 1:

1. Choose the “Skip this drive” link at the bottom of the page where you are asked to enter the recovery key. 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).
   
2. Once you have a command prompt,
   use the following command to check the BitLocker status of the C: drive:
   manage-bde -status c:
   
3. If the status is returned as locked, you’ll need to use the following command to unlock it using your recovery password:
   manage-bde -unlock c: -rp <your 48-digit recovery password>
   
4. Once the drive is unlocked you'll need to use the following command to suspend protection:
   manage-bde -protectors -disable c:
   
5. Then exit and reboot. The computer should now successfully boot Windows. Once there, use the BitLocker control panel to resume BitLocker protection.
   
6. You can reset TPM lockout using
   tpm.msc
   

Note: The recovery loop can occur for other reasons such as cases where TPM is disabled or malfunctions. You can still use the above steps to suspend BitLocker and boot Windows in such cases

Hope it helps.