Windows 10: Bitlocker Revocery key not working, locked out of laptop

Hello,My laptop asks for a recovery key for Bitlocker, though I have no idea what this is nor how I got it at all. I enter the key correctly. The screen says that it's preparing for Auto Repair. Says Auto repair doesn't work. I try to restart my computer. That doesn't work. I try to re-enter the recovery key. This leads me to the same thing as before. Tried to enter a line in the Command Prompt, but it says thag my syntax is incorrect.If I turn off and on my computer, it leads to the same thing. In an endless cycle. Please help!

:)

 

BitLocker recovery key not working - locked out of my laptop

I am on a Dell using OS Windows 11 and BitLocker recovery key not working - locked out of my laptop

I clearly see the key (looked up on my phone and my work computer in my MS account) but it does not work.

Yesterday my machine said said it had updates to install so I did then hit restart, now I have nothing but a BitLocker screen.

Please help!

 

BitLocker Key

There may be a software that triggered the BitLocker in your Windows 10 PC. To assist you better, we suggest that you check these articles for further information:

• Find my BitLocker recovery key.
• BitLocker recovery keys: Frequently asked questions.

• BitLocker

Let us know if you need further assistance.

 

Unexpectedly locked out of laptop / no BitLocker recovery key

Greg,

Thank you for your posting in reply to this problem. I just posted the following in reply to one of the many folks reporting this problem (on this thread) of a Dell BIOS update triggering Bitlock to lock their drive and prompt for a non-available unlock key. The fix described below worked for me and should work for others with a similar situation where a BIOS update caused the lock on their drive. The core problem is that Bitlock is NOT enabled as user discretion, but becomes an OEM-installed forced option on setup of the new computer ... and is a ticking time bomb. Of even more concern is that the unlock keys are NOT known to the user. This is a problem that Dell must fix to keep customers from falling into a serious trap caused by the OEM configuration.

This fix is multiple step, but hopefully described well enough to be usable for those with patience!

-- Don

A FIX THAT WORKED FOR ME, AND HOPEFULLY FOR ANYONE having faced a locked computer and the Bitlock key prompt AFTER a BIOS update.

The situation for me and for many was that Dell Support Assist downloaded a BIOS update to the Dell XPS 13 laptop (BIOS UPDATE 2.16.0), and then, for an unrelated reason, I had to restart my laptop. This triggered the Bitlocker encryption software that was loaded by DELL at manufacture and original configuration to believe that a hardware change occurred and therefore Bitlocker locks the active drive and prompts for the Bitlocker recovery key, which will NOT be stored on the user's Microsoft account, and which DELL support and Microsoft support will say they do not have, with their only option being to reload Windows (this was Windows 10 Home Edition for me) which WIPES OUT ALL USER DATA!!

Having some 50 years experience with IBM PC-compatible system configuration, updates, and BIOS management, I would not take losing all my data as an option. I reverted to a version of BIOS that matched my laptop's manufacture date (but not earlier than the DELL 2.7.1 BIOS update!), set the BIOS to "enable Secure Boot," restarted, and voila! all was back to normal. I immediately turned Bitlocker off, unencrypted the disk so this would NEVER EVER be an issue again, and now write this answer.

The key steps, which require a separate computer AND a blank USB stick drive (4GB is fine):

STEP ONE:

On a separate computer, download from the Dell Support website (https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us?app=drivers) the BIOS update that is closest to your laptop's date of manufacture, but not earlier than 2.7.1. To do this, you will need to enter your Dell Service Tag into the Dell Support Downloads web page (look at the bottom of your computer for this). Look for "BIOS Update" and then click the "Earlier versions" where you will look for the BIOS update closest to your laptop's date of manufacture or original purchase when new. (Don't download older than BIOS version 2.7.1). Save THAT earlier version of Dell's BIOS update in a folder on your OTHER computer where you will know where to find it

STEP TWO:

Create a USB boot stick with FreeDOS as the operating system

Get a clean USB stick with a small capacity (4GB will work), and then follow the great instructions for this at:

Creating a Bootable DOS USB Stick - Thomas-Krenn-Wiki-en

**** Remember that this process will WIPE OUT what is on your USB stick, so if contents are important, copy them first to another computer or device.

