Windows 10: BitLocker locked my drive by itself after failed automatic repair and recovery key is missing

Hi all,

I have a Dell XPS 13 9360 running Windows 10.1 Home. Here's what happened:

• I was using Spotify one day and my computer started hanging. So I restarted the computer via the Start menu.
• The computer went into automatic repair and then automatic repair failed. I disabled automatic repair using bcdedit and rebooted.
• Then the computer went into Windows recovery. When I was exploring the different options on recovery, I noticed that some of them requested for the Bitlocker recovery key before I could proceed.
• This was the first time I knew of BitLocker’s existence, so I definitely did not activate BitLocker manually. I’m not sure how my internal SSD contents got encrypted on their own.
• I tried solutions like secure boot in BIOS, resetting BIOS settings to their defaults, all with no luck. At one point I also re-enabled Automatic repair.
• Now, when the affected computer is booted up, I am brought to the BitLocker recovery screen.

Based on my reading and conversations with Microsoft Tech Support, when a Windows 10 Home computer is purchased, and the user signs in to a Microsoft account on first startup, BitLocker is setup automatically.


So I went to that same Microsoft account that I used to setup the affected computer.


Sure enough, my device was listed there:





It even told me BitLocker was ON when I clicked “Manage”.






However when I clicked “Manage recovery key” and I got past the 2 factor authentication, I got this…






? It seems that no recovery key is associated with my account. But how is that possible given that this was the correct account that was used to setup the device, the device is listed in the account, and it even tells me BitLocker ON?


Regarding the other possibilities where BitLocker recovery keys may be found:

1. The hyperlinks https://onedrive.live.com/recoverykey, aka.ms/recoverykey also don't work.
2. This is a home computer, so the recovery key cannot be on Azure Active Directory services.
3. Since BitLocker was activated by itself, there’s also no way the recovery key could be on a printout.
4. I’ve already checked all my USB drives and no recovery key was present.

The data in my computer is valuable so I can't afford to format the disk.

Could someone help? Thanks.


Moved from: Outlook.com / Security, privacy, accounts / Other

:)

 

bitlocker recovery key

I have a PC that has bitlocker turned on. When I put the password to load into the OS, it shows "Repairing Automatic Repair"

Then, it shows BitLocker and it needs a USB drive that contains the BitLocker recovery key. I put the USB and it did not fined it. I tried to insert the recovery key manually, but it did not work. Could you please help me with that.

 

recovery bitlocker blue screen

Hi Rick,

Please follow the suggestions below and check if you are able to boot to your desktop.

• Places to look for your BitLocker key:
  • On a printout you saved. Look in places you keep important papers.
    
  • Saved on a USB flash drive. Plug the USB flash drive into your locked PC and follow the instructions. If you saved the key as a text file on the flash drive, use a different computer to read the text file.
  • In your Microsoft account. To get your recovery key, go to
    BitLocker Recovery Keys.

• Or ask someone for help:
  • Ask someone with administrator privileges on the same PC to unlock it with their key.
  • If your PC is connected to a domain (usually a work or school computer), ask a system administrator for your recovery key

Hope this helps in resolving the bitlocker recovery keys. Keep us posted on the bitlocker recovery key issues. We are happy to help!

 

bitlocker key recovery

"Find my BitLocker recovery key"

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...b-aa71c00ea55e/find-my-bitlocker-recovery-key

How to Unlock a Windows 7 Computer Locked by BitLocker Drive Encryption

BitLocker Drive Encryption - Unlock a Locked Data or Removable Drive - Windows 7 Help Forums

If none of that helps you, the Data is lost.

Cheers.