Windows 10: If device encryption is turned on, should bitlocker require a recovery key every startup?

I updated my laptop last night and it began prompting me for a Bitlocker recovery key. I was able to find it but since then, every time I have restarted or shut down my laptop, I've had to put in the same recovery key again. I've tried following tutorials online where they turn off Bitlocker from the control panel, but that doesn't appear there. Instead, the closest option I could find was turning off 'Device Encryption' in settings but I don't know if I should do that. I also believe that I already had that turned on prior to this update and I didn't know Bitlocker existed until now.Is there

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Bitlocker Process - 2 bek (startup) keys and one recovery key

I don't know if this what should happen but I was watching the process of key storage as I went through the BitLocker encryption process.

To see what was happening on the usb drive to which I was saving the startup and recovery keys I had to enable 'show system files' in order to see the .bek key.* I have seen posts stating that these are 'hidden files'. Maybe they are both? I am assuming that if the restart to check that usb key works succeeds, then presumably the machine is 'booting' from the usb key (.bek file)...?

1. Turned bitlocker on the C drive
2. usb drive was preselected to save STARTUP KEY
3. clicked on save
4. ONE bek key created on USB drive
5. Question re save location for recovery key > selected save to usb flash drive
6. USB drive preselected > clicked on save
7. Another bek key and recovery key saved with same timestamp
8. clicked on next > encrypt entire drive > run check > restart

So TWO .bek (startup) keys......Does anyone know why two?

One for each partition although I did not yet have BitLocker turned on my data partition.
Or maybe one for the Windows recovery partition?* Although I thought I had read that this remained unencrypted...?

 

BitLocker suddenly requiring recovery key at every startup

Overnight, I suddenly must enter a BitLocker recovery key at every startup. (Luckily, I have the key.)

How do I make it stop? I barely understand what BitLocker is, much less how to manipulate it. If possible, I am hoping for specific steps to turn this off.

Running Windows 10 Pro. Thank you!

 

[BitLocker] Encrypting without generating recovery key?

Hi,

is there a way to encrypt a BitLocker drive without generating a recovery key?

Other encryption tools such as DiskCryptor/VeraCrypt/TrueCrypt or those found on Linux can simply be used with one PIN, no recovery key required.

BitLocker also allows to encrypt using a PIN. But, even when using a PIN, it still always seems to require to generate a recovery key in addition.

Is it possible to disable recovery keys altogether? So that only a PIN is set up to encrypt the drive and nothing else?

Why would you want a recovery key anyway, when you are already using a PIN? Why would you want to generate two passwords (PIN + recovery key) instead of just one password (only PIN without any recovery key)?