Only use the instructions at the top of this web page for creating a Bootable USB disk with the FreeDOS operating system.

**** BE EXTRA CAREFUL to be absolutely certain that Rufus is formatting and creating a boot device ONLY on the USB stick. If you are careless, and don't make sure that it is formatting your USB stick, you could have it format your computer's hard drive, so triple check the DESTINATION for the Rufus formatting process.

STEP THREE:

Use Windows Explorer (Windows Key held down plus tap the letter "E" for Explorer top open Windows Explorer). Locate your downloaded older Dell BIOS updater program. Copy the older BIOS update to your USB stick. This should then be the ONLY thing on your USB stick. Rename the Dell BIOS updater program to something simpler, like 271.exe (for the 2.7.1 Bios version update). PUT THIS BOOTABLE USB stick into your Bitlocker locked computer

STEP FOUR:

Use the power key to turn on the computer that was locked with Bitlocker, but the moment you turn it on, start tapping the F2 key about once a second or faster, until you enter the BIOS setup screen. Look for boot options, and set USB as the primary boot device, ahead of the hard disk. Click on APPLY to apply this change, and then EXIT. This will then cause your computer to reboot. If it does and you get back into the Bitlocker prompt screen, repeat this STEP FOUR again.

STEP FIVE:

To prepare for this step, be sure your Bitlocked laptop is plugged in!

If step four succeeds, you will boot with the USB stick and be faced with the old command prompt. Type DIR and press enter. You should see your BIOS update software, for example 271.exe, if that's what you named it in STEP THREE. If you only see 271, and not 271.exe, you'll have to rename it. Just type the following:

REN 271 271.exe

Note the space between EACH of the command line items, above. Then type DIR and press ENTER. If you see 271.exe, then just type that at the command line, like this:

271

and then press ENTER. You'll see a warning or two as the BIOS update program starts running, and continue with the process by accepting the prompts to overwrite the existing BIOS. The process may take a few minutes. At the end, it should say that the BIOS update was successful (OK even if there was a minor error).

**** Very Important: REMOVE your USB stick before the computer reboots

STEP SIX:

One of two things will now happen. You will either find that Windows opens normally ... then do a happy dance!

OR you will see the same prompt for the Bitlocker key, BUT you may also see a message similar to the following:

"Bitlocker needs the recovery key because SECURE BOOT is disabled."

If you see this message, just shut down the computer with the power key, wait a few seconds and turn on again and immediately start tapping the F2 key. You will go into BIOS setup. Look for Security on the left, click on it to open up the Secure Boot option, and be sure that you check it to ENABLE Secure Boot. Click APPLY changes at the bottom, and exit.

This time, when the computer reboots, you should then return to the normal state of Windows

STEP SEVEN:

If all the above steps have been successful, you can use your computer normally again. However it is essential that you do one last step: TURN OFF Bitlocker encryption so that this situation will never happen again:

Click the search bar next to the Windows Flag at the bottom left of your computer, and type

Manage Bitlocker

and open up the control panel to view Bitlocker settings. It should show System C: Bitlocker on

This is how you got into the situation.

To the right, you'll see Turn Off Bitlocker. Click that ... and then you will have the option to unencrypt your disk ... that will take a while (perhaps an hour). When that's finished, you'll no longer find that your hard drive is locke up by Bitlocker.

LAST STEP:

Be sure to FREQUENTLY back up your entire USER folders contents to a local USB hard drive that is large enough to hold all your contents AND to a cloud drive, such as Microsoft's ONE DRIVE, or Google's DRIVE. Even if the steps, above, have been successful, and you now have access to all your files, be sure that backups (once weekly is nice, once monthly is essential) protect you from the many other causes of loss of your files, including hardware failure.

If this process worked for you, please comment and let everyone know the outcome.

Good luck!